5 Questions to accompany your student in their post-Verto planning
Verto Families, your student has made the choice to start college the best way possible– abroad with Verto Education! Your student may already be busy planning what museums they’ll be visiting first or which cafés they’ll be studying at, but have they already started thinking about their plans after their experience with Verto?
It’s never too early for your student to start creating their post-Verto plan! Verto offers a comprehensive program called College Counseling, Advising, and Transfer Services (CCATS) to ensure that all Verto participants identify their best post-Verto plan.
Escely Marr, Manager of CCATS, shares her top 5 questions to jumpstart your student’s post-Verto planning:
1.) Why are you going to college?
This is a big question, but an important one– and one that will provide the clarity and motivation needed to excel in higher education. In his book Path to Purpose, William Damon, a professor of education at Stanford University, argues that “purpose is the pre-eminent long-term motivator of learning and achievement”. (source).
Accompany your student by asking them to write out, what are 2-3 reasons you want to pursue a college degree? Your student should ask themselves, “Does the career path I intend to pursue require a college degree?” Hang on to those reasons as you explore the following questions!
2.) What post-Verto plans have you already considered?
At Verto, we know that Verto participants join us from all walks of life, and will follow a multitude of paths after their year or semester in our community. Most students consider college – that’s great! We know that Verto is a path of least resistance to completing a 4-year degree, on-time. Other students might follow a different path, such as an apprenticeship program, gap year, or full-time work, to continue learning about themselves and the world around them. At Verto, we welcome the conversation of what is my best fit post-Verto plan? We encourage students to explore their personality and interests and how that aligns with their desired career path. And we encourage students to explore how they can accomplish their desired career goals, as a final step in their pathway to success.
3.) What is important to you in an institution?
Accompany your student in refining their college list by considering the determining factors for their application process. For example:
- Does location matter? Have they considered the geographical opportunities- or challenges (weather)- of a particular school?
- Does major matter? Are they hoping to study a specific major? Ensure that the school offers a program, and conduct more research on the program provided
- Is financial aid a factor? Have you explored the financial resources page of the institutions you want to apply to?
- What else?
If your student is interested in one of our many partner universities, our Partner College webpage has a great search breakdown to explore by the different factors we know may be important to you.
4.) Have you explored the college and career resources in PACE?
Once your student submits their deposit and officially enrolls in Verto, they will gain access to PACE (Placement, Advising, and College Exploration) on Canvas. Refer your student to these resources developed in PACE by the CCATS team. Here are a few of the resources:
- TypeFinder for Career Planning: This career personality test uses Myers and Briggs’ theory of 16 personality types, combined with the Holland Code system of career typing, to identify your student’s ideal career path using their personality traits and interests. When working with our on-site team, we will use this report to advise your student.
- College Exploration Resource Sheet: This sheet is a great resource to keep your student organized while they are exploring which colleges they would like to apply to. It provides them prompts about the items they will need to apply to all colleges, partner and non-partner. It also provides them resources on financial aid and college exploration tools.
5.) What is your plan B?
What is that saying, fail to plan and plan to fail? We suggest an update to this: succeed to plan and plan to succeed! Ask your student to share with you their options. This may be the first time your student makes such a big decision, so exercise patience and empathy; asking thoughtful clarifying questions can help tease out your student’s thought process and give you a chance to offer feedback.
We know planning for college and life are big decisions. We also know that your student choosing to study college abroad in their first year shows resilience and leadership, two great traits when it comes to decision making. Be a thought partner with your student as they imbark on what comes next for them post-Verto. And remember, their on site support staff have great resources if they find their plans changing towards the end of their Verto experience.
We are excited to work with your student to help them discover their best-fit post-Verto plan. Let us know what plans these 5 steps set in motion for your student!
Want to see if a Verto start to college can work for you? Apply today to get started.
*** Note: Specific programming and activities are subject to change semester by semester.
