Understanding Naviance: A Comprehensive College & Career Planning Tool

Naviance Parent Training 2020 Presentation by Caroline Nicholson, MLHS College & Career Counselor cnicholson@mlschools.org

What is Naviance? A college & career planning tool for students and parents Research colleges Explore career interests Platform used by the Guidance Office to send college application materials (transcripts, recommendations)

What Can I Do on Naviance? Request letters of recommendation Link to Common Application See acceptance history Take career inventories Complete surveys Create a resume And more! Complete a college search Compare colleges View scattergrams Develop a prospective & final college list Track deadlines View upcoming college visits

How Do I Log In? MLHS website > Counseling tab > College & Career > Naviance link Google Naviance > Account Log In > Students & Parents Forgot your password? Contact Mrs. Nicholson to reset Multiple kids - link accounts

General College Search Use the search tool at the top of the home page Can t find a school? No acronyms (Fashion Institute of Technology vs. FIT), Saint vs. St. College pages Overview From the school, Counselor Comments Section, Compare tool College overlaps

College Pages: Admissions Section Application history Requirements Deadlines Early Action (non-binding) Early Decision (binding) Regular Decision Rolling (evaluate applications as they are received and release decisions as they re made) Scattergrams

Scattergrams Pros Cons Shows you real data from MLHS applicants, 2017-2020 Gives you a better estimate of average GPAs (weighted vs. unweighted) Helps students form a realistic list Selectivity changes over time Be aware of outliers Holistic approach May not be representative for all schools Test-optional Always cross check with college websites to review their admitted student data

College Pages Other tabs: Studies (search majors) Student life (demographic info, student organizations) Costs

Colleges Im Thinking About To add colleges to this list, click the heart button This is a good way for your child to keep track of schools that they re interested in Lets their counselor know what colleges they are considering Students, parents, and counselors can add colleges to this list Will eventually move schools to Colleges I m Applying To

SuperMatch Search schools by location, cost, size, and more to find your best fit Can be as general as schools that offer Bachelor degrees Or as specific as schools in Nevada that offer Accounting and have a Rugby team! This is a good tool for Sophomores and Juniors to use to begin to explore colleges

College Visits Colleges tab > Research Colleges > College Visits 130+ Admission Counselors visit MLHS each year What is it? An opportunity to . Learn more about the school Ask questions Meet the representative who may be reading your application Demonstrate interest What is it not: An interview Something to be scared about They are informal, but do have 1 or 2 general questions prepared Something to miss a test for

About Me Tab My Account: GPA (updated at end of year) My Stuff: test scores, resume creation My Surveys: Student Brag Sheet (counselor recommendation) Teacher Brag Sheet Graduation Survey Recommendation requests will be entered on Naviance later (Colleges tab > Apply to College > Letters of Recommendation)

Career Exploration: Do What You Are (9th) Based on the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory Uses personality types to suggest careers that might be a good match Results provide students with a four-part personality type Helpful hints on your strengths and blind spots Preferred learning style Suggests related careers and majors for the student to consider

Career Exploration: Career Cluster Finder Discover which career clusters may be a good match based on activities that interest you, your personal qualities, and subjects you enjoy. Explore Careers & Clusters Understand the difference between Business Management and Finance Employment Outlook

Career Exploration: Career Interest Profiler Assessment for students based on Holland s interest codes. Based on the idea that career satisfaction depends on compatibility between personality and work environment. Six personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional. Results show their top Holland Code matches. Students can view matching careers.

Career/Major Exploration: We want to help students discover their strengths and learn about many types of careers paths That being said, it s okay to be undecided! It s estimated that about 75% of students either start college as undecided or change their major

What Should Sophomores Be Doing? What Should Juniors Be Doing? Focusing on their classes Gameplan / surveys Using the SuperMatch tool Adding colleges to Colleges I m Thinking About Virtual tours/information sessions Thinking about recommendations Testing (if available & comfortable) Focusing on their classes Thinking about coursework for next year General features (big vs. small, location) Starting to explore the SuperMatch tool Career exploration Review the bi-weekly College & Career Bulletin!

Important Notes Colleges will NOT see your student s Naviance Applications are submitted separately - through the Common Application or school-specific app But, you can sign up for mailing lists on Naviance This IS how the Guidance Office knows what colleges you are thinking about (and ultimately applying to) Always cross check information with college websites - they do not always update Naviance

Resources Comparing universities vs liberal arts colleges Comparing Colleges: Big vs. Small Schools Other college search tools: Princeton Review, College Board s Big Future Colleges That Change Lives, Hidden Ivies Net Price Calculators (available on each college s website)

Upcoming College Events December 21: Alumni Panel (Juniors) January 7: Junior College Kickoff January 11: Junior College Meetings begin Mid-January: Sophomore Focus January 30: Practice ACT with Princeton Review February 3: Princeton Review Scores Back session Anytime: Contact Mrs. Nicholson with questions