College Guidance

College Guidance

Navajo Preparatory School has access to an invaluable amount of resources to assist students in their college and career journeys. We have full-time staff members specifically dedicated to guiding students in preparing their college applications. During the Atsá Junior Seminar and Senior Seminar classes, students are taken through the college application process, as well as career exploration and general postsecondary planning. Navajo Prep provides opportunities for students to meet with college representatives on our campus, attend field trips to visit college campuses, and provide guidance while proceeding through the application process.

Atsá Junior & Senior Seminar

Students receive the most direct college guidance in the classroom, during the Atsá Junior Seminar and Atsá Senior Seminar classes. These two individual classes can be seen as a single two-part class that teaches students about the college application process through direct instruction, hands-on activities, peer support, and guest presentations. Topics discussed in class include, but are not limited to:

• What are the parts of the college application?
• How do you pay for college?
• What can I write about in my college application essay?
• How do you request a letter of recommendation?

Students also have the opportunity to visit with college representatives from around the country during this time.

The Atsá Junior-Senior Seminar also includes SAT test prep while supporting students’ successful completion of their Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) portfolios and the development of their Atsá Presentation. The CAS Portfolio builds a meaningful resume for students. The Atsá Presentation is a capstone assessment for Navajo Prep where seniors formally demonstrate how their unique scope and sequence of service-learning experiences and projects developed their skills and values for success in their post-secondary future. 

SCOIR

In order to help centralize our college programming, we utilize SCOIR, an online platform dedicated to college and career readiness, to house our college acceptance and matriculation data. SCOIR is widely used by schools and districts across the country, and it includes resources and lessons integrated into the Junior Seminar and Senior Seminar curriculum. Students use SCOIR to search for potential colleges to apply to, to understand themselves better through Self-Discovery assessments, and to keep track of potential scholarship opportunities. Teachers and staff useSCOIR to submit letters of recommendation for students, access college guidance resources, and keep track of the college application process that students are going through.

Staff Support

The Academic department assists in providing programming and services outside of the Junior Seminar and Senior Seminar classes to encourage all students to apply and attend college after graduation from Navajo Prep. These services include the development of a four-year academic plan, course selection, standardized test prep, and assisting students in overcoming difficulties during their high school career. We use a tiered intervention approach to college counseling that allows us to provide general guidance for all students and specific follow-up with students who need additional support in understanding their college journey.

Extracurricular Opportunities

There are a wide range of opportunities for all students to receive additional college guidance outside of their regularly scheduled classes. We utilize the expertise of our teachers and staff, while collaborating with other high schools, colleges, and community partners in order to expose students to college preparation programming. We have hosted college application case study events, regional college fairs, individual college admissions representative visits, financial aid workshops, scholarship search presentations, and SAT prep courses on campus, while also having the ability to take students on field trips to visit college campuses in the Farmington area and the greater Southwest region.

College Acceptances

Our Navajo Prep graduates are accepted to a wide variety of post-secondary educational institutions, both close to home and across the country. Colleges that a high number of Navajo Prep students apply and get accepted to include: Arizona State University, Colorado State University-Fort Collins, Fort Lewis College, New Mexico State University, Northern Arizona University, San Juan College, University of Arizona, University of Denver, University of New Mexico, and University of Portland.

• Navajo Prep prepares students for college and meets vigorous international standards as one of 5,800 International Baccalaureate schools worldwide.
• Since 2020, Navajo Prep has sustained a graduation rate of 94% or higher

Testing

There are two major college entrance examinations: the SAT and ACT. Both assessments measure a high school student’s readiness for college. With the SAT, students’ skills are measured in three core areas: Critical Reading, Math, & Writing. While the ACT measures students in English, Math, Reading and Science with an optional writing portion. Other State assessments measure students’ academic development, career exploration and college readiness.

• Sophomore: PSAT
• Junior: PSAT, SAT School Day, ASVAB, NMASR
• Senior: SAT

Dual Credit

The Academic Counselor assists Sophomore, Junior and Senior students in enrolling in dual credit classes with one of our partner colleges: University of New Mexico, San Juan College, Dine College, or Navajo Technical University. The Dual Credit program offers students an opportunity to experience college surroundings while earning college credits.

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