THE FIVE STAGES OF COLLEGE PLANNING Selecting a college is among the most important decisions in your life




THE FIVE STEPS OF COLLEGE PLANNING The Foundation of Your College Plan Selecting a college is among the most important decisions in your life. The consequences are great for making the right college match or the wrong one. Your decisions affect career direction, college success and the costs of a college education. Developing a college plan by following our "Five Stages…", will help you and your family make better-informed, accurate college decisions. The "Five Stages..." are linked and sequential. 1. SELF AWARENESS. Being aware of your personality traits and interests, your strengths and limitations, and how they relate to specific careers and college majors. You will complete personality and interest surveys, College Readiness Survey, Student Information Profile, and a Resume. 2. CAREER EXPLORATION. Exploring in-depth those career and/or majors which appear to best match your personality traits, interests, strengths, limitations, values and skills. 3. COLLEGE EXPLORATION. Identifying and exploring those colleges which appear to be the best match for your career/major options, credentials and expectations. You will use tools such as the College Matching Questionnaire to help you find colleges. Visits to these "candidate" colleges are vital in narrowing down the colleges you should apply to. 4. COLLEGE ADMISSION. Select the colleges you will to, then apply to each with confidence, focusing on deadlines, essays, personal statements, and letters of recommendation. You will understand such concepts as leveraging, admissions options, and evaluating offers. 5. SCHOLARSHIPS/FINANCIAL AID. This stage is vital in selecting your "right fit" college. You and your parents can make college more affordable by:
	a) Searching for merit/talent scholarships offered by the colleges
	b) Searching for private donor and local scholarships, and
	c) Understanding the steps and related strategies for obtaining low-cost education loans, need-based scholarships, grants and other types of aid.
	d) Learn how to impact and evaluate scholarships and financial aid offered by the colleges.
SEQUENTIAL PROGRESSION OF "THE FIVE STAGES.."BY GRADE LEVEL
	Fresh	Sophs	Juniors	Seniors	Adults
Self Awareness	X	X	X	X	X
Career Exploration		X	X	X	X
College Exploration			X	X	X
College Admission				X	X
Scholarships/Financial Aid				X	X
-OTHER COLLEGE PLANNING SERVICES- 6. Transitioning Successfully from High School to College. 7. Transferring Successfully from One College to Another (if advisable). 8. Graduate & Professional School Planning (MEDICINE, DENTISTRY, LAW). 9. Preliminary College Planning for Pre-High School Students. 10. Changing Careers Successfully (Adults).
Introduction		Private Contract and Forms for "Non-LCC" Families		Information for LCC Students
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