Preparing for life after high school

The future is yours

The purpose of school isn’t to get good at school, it’s to prepare you for what’s next.

While not every high school student has a specific plan for their future, it’s increasingly clear that earning a high school diploma is not the final destination for most. Many Next graduates have gone off to college— sometimes close to home, and sometimes across the country. Others have enrolled vocational training programs and some have enrolled in the military.

The process of moving from high school to college begins early in a person’s high school journey. That’s why each student (and their guardians) start their time at Next by meeting with their academic advisor. After a quick get-to-know-you, the advisor will ask about long term plans and goals. From there, students, parents, and advisors work backwards to build an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) to help reach those goals. The advisor will continue working with students and parents throughout their time at Next to make sure students stay on track with their plan. As students get a little older, they will also have the chance to work with our school counselor to begin visiting and applying to colleges.

For those students who do not plan to attend a traditional college, Next staff will work to establish a plan for the future that ensures each student has opportunities available and a post-high school plan.

How can I get into college without grades?

Grades are just a small part of what college admissions counselors look at to determine whether or not students get into a school. More and more, colleges are looking at the whole person and looking for signs of success or future success. Knowing that, Next encourages students to show their means of success through other channels. Taking extra or elective classes shows colleges that a student can handle a heavy workload. Joining clubs and activities shows engagement with one’s peers. Community service shows engagement with one’s surroundings. There are a lot of ways to show colleges that students are ready for higher education, and Next provides ongoing opportunities to capture those.

What can I do to prepare for college?

Students who want to show a specific, graded level of academic performance can choose to do so by enrolling in classes at other schools while still attending Next. Often times, students will choose to enroll in Career & Technical classes or electives at Pinkerton Academy or Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS). Students may also have the chance to enroll in official college classes while attending Next. Through our partnership with Community College System of New Hampshire, Next students can begin earning college credits in their junior year. Not only do these opportunities provide grades for transcripts, they also show students going above and beyond— something colleges look for.

Getting Started

If you are confident that you or your child should plan for college, be sure to say that in the first meeting with your advisor. You can work together to build a specific, personalized plan. While those plans are different for every person, here are a few things to consider adding to it:

Take a full 4 years of math
Enroll in chemistry and/or physics or other science classes beyond the minimum requirements
Enroll in English electives
Take an extra art credit
Study a language (most 4-year colleges want 2 credits worth of a language)
Take a Running Start Class or Early College Program class