Meet Our College and Career Coach!
We are excited to announce that we now offer help to high school students who are making or planning for the transition to college and/or the workforce. Meet Lorrie Hummer, our new College and Career Coach! She has an M.Ed. in Counselor Education from Virginia Commonwealth University, and currently works as a Virginia Community College High School Career Coach helping students to define their career goals and find post-secondary programs that suit their academic and financial needs. At PLZ Lorrie can help students:
- Determine career interests and develop an individual career plan or portfolio
- Find out more about classes and programs that are offered that may be a good fit for their goals such as: dual-enrollment, AP, technical programs, apprenticeships, and workforce training.
- Make an academic plan based on career and postsecondary goals.
- Ease the transition from high school to the workforce or post-secondary education.
- Search for and apply to college.
- Find and apply for scholarships and financial aid.
Call us today to set up an appointment with Lorrie, so that she can work with your high school student to prepare for college! Lorrie will have individual sessions and will also be teaching a one week Applying to College crash course in August. See below for more details:
PLZ Get Me Ready For College
We provide college and career counseling to prepare our students for the college application process and their future careers. We provide affordable individual and small group workshops that help high school students to have a better understanding of the application process and give them opportunities to get into the college of their choice. Our licensed college counselor will be with the students every step of the way providing them valuable information and feedback. We have a PLZ Get Me Ready for College Workshop coming up soon. See the details of this workshop below. Please contact us to reserve your student’s seat today. We will continue to have College Workshops and individual College Counseling throughout the year. Click here to register.
Part 1- Explore Possible Majors and Career Path
- Students will take a career assessment to determine their interests. They will then have an opportunity to learn about careers that match their interests and the education needed for these careers. They will have access to a search tool that can be used to explore colleges that offer the major or career field that they are interested in.
Part 2- College Comparison
- From their search during the previous session, students will choose three colleges to research in-depth.
Part 3- Scholarships
- Students will be given information about how to find and apply for scholarships.
Part 4- Financing a College Education
Information will be given to students and parents on:
- Completing the FAFSA
- Parent Plus Loans
- Expected Family Contribution
- Direct Student Loans
- Award Letters
- Myths associated with the price of college
Part 5- The College Application Process and the Common Application
- Students will be given information on the college admissions process and what is required. Students will fill out the Common Application which is accepted by many colleges and universities.
Part 6- The Essay
- Students will learn strategies for writing their college essay. Students will work on choosing a topic for their college application essay and begin writing their essay.
Part 7- The Essay Continued
- Students will receive feedback on their rough draft in order to write a final draft.
Part 8- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions and What to Do When
- Students will have an opportunity to have their questions answered by a college and career counselor. Students will receive detailed information and a checklist regarding what should be done each year in order to prepare for college.
