Online Resources

Below are lists of resources that are intended to provide additional support to Talent Search - Del Valle's students and their families during the college going process. We do our best to identify resources that are available from trusted sources and free to access. However, if there are resources that you would like to include or suggest, then complete the online feedback form to send us your recommendation(s).

No matter where you go to college, how you make your decision and navigating the application process can be confusing journey. Before looking over the other resources, take a moment to review the College Prep Lingo.

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  • 1st Step: College Prep Lingo

      • Public colleges are funded by local and state governments and usually offer lower tuition rates than private colleges, especially for students who are residents of the state where a college is located.
      • Private colleges rely mainly on tuition, fees and private sources of funding. Private donations can sometimes provide generous financial aid packages for students. Many private colleges are religiously affiliated or were religiously affiliated when they first opened.
      • Proprietary/For-profit colleges: These are businesses that offer a variety of degree programs which typically prepare students for a specific career. They tend to have higher costs, which could mean graduating with more debt. Credits earned may not transfer to other colleges, so be sure to check with the admission office at each college.
      • Four-year colleges offer four-year programs that lead to a bachelor's degree. These include universities and liberal arts colleges.
      • Two-year colleges offer programs that last up to two years that lead to a certificate or an associate degree. These include community colleges, vocational-technical colleges and career colleges.
      • Universities often are larger and offer more majors and degree options—bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees—than colleges. Most universities contain several smaller colleges, such as colleges of liberal arts, engineering or health sciences. These colleges can prepare you for a variety of careers or for graduate study.
      • Community or Junior colleges offer two-year associate degrees that prepare you to transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor's degree. They also offer other associate degrees and certificates that focus on preparing you for a certain career. Community colleges are often an affordable option with relatively low tuition.
      • Technical Institutes and Professional Schools offer programs for students who have made clear decisions about what they want to study and emphasize preparation for specific careers (i.e. trade schools for mechanics, electricians, cosmetology, etc.)

      • Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) are colleges, universities, or systems where total Hispanic/Latin-x enrollment constitutes a minimum of 25% at either the undergraduate or graduate level.
      • Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) find their origins in the time when African-American/Black students were systematically denied access to most other colleges and universities. Students at HBCU's have a unique opportunity to experience an educational community as the majority. They find committed faculty members who encourage their expectations of success.
      • Tribal Colleges are similar to HBCU's, in focusing on the needs and education of Native American/Indigenous students.
      • Women's Colleges, with their larger number of female faculty and administrators, offer college women confidence-building role models, greater opportunities to serve in a full rage of student leadership positions, and a heightened awareness of career possibilities for women. Women's college graduate a high number of science majors, as well as students who continue on to graduate school and/or professional studies.

      College descriptors provided by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).

  • Whether you are applying for college or scholarships, it is important to have good grades and stay on top of your academics.

    GPA Converter | Colleges use a 4.0 scale to report grade point averages (GPA). Many of the scholarships and academic programs offered by college will require a minimum GPA to maintain the scholarship and stay in the program.

    Khan Academy | Need additional tutoring? Khan Academy provides free study tools for a variety of subjects and for many AP tests.

    • Khan Academy does not support Internet Explorer, so you will need to use Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome to access this resources.

    MapMyGrad | Designed by Texas OnCourse, students of all grade levels can use this tools to understand the endorsements needed to graduate and career pathways, and start building their high school graduation plan.

    TEA Graduation Toolkit | Going to college is exciting, but you first need to make sure you meet all of your requirements to graduate. This PDF from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will provide you an overview of the required credits you need and the types of endorsements you can earn.

    Course Hero | If you are taking these college courses early, you can use Course Hero for studying assistance. Study guides and class notes are available for college courses from institutions across the country, so you are sure to find the best resource to match your learning style.

  • BigFuture Career Exploration | The connection between your major (what you study in college) and your career may not always be straight forward. BigFuture provides detailed information and different options to consider on both.

    Career Fitter | This aptitude test has free and premium results. The free portion is a personal summary that provides your quest (motivation), style, and strengths. The premium summary (need to pay for) includes a 10 page report on careers choices.

    Occupational Outlook Handbook | The Bureau of Labor Statistics has gathered important information on a variety of careers, including: projected growth of the job field, summary of the job, required education level, median salaries, type of work environment, and more.

    The Princeton Review Career Quiz | This free career aptitude test consists of 24 questions that goes over your personal interests and style. At the end of the quiz, your results will include a possible careers list, a "day in the life" for each career, and future possible actions and decisions a person might be making in the future. You can also request information on a university that fits best with your results.

    Your Free Career Test | The results of this free aptitude test provide your interest fields and possible careers with information on the careers, research, and jobs.

     

  • When it comes time to apply for college, the two most common applications are:

    ApplyTexas | Apply for admission to and scholarships from participating Texas public universities, private colleges, and community colleges.

    The Common Application | For students who are interested in private colleges and colleges out of state, the Common Applications can be used to apply to over 800 institutions.

    For your application, you will also need to prepare a resume that reflects the experience you have gained during high school and your involvement at school and in the community. Here are two examples of a resume colleges are looking for:

    Texas State University Resume Guide

  • Whether you have selected the college you are applying to or don't know where to begin, these resources provide you the information you need to be confident in your college choice.

    Ask ADVi | ADVi, a chatbot created by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at UT, provides 24/7 virtual support in finding college preparation information.

    BigFuture College Comparison | Have a couple of schools in mind, but can't decide which one to attend? BigFuture College Comparison tool allows you to compare three colleges on their location, campus size, admission processes, and cost of attendance.

    Campus Pride Index | Looking for a college that is supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community? As their website states, "the Campus Pride Index has been the premier LGBTQ national benchmarking tool for colleges and universities to create safer, more inclusive campus communities. The FREE online tool allows prospective students, families/parents and those interested in higher education to search a database of LGBTQ-friendly campuses who have come out to improve the academic experience and quality of campus life."

    College Scorecard | Not sure of which colleges you are interested in, but you know the type of school you want to attend? The U.S. Department of Education has developed a College Scorecard where you can search different categories (programs/degrees, location, size, public vs. private, specialized mission, etc.) to see all of the different colleges that fit what you are looking for. The search provides information on annual cost to attend, graduation rate, salary after attend, and profiles for each college.

     

    Texas Association of Community Colleges Map | Community college can be a great option for many students, and there are a lot of campuses to choose from. This map, provided by the Texas Association of Community Colleges, lists out all of the community colleges based on region, their main website, and connection to their Higher Education Almanac reports.

  • For many students, one of the biggest factors in making their decision on where to go to college is how they are ultimately going to pay for it all. The resources below are to assist in finding different ways to pay for college.

    Types of Financial Aid | Financial aid comes in many different forms and from many different sources. This summary will provide you information on where you can receive financial aid from and the differences between a scholarship, grant, and loan.

    Financial Aid Checklist | BigFuture provides a step-by-step guide for what students and families should be considering and preparing for from freshman year to senior year to get financial aid.

    Financial Aid Scams | Financial aid is provided to students based on multiple factors, such as family income and personal background. Because of the type of information you have to provide, it is important to avoid any scams that may be trying to take advantage of your need to find financial aid.

    FAFSA | The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a tool used by the government to provide federal and state grants and by a majority of colleges and universities to determine your financial aid package. It is important to note that both student and their parent(s) will need to complete the application and provide their tax information for two-years prior to when they would be submitting their college application. For those applying for the 2020 - 2021 school year, you will need to provide your 2018 tax information.

    • FSA ID | Students and parents will need to create an FSA ID, which is the username and password to access federal student aid websites such as FAFSA.
    • Selected for Verification | On your Student Aid Report (SAR), you may see a note about that you have been selected for verification. Your school may request additional documentation to confirm that your FAFSA form is accurate. It is important to know what specific documents your school needs and provide them by the school's deadlines.

    While the FAFSA form may provide you aid from the college or federal/state programs, you should also apply for scholarships.

    San Marcos Career Center | Within the San Marcos community, there are many organizations and people looking to help local students go to college. The Career Center website provides an up-to-date list of available scholarships and application deadlines.

    College Board Opportunity Scholarship | While you are researching and preparing for college, you can earn scholarships along the way. College Board has provided six different scholarships to award your college going efforts and completing all six steps can make you eligible to earn $40,000.

    Fastweb | There are thousands of scholarships available to assist students from all backgrounds and with all interests. Fastweb provide a scholarship database that will help you to find scholarships you can apply to based on your personalized profile.

  • Financial literacy is the ability to understand and effectively manage personal finances, and it takes time and practice to truly master. It is important to begin developing your financial literacy before going to college, because you will need to figure out how you and your family are going to pay for college and all of the expenses that come with it.

    5 Key Components of Financial Literacy | Since financial literacy may not be offered as a high school course, you can start becoming familiar with different concepts such as budgeting and interest rates.

    AIE Managing Your Money |  AIE is a public service website that provides financial education services. Learn how to read a credit card statement, create a spending plan, open a bank account, avoid potential debt problems, and prevent ID theft.

    AIE Paying for College | AIE provides an overview on understanding college costs, creating a college savings plan, and other financial aid resources.

    Financial Coaching | If you aren't sure where to begin or would like to speak to a professional, AIE offers free, confidential, one-on-one financial coaching through the Trellis Company.

    Practical Money Skills | Finances can be easier to understand with examples and practice activities. With Practical Money Skills, you have multiple opportunities to learn the basics. Try their calculators that can help you use your money wisely such as setting up a budget, saving up money to have an emergency fund, or planning to buy a car!

    OnGuard Online | Check this free online tool for security tips and resources to help protect your identity and money.

    Texas Reality Check | Can you afford the lifestyle you want? Texas Reality Check provides online calculators and activities to see the amount of money you need for your living expenses and to see which occupations can cover those expenses.

  • Earning college credit while in high school can help students prepare for the more academically rigorous classes they will need to take in college and potentially save some money. There are currently three ways to earn college credit in high school or before you have to take the college course.

    AP Courses | Advanced Placement (AP) courses are rigorous, college-level classes that student's can take at their high school. The subjects can vary, so San Marcos High School students should refer to the course catalog to see what is available. After completing the course, students can choose to take the AP exam that can, depending on their score, earn them college credits.

    CLEP | The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) offers 33 exams that, with a passing score, can earn you college credit. CLEP exams are recommended for college students who have prior knowledge in that subject. For example, if you are a fluent Spanish speaker, you can take a CLEP exam and earn credit for the Spanish Language Levels 1 and 2 courses. Each institution will have their own CLEP policy, so it is recommended to contact your institution's testing center to get more information.

    Dual Enrollment is a partnership between a high school and a community college to allow students to enroll into the community college and take courses while attending high school. It is important to note that dual enrollment does mean that the grades that students earn in these classes are officially part of their college transcript and their college GPA. San Marcos High School is currently in partnership with Austin Community College (ACC) and Coastal Bend College. To know if your dual enrollment classes will transfer to your four-year college, use the Texas Common Numbering System to compare two school's courses. For example, you can compare the courses offered by Coastal Bend College to Sam Houston State University's courses to see which credits would transfer.

    Course Hero | While you are taking these college courses early, you can use Course Hero for studying assistance. Study guides and class notes are available for college courses from institutions across the country, so you are sure to find the best resource to match your learning style.

  • It is never too early to begin the college preparation process. For middle school students, we recommend the following resources:

    MiddleGalaxy | This space-themed career exploration game was designed by Texas OnCourse for middle school students to introduce the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in various Texas jobs.

    Quest for Your Student's Success: Family Guide | Families of middle school students have access to resources they may need to support their students on their college choice.

  • Whether you are trying to earn college credit or taking a college entrance exam, it is important to know which tests are available and what FREE resources there are to prepare for them.

    Khan Academy | Access free academic support for multiple AP exams and the SAT test.

    SAT vs. ACT | The Princeton Review has a great write-up and comparison of the two tests. Both tests are accepted by colleges and universities, and both tests can provide opportunities for merit-based scholarships. Even though the tests cover similar topics, the tests are set up in two very different ways, so it is recommended to study for the two separately. By participating in RTS, you have access to fee waivers so you can take the test multiple times to improve your scores. Talk to your RTS Advisor to get more information on the fee waivers.

    PSAT Test Prep | In San Marcos, students begin taking the PSAT in seventh grade. It is important to take these tests seriously, because it can make you eligible for merit-based scholarships and resources before your senior year.

    SAT Test Prep | In addition to Khan Academy, there are apps, practice tests, and sample questions to help you study.

    ACT Test Prep | Access the ACT Academy and free study guides.

    TSI Test | Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSI Test) is used by colleges to determine if you are ready for college-level courses or if you need to take remedial courses. Not all students need to take the TSI Test. You may be exempt from the test if your SAT and/or ACT scores qualify.

    • SAT Score Qualifier: Minimum Score of 480 on EBRW and 530 on Mathematics.
    • ACT Score Qualifier: 23 or higher on ACT composite and a minimum of 19 on both English and Math tests.
    • TSI Sample Questions
    • TSI at ACC | For RTS students interested in attending Austin Community College (ACC), they will need to take the TSI test before enrolling unless they are exempt.

  • Everyone starts their college process at different times and with different goals. RTS is here to assist you through the process, and we know that each student has their own method to working through each step. In addition to participating in the RTS program, here are three college prep timelines that may help:

    ACT Timelines | ACT has timelines for sophomore, junior, and senior year that recommend different steps to take each semester.

    BigFuture Road Maps | BigFuture provides action plans for students from 8th grade to senior year and action plans for parents for each of the same grade level.

    Federal Student Aid Checklist | From elementary school to high school, these checklists for students and parents will help to prepare everyone for deciding on where to go to college and how to pay for college.