Site Map | Schools | Calendar | Forms | Directions  

Administration | Board | Parents/Students | For Staff | Modernization | Fiscal Info

TUHSD > Instruction > Student Services > Counseling > College/Post-High-School Guide

Instruction

• SARCs
• Reports
• Forms
• Student Learning Outcomes

FOR PARENTS & STUDENTS
-	Annual Notice
-	Enrollment & Transfers
Instruction
-	Assessment
-	Graduation
-	Honors/AP
Student Services
-	Counseling
-	Health & Safety
-	Special Ed
-	Student Study Teams (SSTs)
-	Test Dates/Info
-	Transit Info

Summer School

College of Marin (COM)

Marin County Office of Education

Special Education – County SELPA

Marin Teaching Network

COLLEGE & POST-HIGH-SCHOOL GUIDE: Resources
get this GUIDE in PDF format (get Adobe Reader)

There are many resources available to you as you plan for college and a career. First, however, you should take a look at yourself.

Do you want to go to college? Many Tam District students enter college directly after high school. Some defer enrollment for a year or a semester and others decide not to go at all.

If college is what you want to do, why do you want to attend? What are your academic and personal strengths? What are your career interests?

The following resources will help you:

THE COUNSELING STAFF

The counseling staff is ready to help you along the way. Make an appointment with your counselor early in the spring to begin making college plans. This is a very important first step.

The counselors have a wealth of information at their fingertips, including the latest information from the University of California system, the California State University system, and private colleges. Your counselor is your best source of information because he or she continually attends workshops and conferences to keep abreast of the latest in college admissions.

Applications for the University of California and for the State System are available in the counseling office and the college/career center. To secure applications for other institutions, you must write, e-mail, or call directly. Many colleges allow you to make application online.

THE COLLEGE/CAREER CENTER

The college/career center should be the focal point of your college planning. The specialists are certified college admissions advisors. You can get help here in planning for both college and your career.

Following is a list of resources and activities available in the college/career center:

Interest Inventories
Interest inventories help you find out how you see yourself, what kind of job fits your interests, what you like to do most, and what training you need for that job. One was administered to you when you were a sophomore, but others are available upon request.

Computer Programs
The college/career center has an online career/life exploration and planning system. Bridges is a complete online career development program with the following tools: career awareness, career exploration, career planning, transition, and professional services. Students and staff alike have access to the latest career information. Contact your college/career center to learn your school’s username and password.

Additional computer programs allowing for college & scholarship searches are available in each high school’s college/career center.

College Catalogs and Printed Materials
The college/career center has catalogs from colleges throughout the United States plus pamphlets, alumni magazines, newspapers, college profiles and videos.

College References
Some of the many reference books located in the college/career center are:
- Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges, Barron’s Educational Series
- Colleges That Change Lives, by Loren Pope
- The College Handbook, College Entrance Examination Board
- Insider’s Guide to College, Yale Daily News Staff
- The Fiske Guide to Colleges, by Edward Fiske

Scholarships and Financial Aid
The college/career center has reference books, pamphlets, and computerized programs to help you locate sources of financial aid. A scholarship file is also maintained. Watch the school bulletin for scholarship information. Applications are often available in the college/career center.

Career Guidance
Encyclopedia of Careers, Dictionary of Occupational Titles, and Occupational Outlook Handbook are some books that give information on careers. Hundreds of pamphlets, brochures, occupational briefs, and government publications describing occupations are available.

Summer Opportunities
Information is available in the college/career center on many summer opportunities both in the United States and abroad.

College Rep Visits
Representatives from numerous colleges come each year to our campus to talk to students and to leave current information about their colleges. The majority come during the fall semester of the school year. Watch the daily bulletin and the college/career center signs for dates and times of these visits. The representatives can provide up-to-date information about a particular school and are another contact for you with the admissions office of a college or university. (These reps may read your application.) Attend as many of these sessions as you can.

Regional Occupational Program
ROP offers excellent skills training programs for both college-bound and non-college-bound students. Learning skills makes it possible to obtain jobs to earn college money and explore fields of interest. These high school classes on other campuses will earn you credit and you will pay no fee. Information is in your college/career center regarding ROP classes.

Military
Information is available on the military academies, each branch of service, as well as ROTC information and scholarships. Military officers visit the college/career center.

OTHER MEANS OF EXPLORING COLLEGES

You can learn a lot about colleges by TALKING to alumni of a particular college, students currently enrolled, and Tam District graduates who are attending college. Attend the programs in which graduates are invited back to talk about their college experiences.

YOUR PARENTS have a large investment in your college career. You need to share your ideas about college with them and determine what kind of support you can expect from them.

THE INTERNET is full of web sites where students can take virtual tours, learn about financial aid, explore majors, visit the college home pages and much more. See your college/career specialist for useful web addresses and look at the list at the back of this booklet.

OPTIONS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

Not everyone goes directly to a college or university after high school. You have several options. While the majority of Tamalpais Union High School graduates do enroll in a four or a two year college, many choose other options.

Some students choose to attend a vocational or technical school where they can receive on-the-job training. A few students enlist in some branch of the military where educational opportunities do exist.

Working full-time is the option for others. Many students work for several years before returning to school full or part time to continue their education. Studies show that student’s earning power increases with every year of additional education.

Many new jobs have been created by this economy. You will be expected to be a life-long learner, receiving training or participating in additional education continually. Updating your technology skills will be a necessity as technology advances.

The following chart shows you the choices that are available after you graduate. There are many ways to continue your education and training in order to have a successful career.

The path you choose depends upon the particular kind of career that you desire and the amount of time, effort, and money that you are willing to invest in your future.

What do you want as a career? What are the significant skills you possess? Are you attentive to detail, fast with numbers, quick to catch on? Are you good with your hands, good at problem solving, a motivator of people? What are your strong and weak points? It is important to connect the things you know about yourself to the career areas you may be considering. The college/career center has interest inventories to help you explore your interests. There are also many other resources available to help guide you in the right direction. It is your future but remember to include your parents, counselor, and friends in helping you make your choices. Here are a few possibilities to look into if you are not planning to attend college immediately after graduation:

Armed Forces: The Armed Forces offer many training programs, which prepare you for civilian jobs. The college/career center has information on all the Services. If you plan on enlisting, you will need to take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). Listen to your daily bulletin for dates when the military representatives will be on campus to discuss their programs. www.militarycareers.com/

Apprenticeship Programs: Apprenticeship is a system of learning while earning and learning by doing. It combines training on the job with related and supplemental instruction. Today it is utilized chiefly in the crafts. Each program operates under apprenticeship training standards agreed to by labor and management in accordance with state and federal laws. Apprentice training is offered in northern California in the following vocational areas: Automotive, Barber/Cosmetologist; Boilermaker; Bricklayer; Carpenter; Carpet & Linoleum; Cement Mason; Drywall Finisher & Lather; Electrician; Glazier; Ironworker; Construction; Landscape & Irrigation Fitter; Lithographer/Bookbinder; Mill Cabinet; Molder/Coremaker; Painter; Plasterer; Plumber; Roofer; Sheet Metal Worker; Sound & Communication Installer; Surveyor; Telecommunications, and Tile Finisher & Tile Layer. For more information, call (510) 622-3259. www.calapprenticeship.org/

Civil Service Jobs: A test is required for government employment. Salaries and benefits are excellent. Call the Federal Information Center at (510) 637-2951 for information.

U.S Job Corps: These programs provide both men and women (ages 16-24) with educational, vocational, and social skills training. Training centers are located in northern and southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Call 1-(800)-733-5627for a list of training programs. www.jobcorps.org/

ROP - Regional Occupational Program: The ROP program, in cooperation with county high school districts, offers year-round day and evening training opportunities. Graduates may enroll for a minimal fee. Courses offered include: Accounting; Automotive Maintenance; Business/Office Technology; Construction; Cosmetology; Culinary; Desktop Publishing; Early Childhood Occupations; Electronics Occupations; Multimedia/digital Communications; Printing Technology; Radio Broadcasting; Television Production; Welding, and Word Processing. Call 499-5860.

Marin Conservation Corps: The MCC hires young men and women, ages 15 to 30, for a year of natural resource work and emergency assistance. While working to preserve and restore endangered natural areas, MCC provides people of all backgrounds with job experiences and training. MCC corps members assist local, state and federal land-management agencies, nonprofit organizations, special districts and neighborhood associations in accomplishing vital environmental and human-service projects. Corps members earn $6 to $9 an hour and usually work a 32-hour week. For information call the San Rafael office at 454-4554.
The California Conservation Corps (ages 18-23) can be reached at (800) 952-5627. It is a one-year commitment. Corps members respond to emergencies such as forest fires and floods. www.ccc.ca.gov

Americorps: Join a national service corps and serve communities with their education, public safety, and environmental needs from September through June. Earn a living allowance of about $200 a week, health insurance included, while saving for your education. Corps members receive an educational stipend of $4725 at the end of public service. Call the Bay Area Youth Agency Consortium at (415) 447-1430 or the Americorps hot line at (800) 942-2677 or log on to www.cnsgov/americotp.html

Work, Volunteer, and or Study in the U.S. and Abroad: There are a variety of programs available which you can learn more about by visiting the reference section of your local libraries, visiting the college/career center, and by doing an Internet search with words related to the above heading. These programs can range from outdoor wilderness experiences to teaching English abroad. Examples include: the West Coast branch of the Institute of International Education (415) 956-4074; www.studyabroad.com and Outward Bound (800) 547-3312 or www.pcobs.org.

Home study and telecommunication online education: There are a variety of web sites concerning learning using the Internet. Use the words “education distance learning” to find many sites. This one also may be helpful: www.detc.org.

Site Map | Schools | Calendar | Forms | Directions