Upcoming College Visits

In the next month, we have four college representatives coming to the Career Center at Owatonna High School!  If you're interested in visiting with a representative from one of the following colleges, please see Roxi Stewart in the Career Center.


Wednesday, February 18 | During lunches
Army National Guards (Sgt Beelow)


Friday, February 27 | 1:00-1:30 PM
Northern State University, South Dakota


Wednesday, March 4 | 8:30-9:00 AM
Minnesota State University, Moorhead


Thursday, March 19 | 2:15-2:30 PM
St. Cloud State University

Career Profile: Marketing Manager

Marketing managers oversee the marking process.  They gather information and analyze the products or services they want to sell.  They research trends in buying and selling, develop ideas for new products, and work with advertising managers to figure out how to sell a product or service.  Marketing managers also develop a budget for the marketing process or campaign, research who wants the product, and gather opinions about the product to help develop and refine their marketing plan.

Helpful high school courses for a career as a marketing manager include:

• Accounting
• Banking & Finance
• Computer Applications
• Economics
• Introduction to Business
• Marketing
• Probability & Statistics
• Psychology
• Sociology

There are also opportunities to get real-life experience in the marketing field through completing internships or mentorships.  If you are interested in a career as a marketing manager, you also might want to join DECA or BPA to understand the business world.  These kinds of extracurricular activities also look great on both college and job applications!

Becoming a marketing manager might be the right pathway for you if...

• You enjoy working with people and on a team
• You like problem-solving and making decisions
• You enjoy working on computers
• You have an interest in advertising or selling products or services

In Minnesota, there are plenty of colleges and universities that offer degrees in marketing.  Some 4-year colleges and universities that have marketing programs include:

• Metropolitan State University
• Minnesota State University, Mankato
• St. Cloud State University
• Winona State University
• Augsburg College
• Hamline University
• University of St. Thomas
• University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• University of Minnesota, Crookston
• University of Minnesota, Duluth

Information gathered from www.mncis.intocareers.org.

College Profile: South Central College

South Central College is a two-year school that has two campuses close to Owatonna High School, in North Mankato and Faribault.  South Central College offers short-term degrees such as certificates and diplomas as well as two-year Associate degrees.


Admissions
To apply for admission to South Central College, you first will need to complete their application, either online or on paper.  There is a $20 application fee.  You’ll also need to submit your high school transcript through Docufide (you can pick up instructions on how to submit your transcript in the Career Center).  If you have taken any courses for college credit, you will also need to submit your official college transcripts.  South Central College also requires that students take the Accuplacer, a placement test that helps advisors decide what classes are the best fit for you.  Two-year colleges such as South Central College typically have an open door policy, so if you submit all the application materials, you will be accepted to the college.  Some specific programs, such as Nursing, however, have additional admission requirements and criteria and may not accept students into the program right away.


Academics
South Central College offers 36 different academic programs between the two campuses.  Some of these programs include Associate of Arts (designed for students who want to transfer to a four-year college or university), Culinary Arts, Intensive Care Paramedic Technician, Multimedia Technology, Welding, Office Administration & Technology, Community Social Service, and Business Management.

Athletics
South Central College does not have any intercollegiate athletics.

Student Life
South Central College has lots of clubs and organizations for students to get involved in, including Spotlight (student newspaper), Campus Activities Board, Business Professionals of American, Film Club, Student Nurses Association, and Student Senate.  You can visit South Central’s Student Life Facebook page to get updates about what’s happening on campus!

The Ins and Outs of College Visits

 

For most of you, going on a college visit is something you’ve never done before.  In today’s post, you’ll learn some of the ins and outs of college visits.

 

What is a college visit?

A college visit is the best way to truly get to know a school.  You actually get to physically be campus, tour the facilities, meet current students, talk with professors, and get your questions answered by the experts of that college.

 

How do I prepare for a college visit?

It is so important to make a plan before visiting a college or university campus.  You’ll want to schedule an appointment ahead of time instead of just showing up.  That way, the campus is prepared for you!  It is best to visit the campus while school is in session so you get the best idea of what that college or university is like on a typical day.  Make sure to tell the admission office what you’d like to see and what areas of interest you have.  These could be potential majors you’ve considered or different extracurricular activities you’re interested in participating in during college.

 

What can I do on a college visit?

Every college and university handles college visits separately, but some things that you might be able to do on a college visit include:

• Visiting the college admissions office and/or attending and admissions presentation
• Taking a campus tour
• Sitting in on a class or two
• Meeting a professor in your field of academic interest
• Meeting and talking to one or more current students
• Looking into your extracurricular, athletic, or special service interests
• Walking or driving through the adjacent college community or town

What should I keep in mind when I’m visiting a college?

You might want to ask yourself the following questions as you’re on your college visit:

• Do I like the look of the campus?  Is it well-kept?
• As I walk around, do I find myself smiling and feeling comfortable with what I see?
• Do the students I see seem to be the kind of people I want to know and spend time with?
• Is the atmosphere friendly and inviting?
• Do I feel excited about the prospect of spending four years here?

It is also not a bad idea to take some pictures of the campus and jot down some of your feelings about the college or university afterwards so that you can have a point of reference when comparing colleges in the future.

 

What questions should I ask when I am on the college campus?

Here are a few questions you might consider asking students and faculty you meet on campus:

• What do you like best and least about this college?
• How is the social life?  What do students do during the week and on weekends for fun?
• Where do students live?  What is on-campus housing like?
• How are the support services on campus (academic advising, internship or career counseling)?
• How accessible are the professors to undergraduate students?
• What are some of the best and worst classes you’ve taken?
• Why did you decide to attend this college?
• If you had to do it all over again, would you choose this college?  If no, where would you go?

If you have other questions, be sure to ask in the comments below!!

Food for Thought

Career Profile: Forester

Foresters mange, use, and help protect forests and other natural resources.  They can either work for private timber companies or state and federal governments.  Foresters who work for private timber companies acquire timber from private landowners.  They appraise the value of the timber, settle on a price, and then draw up a contract for that timber.  They serve as a liaison between the workers and landowners.  Foresters who work for state and federal governments manage public forests and parks.  They also work to plan and carry out conservation programs, control floods and fires, and develop plans for harvesting timber.  They can also conduct educational programs for the public.  Foresters consider the environmental impact of their work, comply with regulations, supervise the planting and growing of new trees, and write environmental reports and recommendations.

 

Helpful high school courses for a career in forestry include:

• Computer Applications
• Forestry
• Horticulture
• Keyboarding
• Natural Resources Management
• Plant & Soil Science

You might also want to look into completing a mentorship or internship with a forester to get a better idea of what they do.

 

Forestry might be the field for you if...

• You like math and science, working with people and things, and communicating with others
• You like to keep physically active and work with your hands
• You enjoy being outdoors
• You work well independently and as a team

Some Minnesota colleges and universities that offer programs in forestry include the University of Minnesota (Bachelor of Science in Forest and Natural Resource Management), Hennepin Technical College (Associate of Applied Science in Urban Forestry Technology), and Itasca Community College (Associate of Applied Science in Natural Resources - Forestry).

 

You can find out much more information on the field of forestry by clicking on this link.

 

Information gathered from www.mncis.intocareers.org.

Food for Thought

College Profile: Gustavus Adolphus College

Gustavus Adolphus College is a private, 4-year college located in St. Peter, Minnesota, about an hour away from Owatonna.  Gustavus Adolphus College is associated with the Lutheran church.
 

Admissions

Gustavus Adolphus College is a highly selective college, with about 60% of applicants getting admitted.  Their average ACT test score is 27, and the average high school GPA is 3.63.
 

To apply for admission to Gustavus Adolphus College, you will need to submit the application for admission (either the application found on their website or the Common Application), a writing sample, personal details, a list of accomplishments and experiences, a teacher evaluation, and the school report form, which is to be filled out by your counselor.  There is no application fee to apply to Gustavus Adolphus College.
 

Gustavus Adolphus College prefers that students take the following coursework in high school:

• 4 years of English
• 4 years of math
• 3 years of a laboratory-based science
• 3 years of social studies
• A foreign language is strongly recommended

Academics

Gustavus Adolphus College has 43 different majors for you to choose from, ranging from Elementary & Secondary Education, Nursing, Physics, English, and History to Japanese, Russian & Eastern European Studies, Film & Media Studies, and Classics (Greek & Latin).  Gustavus Adolphus College also offers several pre-professional programs such as Architecture, Church Vocations, Engineering, Law, and Medicine.
 

Athletics

If you are or would like to be involved in athletics at college, Gustavus Adolphus College has a lot to offer!  They are a Division III school.  Men’s intercollegiate athletic opportunities include baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, ice hockey, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track & field.  Women’s intercollegiate athletic opportunities include basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.  There are also several other club and intramural athletic opportunities that students can get involved in, too.
 

Student Life

Gustavus Adolphus College has over 110 student organizations that you can participate in, including Debate, French Club, Pound Pals, student government, LGBT clubs, newspaper, music ensembles, and various fraternities and sororities.  If there is a club that you’d like to see at Gustavus Adolphus College that they do not currently have, you can also have the opportunity to start your own organization!