(Part 3 of the Parent Naviance Exploration Series)

Naviance’s SuperMatch makes it easy for students to explore thousands of potential colleges from their Naviance Student Dashboard. Students can use this tool to discover colleges that are a great fit, both in terms of what the student is looking for in a college experience and a good match for their academic profile.

The program’s intuitive search function and onboarding cues ensure students can get started quickly. Over 50 tool tips are now included throughout SuperMatch to help students understand common – and not so common- college terminology. They can choose to filter their search based on 90 data points that make it easier to find the best-fit educational institutions. Search Filters include retention rate, financial information, student profiles, application deadlines, minors offered, online learning opportunities, average class sizes, tuition costs, support offered for learning disabilities, and many more.

Based on their profile and search criteria, students can see an in-depth, side-by-side comparison of higher education institutions and easily pinpoint colleges that are the best fit for them. Academic Match provides students with insight into whether colleges are a safety, match, or reach school based on their GPA, SAT and ACT scores. Results show students exactly how their Fit Score was determined and how they compare to the institutional averages.

Students can easily export their top matches to their “Colleges I am Interested In” file.  The SuperMatch platform can be a valuable tool a student can utilize as their expectations for their ideal college evolves during their high school career.  For more information, please review the SuperMatch Reference Guide.

4 Powerful Naviance Student Tools To Plan for Success!

(Part 2 of the Parent Naviance Exploration series)

The Naviance Student Platform offers more than College and Career Exploration.  Students can use their account to access effective organization and planning tools as well.  All these features are interconnected and accessible in one place (which will also make college applications a breeze!)  Goal setting, time-management, journaling/archiving accomplishments and building a resume are all included! Have your student check out the following tools:

1. My Goals: A Harvard study conducted with a class of MBA students asked, “Have you set written goals for your future?”  Ten years later, the same students were interviewed, and salary ranges were correlated to the groups’ initial goal setting responses.  The 10% of students that had general goals in mind averaged twice the salary of the 87% who had no goals.  But the 3% of students who had written goals were earning, on average, 10 times more than the other 97% combined!
   
   My Goals, found in the My Planner section, provides a guided format to set and track S.M.A.R.T goals.  Naviance’s Calendar and To-Do Lists are automatically updated to publish due dates and reminders.
   
2. To-Do List: Also located in the My Planner section, the To-Do List allows students to break tasks down into smaller chunks and assign due dates for each item.  Moving tasks from the mind to a trackable scheduling tool ensures greater productivity and significantly reduces base line stress and anxiety levels.  Time management skills learned through this system in high school will also prove invaluable in college and careers.
   
3. Journal: Located in the About Me section, the Journal section allows the student to create a searchable entry either manually or by uploading files.  Students can use this feature to file graded writing assignments, playbills or video/audio files from their fine-arts performances, media coverage of their extra-curricular events, statistics from their athletic season, and so much more. By default, the student is the only person who can access their journal entries.  If the student wanted to allow access to any files, they can check an appropriate box for specific entries and allow teachers or counselors to view the material.  For example, if a student asked a teacher to write a scholarship recommendation letter for them, they could allow the teacher to view a Leadership or Service Resume they had uploaded to their Journal file.
   
4. Resume Builder:  This feature-rich resume development tool is also found in the About Me section. It can be used to create resume sections and then build different resumes for different purposes.  Each section can be updated as more accomplishments are achieved. A unique resume for a summer job, internship, academic program or scholarship application can easily be constructed, automatically formatted and exported or printed for distribution.  The system stores each section or resume variation for instant retrieval.  BONUS: The information to create the sections can be retrieved from the Journal or Profile sections of the student’s Naviance account! 

Part 1 of a Series: Parent Introduction to the Naviance Platform

High school launches our kids into Life. It is a critical period of self-discovery, of figuring out who they are and who they want to be. Guiding our children through this journey presents a unique opportunity for parents. And, Walton’s Naviance platform is a great place to start the process!

Naviance College and Career Readiness Platform connects learning at Walton with future goals. Assessments help students discover their individual strengths and talents. These results guide their exploration of career options. Tools to search for college programs can align with requirements for potential careers. Understanding the prerequisites for a specific degree helps students choose their course work at Walton. Additionally, Naviance develops critical skill sets that support learning and careers.

Fall Break could be the perfect time to check out this free resource. Carve out some time with your student to explore Naviance’s powerful tools. Use our Naviance Exploration Challenge as an introduction to the platform or pick a specific feature for a deep dive. Quality time invested in this platform will pay huge dividends. Naviance provides an individual path for your student’s success, and you get to guide them along the way!