Senior Information Guide 2025
Preparing For Your Senior Year
Class of 2025, Are you Ready?
Class of 2025 -Welcome to your senior year!
This year will be busy and filled with challenges and excitement for your future. Your SBHS Counseling Department, and the College & Career Center, are here to assist you in your journey.
Some of you are planning to attend a 4-year college directly after your senior year, while some of you are making different plans. Community colleges offer an affordable route that can transfer to a 4-year college. Community colleges also offer many opportunities to earn an Associate’s degree or a certificate program. Certificates can help you earn a living wage job, some in a very short amount of time.
You may be interested in trades, from culinary to construction, and more. With some training and apprenticeships, these can lead to great careers. Take the time to learn about the steps you can take while in high school to help expedite your pathway.
The military may be a good fit for some. There are options to serve either full-time or part-time. Branches offer career skills and a way to pay for college while serving your country.
This Senior Information Guide has been designed to provide you with critical information. Please contact your counselor or the College & Career Center for help.
Let’s make your senior year a fun and productive one.
Where to go to Explore Colleges and Careers
CollegeBoard's Big Future Type in your preferences and find schools to match.
Schoolinks Research schools and careers that interest you. (Use your SBHS gmail and ID# to log in.)
More Schoolinks tools to explore:
College Search using Schoolinks
Trying to Decide if a 2-year or 4-year path is best for you?
There are a variety of factors that play a role when prospective students are deciding what type of education is the best for them and their career goals. These factors include location, campus size, cost, social experiences, diversity, and opportunities.
We suggest that you visit college campuses to help you decide. Try to visit a large public university, like Oregon State University, and visit a smaller private university, like Linfield or George Fox. Then visit a community college. We are lucky to have three that are close to Barlow students; Mt Hood Community College, Portland Community College, and Clackamas Community College. All three offer Associate Degree Programs and transfer degrees, but they each offer a unique variety of certificate programs. Take a look online to see the variety of programs available at MHCC, PCC, CCC. Research whether attending a community college associated with a 4-year school is a good way to save money with degree partnership programs. (Linn Benton and OSU, Lane and UofO.)
Don't forget to watch the College & Career Center calendar to see which colleges will be coming to Barlow to present admissions information. Students are excused to attend these events. Presentations start the first week of school, so get in the habit of watching our website's calendar.
Planning to go to college for any length of time? (4-year, 2-year, certificate program)
First, do the FAFSA!
Everyone should do the FAFSA or ORSAA! There may be free funds for you. Don't walk away from that opportunity.
FAFSA-What is it? How and when do I apply?
The FAFSA is your primary way to get help paying for college. It is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This summer is a great time for you and your family to get started on your FAFSA process. The FAFSA doesn’t actually open for you until October 2024, but you can do a few steps before then.
Create a FSA ID for the student AND a parent.
In October, start your FAFSA.
You will need your 2023 tax information to do the application. You will be submitting the 2025-26 FAFSA (your college freshman year). Remember, you can also receive the Oregon Promise (OR community college tuition funds) if you complete the FAFSA and the Oregon Promise application. This application opens in November and closes June 1, 2025. You must have a 2.0GPA to be eligible for $4000-$8000 to use at a community college in Oregon.
If you are a non-citizen, you will submit the ORSAA for state funded financial aid.
Don't forget that the FAFSA or ORSAA must be complete EACH year you are in college.
Scholarships
We have two lists to help with your search for scholarships to lighten the financial load of college tuition. We have a local scholarship list that consists of Oregon scholarships and some that are only available to SBHS students. Check this list first as you may have a better chance of obtaining one of these scholarships. We also have our large comprehensive scholarship list that is organized by deadline. Please realize that the details for each scholarship change frequently and it is somewhat difficult to keep these details current.
Please check the individual scholarship websites to confirm dates and details.
Other Scholarship Resources:
BigFuture-Scholarship Search Engine
Going Merry-Scholarship Search Engine
Oregon Goes to College-College Planning Website & Scholarship List
OSAC Scholarship List-This list is visible now but the application opens Nov. 1
FAST Track Your Career in the Trades
Sam Barlow now offers FAST Track Pre-Apprenticeship Programs in construction and metal manufacturing. The goal of the program is to increase opportunities for students to pursue a career in the trades by earning a BOLI certification. This can lead to high-wage, high-demand employment opportunities after graduation. Whether or not the student chooses to apply to an apprenticeship, the student will have gained valuable real-life experiences and skills. Completion of the program is great preparation for a career or college.
Eligibility requirements are:
- Completed 1 year in woods shop or metal shop with a grade of C or better.
- Complete Integrated Math levels 1 & 2 OR Algebra 1 and 1 more high school math credit with a grade of C or better.
- A senior must also complete 2 additional wood shop OR 2 additional metal shop classes. (4 credits in the same shop).
If you are interested in learning more in the fall, please ask Josh Hardy or Aaron Ingoglia and they will share more about the program and application process.
Military Opportunities
Serving in the military is much more complex than you may think! The military is a great path toward career skills, and even college, for those who feel this is a good option for their next steps. Please watch Career Exploration- Career Skills and College Through the Military on our website to see what options you have.
The College & Career Center can answer questions and help with connection to a recruiter. We will have Military Visits and Events, with all branches of the military, throughout the year to meet and discuss your plans.
Career Exploration Your Senior Year
If you need to explore career options for your future, please consider the many Career Exploration Trips we offer students. We usually have 3-10 trips per month in a variety of careers. They can fill up fast so sign up as soon as possible! Check our bulletin boards, read our monthly newsletter, or stop in often to learn what is being offered. You can even let us know what you are hoping to explore, maybe we can design a trip to fit your interests. We can also set up informational interviews, or arrange guest speakers to visit Barlow. In the fall, we are holding a Career Day where we fill the school with guest speakers and you will have the opportunity to visit 4 career interests. We help solve the "I don't know what I want to do" and change them into "I know what I want to do!"
