Postsecondary Planning

Life After High School

The counseling program provides interest inventories, a career day, college fair, career and tech fair, and other numerous activities throughout the high school years. The premier online tool for up to date career information is the Minnesota Career Information System (MCIS). This extensive database is ideal for any student wishing to further explore possible career areas, specific occupations, two- and four-year colleges (both in Minnesota and the entire United States), admissions test prep, and more. Each student has an account to access MCIS, and is encouraged to actively engage with this comprehensive system.

New Prague High School prioritizes equitable opportunities and support for all career and college paths. The admission requirements vary greatly for postsecondary institutions, branches of the military, and potential employers. Each student needs to become familiar with the specific requirements based upon their interests and goals. Students may gather this information by meeting with admissions representatives and military recruiters who visit New Prague High School, researching relevant websites, contacting the institutions or recruiters directly, and/or arranging campus visits. Although admissions standards vary from school to school, listed below are some general credit guidelines to consider.

Admission Requirements for Technical and Community Colleges:
A high school diploma or GED is the basic admissions requirement. Placement testing is required (ACCUPLACER or satisfactory ACT scores). The following high school credits are recommended because they represent HS graduation requirements and will help students avoid the need for remedial courses at the college level.
• English: 8 credits (4 yrs)
• Social Studies: 7 credits (3.5 yrs)
• Math: 6 credits (3 yrs)
• Science: 6 credits (3 yrs)
• Electives in areas of interest for potential career

Admission Requirements for Four-Year Colleges and Universities:
Colleges and universities admission standards vary. Many require a specific grade point average, class rank, standardized test score, and rigor of curriculum. Highly selective colleges and universities expect additional coursework beyond the minimum.

The following high school credits are recommended:
• English: 8 credits ( 4 years) (including composition and literature)
• Social Studies: 7 credits (3.5 years) (including 2 credits of U.S. history and 1 credit of geography)
• Math: 6-8 credits (3 - 4 years) (including 4 credits of algebra and 2 credits of geometry)
• Science: 6 credits (3 years) (2 credits with one in biological science and one in either physics or chemistry, with lab)
• World Language: 4 credits of a single world language (2 yrs, minimum; 6-8 credits suggested)
• Fine Arts: 2 credits of visual or performing arts (1 year).

Requirements for Military Services:
Students may choose from a variety of military service opportunities: A high school diploma or advanced degree is the basic academic requirement. Recruits must also pass a physical examination and complete the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).
Contact specific branches of the military for more information. The ASVAB is offered at NPHS during the school year.

Planning Your Path

It is best when students start their course planning with post-secondary goals in mind.

Some students already have a specific career or career field in mind.
Other students may know that they want to enter the military, workforce, attend a 2 year or a 4 year institution after high school.
Many students will change their mind and that is okay.
Beginning with the end in mind promotes future planning conversations and creates context for course selection.

It is highly recommended that students choose elective courses that align with their future goals.

High School is a safe time for students to explore their interests in a variety of areas.
Sometimes specific classes will help verify student interests and sometimes students are able to confirm areas they no longer would like to pursue.
Both are valuable experiences.

It is important to remind all students that their high school transcript is a great way to build their resume.
All adults will need to have the skills and experiences to prepare for a job interview in the future.

Students gather valuable experiences at NPHS through class projects, internships and other experiences that can be discussed in job interviews and the post-secondary admissions process.

We encourage all students to use this mindset when choosing the courses that will help them meet their post-secondary goals.

MCIS (Minnesota Career Information System)

Each student at NPHS has an MCIS account which can be accessed under the Student Section (Student Resources) of NPHS website. Be sure to choose the "Log in with Clever" option at the bottom of the MCIS website when signing in.

Students at NPHS complete the Career Cluster survey in 9th grade, the IDEAS survey in 10th grade and the Career Profiler survey in 11th grade. These surveys help customize the information provided in MCIS for each student's career interests, provides recommended high school courses and identifies in demand career opportunities in the employment tab. We encourage all families to review MCIS with their student(s) to support their post secondary planning.

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Resources