College and Career Guidance

Although a ‘gap’ year is becoming increasingly popular, 98% of Seton students go onto some form of post-secondary education immediately after high school.

Academic Advisors conduct individual and group advising sessions beginning in a student’s freshman year to help every student develop a clear pathway to college and careers.

Planning For College

There are many different colleges and universities offering a variety of majors and courses. Academic Advisors work with every student to help them plan for college and find a college suited to their career interest and learning style. Alongside their Advisor, each student is guided along the following steps of the college process:

Scheduling courses appropriately and monitoring grades
Understanding and navigating the college admissions timeline
Planning for and taking the ACT/SAT
Evaluating test results and developing a plan for improvement
Completing a college application
Obtaining recommendation letters
Completing financial aid forms
Academic Advisors also makes available scholarship, internship, work-study, and other employment opportunities.

Students also participate in Academic Guidance sessions to reinforce college and career success. Topics include study and notetaking skills; managing stress and anxiety; adopting proactive behaviors necessary for success; discovering career goals and interests; and scheduling courses appropriate to meet those goals.

Parent information meetings are scheduled throughout the year to keep parents informed of the college admissions process and to reinforce academic advising topics.

Choosing a College Major or Career

Career planning is a process that evolves over time. Many students and adults change their career paths as they learn about new opportunities.

Whether a student is just starting to plan or has a career path all figured out, Seton High School’s Academic Advisors are available to help with the process beginning in a student’s freshman year. The following is a general timeline Seton students follow to determine their career interests and paths:

Freshman students meet in group advising sessions to discuss goal setting and to map out a plan for success. Students also focus on behaviors and attitudes necessary for success in high school and in life. These include effective communication skills, study habits, information literacy, and self-advocacy.

In the spring of their sophomore year, students will complete a research project in conjunction with their English classes and group advising sessions. Advisor introduce students to reputable career search websites and methods to research one particular career of interest.

All students are encouraged to shadow a person who is currently working in a career of interest. The Advisor can help connect the students with these adults.

Students in their sophomore and junior years are encouraged to participate in summer programs, and internships. Many colleges offer summer programs in all kinds of career areas. A student who participates in such a program learns about the career of her choice and has an opportunity to learn about living on a college campus.

As students register for courses in their junior and senior year, they should strongly consider career centered electives. Many of these electives are taught by or developed in conjunction with local colleges and universities and offer real-world experiences and valuable networking opportunities related to a particular career.

Students are encouraged to volunteer in a field related to a career interest. For example, students interested in health careers may want to volunteer at a hospital.