Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Hoover schools offer many resources to students to prepare them for college, including ACT/SAT preparation, visits from college representatives, campus visits, informational sessions and outside partnerships that offer career exploration opportunities. Students can also ask teachers, coaches and counselors for references.
As the class of 2025 starts its senior year, many are already thinking about the big decisions they’ll be making before graduation.
From college or trade school to joining the workforce or military, seniors have a variety of paths from which to choose. Counselors at Hoover City Schools are prepared to help students and their families talk through their options.
Hoover schools offer many services to help prepare students for their futures. Their curriculum also requires career prep courses and offers multiple technical classes that provide students with career skills, but the main focus is on college preparation.
For those who don’t want to attend college, there are vocational and technical programs to consider, as well as the military, said Tracy Prater, Spain Park’s college and career specialist.
And while college is not the best choice for everyone, Prater recommends that students not rule it out too early.
It’s better to apply for admission and give yourself some options than to realize later you want to go but missed the deadlines to apply, he said.
Other resources available to Hoover students include ACT/SAT preparation, visits from college representatives, campus visits, informational sessions and outside partnerships that offer career exploration opportunities. Students can also ask teachers, coaches and counselors for references.
“One of the things I really always recommend students do … is get to know potential recommenders on both an educational background and then professional background, too,” said Andrew Colson, director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Truly having that person be able to talk about the student as a person, ... that’s typically the type of references that really shine.”
Hoover High School’s online guidance and counseling page, https://hhs.hoovercityschools.net/students/guidance-and-counseling, is full of college and career prep information for students, including timeline guides, scholarship/financial aid resources and instructions for college tours.
Juniors and seniors are allowed two college visits per semester as excused absences, but they must bring a note from the school’s admission office to the attendance office on the day they return to school following the visit in order for the absence to be excused.
“College visits are incredibly important. It’s one of the biggest deciding factors for any student,” Colson said. “Until you do a tour, you don’t actually really see the real life campus. … That’s kind of what the whole point of a college tour is, to really help the student see if this place is going to be the right fit for them not only academically, but just socially.”
Colson also recommends students gain leadership experience to help make their application stand out. This can be anything from sports or leadership in a school organization to work experience in a managerial role or community service.
His final piece of advice to students: get organized and stay on top of deadlines. Several colleges in the state open their applications on Aug. 15, so Colson advises seniors to apply early.
Colson has a message for parents watching their kids step into adulthood this year, too.
“This is the time when our students will really start to need to be a little bit more independent,” he said. “This is a really good time for students to get prepped for taking care of affairs, keeping up with deadlines themselves, of course with help from the parents. But, we want to talk to the students just because we want to make sure they are making the right choice for themselves.”
High school senior to-do list
- Get organized: Stay on top of application deadlines and make sure you have all necessary documents.
- Talk to your school counselors: They offer resources to help apply to schools and are there to talk you through your options.
- Make campus visits: Seeing a college in person can be a deciding factor in choosing your future school.
- Get to know potential references: Having a list of people that can provide good, meaningful recommendations is helpful when applying to colleges or jobs.
