College Admission Help

College Admission Help: Higher learning, higher earning
By Anna Troppens
High school counselors emphasize this formula to students: higher learning equals more earning. Those who go on to community college, a university or technical schools have higher salaries than those with a high school diploma alone.

“We try to preach that to the kids,” said counselor Mark Mattingly of Holly High School.

Fellow counselor Chris  Major-Talley said she believes it is very important for students to get some type of education after high school. In today’s job market, work isn’t there for a person who doesn’t have training or education for the job.

Everyone doesn’t have to attend a four-year college or university. Community college, or a technical certificate are other options, Mattingly said. “Even the military is an option.”

Young people learn a trade while in the military, and can  attend college after or during service. More education is a path to a higher military rank, and more pay. In addition, the military will help pay for higher education, he said.

Woodard said students from Lake Fenton, Fenton and  Linden high schools can obtain some training at the Genesee Area Skill Center. In most cases, they will need more education beyond high school. But they can explore careers at the skill center, such as auto mechanics, commercial foods, medical assistant, nurse’s aide and cosmetology.

The sooner students  begin planning for life after high school, the better, said Career Development Facilitator Karen Logan of Holly High School. If they know what they want to study after high school, they can plan what high school classes they take accordingly.

Some students know in elementary school what they want to  be when they grow up, but it’s pretty rare, said Woodard. Not everyone in high school knows what career they will pursue.

If they do, future nursing  students can take biology in high school, while those interested in engineering can choose Computer-Aided Design classes. Logan referred to a quote from Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees baseball team, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up somewhere else.”

LFHS students have Educational  Development Plans (EDPs) they begin working on in seventh grade. They refine their career goals and record skills they are accumulating, and how these fit into their plans for the future. “Certainly middle school is not too soon,” Woodard said.

Holly High School’s career center reopened in December and  is available to students during the school day. Students can come in and use the computers, fill out college applications and work on their EDPs.

Other  tri-county area students can check their high school’s career center, or guidance counseling office, for assistance.

With the ACT and Michigan  Merit Exam tests now required of high school students, some students are thinking about college who previously wouldn’t have, Major-Talley said. “We tell them the ACT is a free college entrance test.”

Due to current economic  conditions, less students are going to universities, Mattingly said. More are attending community college for their first two years, to save money. After their sophomore year of college, they transfer to a four-year college or university. Even top students are doing this now. “We say it is an excellent option.”

What to study

The type of career  someone chooses can affect where he or she lives, how much money they have and what hours they work. It’s a big decision affecting many facets of life, but research helps young people know what to expect.

College isn’t only  about becoming a doctor, lawyer or high school teacher, said Tom Saelens, coordinator of outreach for Mott Community College (MCC).

Nursing, and  other jobs in the medical field, are No. 1 in terms of “hot” careers, Holly High School counselor Mark Mattingly said. There are predicted shortages in the future for workers in this field. Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth statistics, supplied by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, estimate there will be 3,132 annual job openings for registered nurses through 2012 (www.michigan.gov/lmi).

Mott Community College (MCC) has the largest  nursing program in the area, Saelens said. It graduates 160 to 180 nursing students each year. The job market also is strong for other health-related occupations, such as occupational therapy and dental hygiene. Other programs Mott offers include police officer training, welding, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), auto mechanics and furnace repair/HVAC.

Linden High  School guidance counselor Sue Hinton said counseling, and career counseling, are in demand. The first type of counselor helps those who are dissatisfied with their lives, and the second assists those who have lost their jobs.

Alternative energy, such as producing power from wind and solar  sources, is a good field to study, Major-Talley said. Other top picks are business, education and engineering. Several female Holly High School students plan to study engineering. “That’s awesome,” she said.

Careers in  forensic science also are hot, said Karen Logan, career development facilitator for HHS. With the current economic conditions, auto mechanics are in demand because people are keeping their vehicles longer. “They’re the people that are still working.”

And if there aren’t job openings for a certain type of  career in Michigan, grads can move out of state if they’re willing, said Saelens. For example, there aren’t many openings in Michigan right now for high school teachers. This isn’t to say there won’t be in three to four years, though.

The average college freshman changes majors three times, data  from colleges indicates. If students aren’t sure what they want to major in, they can mark “undecided.” “The largest major is undecided, one college rep said,” Major-Talley added. Taking various classes and talking to people can help with the decision, Mattingly said.


College Admission Help: Higher learning, higher earning