Naviance Family Connection Instructions for JUNIORS

Web Address: connection.naviance.com/Amherst

WELCOME TO NAVIANCE FAMILY CONNECTION

ARHS subscribes to an online research and information management service that will facilitate career exploration and college searches as well as the college application process itself. The program is available to the classes of 2011 and 2012 at this time. You will become very familiar with it over the next year. You can use it now to research careers and colleges and you will use it to manage your college applications. Currently you can do the college and career searches and link to additional resources. More features will be added.

To begin using the program students and parents must use an individualized access code (e-mailed to all students and sent via e-mail or U.S. mail to all parents) and follow the directions below.

Log into the site at: Connection.naviance.com/Amherst

Go to "New User." You will be instructed to change your password.

BELOW ARE THE NAVIANCE ASSIGNMENTS FOR JUNIORS. They must be completed before you can make an appointment for your junior college planning meeting. These meetings will begin on Monday, February 14. You may make appointments beginning on February 7.

1. On your Home Page click the on the "About Me" tab. Choose "Profile" in the "Official Things" box. Make sure the e-mail address listed for you is one you will check frequently. Ms. Ross often uses Naviance to communicate important college admission information to you. If you need to make a correction, use the "edit" feature (the pencil icon next to your email address).

2. Choose "Personality Type" in the "Interesting Things About Me" box. Complete the "Do What You Are" assessment. This will take between 20 and 40 minutes. Most students find it to be accurate, useful and fun. It will provide insight into your strengths and challenges as well as ideas for careers you might want to think about.

3. Complete the "Junior Questionnaire for College Conference." This will take between 20 and 40 minutes and will give Ms. Ross information that will help her guide you in the college admissions process. You’ll find the link to the questionnaire listed on the left side of the "About Me" page under "Surveys."
   
   OPTIONAL (before the meeting, but useful to you):

4. Complete your "Resume" in the "Interesting Things About Me" section under "About Me." Once you complete this form, select PRINT option.

5. Begin to investigate colleges by clicking on the "Colleges" tab on your home page:
   a) Begin to build a list of colleges in which you are interested. Narrow the college search by completing the survey under "College Search." As you complete this section go through each of the following tabs so you have an accurate search: Type, Location, Students, Admission, Athletics, Majors, Costs, and Special Programs. PICK at least 5 colleges then click ADD TO MY COLLEGES. The "my colleges" screen will appear.
   
   b) Gather information about colleges through "College Lookup."

Following are descriptions of some of the site features (other features will be added next year):

"ABOUT ME" Tab:

1. Interesting Things About Me:
   • Favorite Colleges: Generated when you list colleges in the "Colleges" section.
   • Favorite Careers and Clusters: Generated when you complete activities in "Careers" section.
   • Personality Type: From the Do What You Are survey for useful information about your personal characteristics. Learn about careers that are matched to you, your personal strengths and blindspots, how you negotiate in your daily life and more.
   • Resume: Provide information about your accomplishments and talents, and help us get a better understanding of how to help you effectively describe yourself to colleges.
   • Journal: Place to chronicle your thoughts and questions.
   • Checklist: Status of your surveys and questionnaires
   • Completed Surveys: Lists any completed surveys. Click on the name to view your responses.
   • Upcoming College Visits and entire VisitSchedule: College admission representatives visit ARHS in the fall to meet with interested students. To see which colleges have scheduled visits, click here. Click on "sign up" next to the college name to receive an e-mail reminder of the upcoming visit.
   • Documents
2. Official Things:

   • Account: If you would like to change your password, you can do so here.

   • Profile: Includes basic biographical data and grade point averages.

   • Test Scores: ARHS receives them electronically but you can add them before we get them.

"COLLEGES" Tab

My Colleges:

• As you find colleges that interest you, add them to your list of "Colleges That I’m Thinking About". If one of your colleges of interest visits ARHS, you will automatically receive an e-mail alerting you to the date/time of their visit.

• As you apply to colleges, you will request that your school materials be sent to colleges and track the status of your applications under "Colleges I’m Applying To".

• Upcoming college Visits and entire Visit Schedule: See above.

• College Research:

• SuperMatch College Search

• College Search: Conduct a college search anytime. Answer questions regarding your priorities and preferences. If you don’t like the result, try again. If you end up with too many schools and need to narrow your list, select more factors. On the other hand, if you end up with too few schools, deselect some factors.

• College Lookup: Research any college here. Visit links to individual college websites for current information.

• College Resources: A listing ofquick links on many pertinent college topics

"CAREERS"Tab:

• What Are My Interests: Find personality type survey, career interest inventory, and career cluster finder which relate careers to your interests and personality.

• Explore careers. Get information about thousands of careers.