College Information & Planning
College: A Door to the Future
Thinking about going to college? Not sure where to go or where to start?
One of the services of the College & Career Center is to help students search schools which may be a good match for them in terms of majors, size, location, services, extracurriculars and finances. Some services we offer include:
Conferences with students and/or parents
College and financial aid computer searches
College representative visits to Seneca Valley
Information about college fairs
NCAA information
Financial Aid workshops at Seneca Valley
Links to virtual college tours and presentations
College & Career Center notes via Naviance emails
These students thought they could not go to college because of the obstacles they faced...cost, grades, responsibilities, feeling overwhelmed. Sound familiar? Visit this website to hear their stories: youcango.collegeboard.org.
American College Application Campaign’s College Research Worksheet
Downloadable guide to help students understand match, fit, and cost when researching colleges and identifying to which colleges they want to apply. (from act.org)
College Search Websites & Resources - Click Here
Naviance
Naviance has many helpful tools to assist students searching for colleges, including SuperMatch College Search. Click on 'Colleges Home' in your Naviance account.
Big Future
bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ - College Board's site; research and filter by location, major, and more.
Reach Higher
www.reachhigher.org/students/ - resources to support students as they work on completing their postsecondary education.
College Wise
https://collegewiserunway.thinkific.com/ - free resources and courses to help high school students prepare for college admissions.
Niche's - The 2022 Best Colleges By Major
The 2022 Best Colleges By Major - The 2022 College Rankings are out! Explore college rankings by major to find a college that's right for you.
Additional Sites
www.mdgo4it.mhec.maryland.gov - wealth of info and resources to assists high school students plan and prepare for college in Maryland.
www.collegeresults.org - examine colleges' graduation rates, and see how those rates have changed over time; compare graduation rates of similar colleges serving similar students; learn about colleges' track records in graduating diverse groups of students.
scholarships.com - college matchmaker; search based on a number of criteria
www.fairtest.org/university/optional - colleges & universities that do not use SAT/ACT scores for admission. Note:always double check with the institution's official site to confirm their admission requirements.
www.onlinecolleges.net - database of online colleges & universities
www.collegeaffordabilityguide.org - using analysis based on 10,000,000+ data points from thousands of schools, use this website to research some of the most affordable colleges in the country.
CollegeCovered.com - a FREE resource to help students and families plan and pay for college.
Virtual College Tours & Presentations - Click Here
Virtual College Tours & Presentations
You can also visit the following websites to go on virtual college tours and see recorded presentations to learn about schools you may be interested in:
www.strivescan.com/virtual/ - virtual presentations for students to explore college opportunities; hear from admissions counselors; gain important college knowledge exploring 400+ presentations and information sessions; 500+ colleges and universities.
explore.cialfo.co/webinars - view recordings of university presentations and/or take video tours of campuses.
www.campustours.com - great information plus interactive Maps and Virtual tours.
Additional Resources
Information for First Generation College Students
www.collegegreenlight.com - connecting first generation and underrepresented students to caring colleges, generous scholarships, and life-changing counselors and mentors.
www.imfirst.org - an online community celebrating first-generation college students and supporting those who will be.
Information for Undocumented Students
mydocumentedlife.org/ - Up-to-date information & resources for Undocumented Immigrants.
Information for Students with Disabilities
www.mdod.maryland.gov - State of Maryland DOD website. Resources for students with disabilities.
Workshop Videos - Click Here
Workshops on Video
See the below for a list of past workshops to get additional assistance and learn more about various topics.
Summer 2022
Past Years
College Essay Guy - How to write a great personal statement
Financial Aid Presented in Spanish/ Ayuda financiera presentada en español
NACAC Workshops on Video
These recordings are from workshops presented at NACAC Virtual College Fairs. The workshops are a public service from NACAC and its members. Scroll below to hear the latest, expert advice from college counselors and admission directors on the following topics:
Pre-College / Summer Program Opportunities - Click Here
A pre-college summer program offers high school students the opportunity to take classes at a college and experience college life during the summer. Many programs offer a residential and commuter option. Students can stay in dorms with their peers, or they can commute from home if they live close to the college.
Summer Programs & Internships - List of summer programs and internships created by MCPS College & Career Information Coordinators.
Montgomery College & Montgomery Scholars Program - Click Here
Montgomery College
www.montgomerycollege.edu/ - click to learn more about Montgomery College. MC offers more than 130 programs of study, providing a relevant education that prepares students to become active contributors to the workforce or transfer to a four-year degree program.
Benefits of Attending Community College - click to see a Google Slides presentation and learn about the benefits of attending a Community College, specifically Montgomery College.
The Articulation System for Maryland Colleges and Universities (ARTSYS) - ARTSYS is intended to aid the transfer of students from Maryland community colleges to the University System of Maryland institutions and other participating institutions. Explore how credits from Montgomery College can be transferred to Maryland's four-year colleges and universities.
Montgomery Scholars
The Montgomery Scholars Program is a selective-admission two-year interdisciplinary honors program designed for high school graduates as the first step in completing a four-year degree.
Montgomery Scholars will launch their college studies at a fraction of the cost of most four-year schools. The College will award merit scholarships to each student admitted into the Scholars program. These Montgomery Scholars scholarships cover the cost of full-tuition and fees, for two years of study at Montgomery College (30 credits per year at the in-county resident tuition rate).
The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) - Click Here
Established in 2000, The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) offers select degree programs from nine public Maryland universities on one convenient campus in Montgomery County.
Students apply directly to the university offering their chosen major, and on the application, they simply select USG as their preferred campus location. The professors, curriculum, and degree are provided by the home university (it does not say USG on your diploma!), but students at the USG campus benefit from small class sizes, increased scholarship opportunities, and an array of customized on-site services and student life - leading to a more personalized, cost-effective, and time-saving path to degree completion.
USG's innovative and pioneering partnership approach to higher education is designed to connect local college students to outstanding career opportunities, while providing regional employers with a highly educated, skilled workforce. Only the upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses are offered on the USG campus, fostering a supportive environment of students focused on completing their degrees and advancing their careers*.
*Students start their college career at Montgomery College (or another community college) and transfer to USG to earn a four-year bachelor's degree from one of 9 Maryland Universities.