COLLEGE PREP >  COLLEGES & OTHER OPTIONS

While heading off to a traditional four-year undergraduate college might be your first choice, it is worth looking at all of your options!
This website helps answer the question, "what do you want to do when you grow up?" Their mission is to help you find fantastic careers and the education you need to achieve your goals. Find Your Calling does this through a simple but powerful combination of assessment and data. First, the assessment measures your interests, then you explore detailed data on matching occupations and colleges that offer relevant programs.

> findyourcalling.com

Aptitude Testing

A great way to begin figuring out what your next step should be after high school is to take an aptitude or personality test. This will help you identify the things that you do well and how you can use them to your advantage in selecting a college major or career:
COMPLETE APTITUDE TEST
This test is divided into 7 parts: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, perceptual reasoning, spatial ability, technical ability, acuity skills, and analytical ability. 
PRINCETON REVIEW CAREER QUIZ
This quiz asks questions about yourself and then allows you to explore quite a range of career options, and highlights the areas that you would be well suited for.
APTITUDE TEST
This site provides specific tests on your numerical, verbal, non-verbal, and mechanical aptitude. It also offers a general aptitude test as well. 

College/University

So you’ve decided you want to attend college. Do you want a bachelor of science or art degree? Would you prefer a private college, or a large public university? What about taking some of the liberal arts classes at a community college while still living at home? When it comes to higher education there is an overwhelming amount of information and options.
BA vs BS
Graduating from college, you will receive either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. The distinction between the two is the type and number of classes required. Most colleges offer programs for both, however some colleges only offer one or the other. 
  • BA DEGREE: requires students to take more classes in the humanities and social sciences.
  • BS DEGREE: a more technical program with more classes within the major field (such as engineering and nursing). 
UNIVERSITY vs COLLEGE
Universities and colleges vary in the type of education they offer and the goals they have for their students and graduates. There are vocational and technical schools (like a polytechnic university) and then there is a liberal arts college. Knowing the difference between the types of schools is important. 
  • UNIVERSITY: several colleges together under one umbrella institution; a business college, an arts college, a science college, etc. Most universities also offer a masters and post doctoral programs. 
  • COLLEGE: typically only has a limited number of majors as it does not house multiple colleges together. These schools also do not usually offer masters and post doctoral programs. 
PRIVATE vs PUBLIC
There are many, many differences between a private school and a public school.  Here are a few things to consider:
  • SIZE: the student body size at a private school is typically below 2,000 students, and that of a public school often exceeds 20,000. 
  • FUNDING: a public school is mostly supported by state funds. Attending your home state’s institution will cost you significantly less than attending a private or out-of-state public school. 
  • FINANCIAL AID: Though the initial “sticker price” is higher than that of a public school, private schools operate through large endowments and scholarships, they have more money to offer students in the form of scholarships and financial aid.
  • CHRISTIAN: As students leave home and enter into their adult lives they begin to solidify their worldview and what they believe about God.  A Christian university is a wonderful place to grow and develop as a believer. The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is a fantastic resource for students and their families to browse through the list of all the Christian colleges and universities nationwide.
LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE
These schools are typically private versus public institutions. They will require students to take a much more broad approach to their studies and include a wide array of arts and humanities classes.  These schools tend to be much smaller and have a lower student to professor ratio. 
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Attending a community college is a great way to earn an associates degree at a much lower cost than attending a traditional four-year college. Once you have completed your desired number of classes, you can then transfer to another school in order to complete your bachelor’s degree. If you know you do want to attend college, but are not sure what you’d like to study, beginning at a community college is a great way to complete the core classes and give yourself some time to figure out what you’d like to pursue once those are done. In the last ten years transfer students have become more and more common. Colleges and universities are well prepared to help you transfer those class credits. 
NON-TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS
As the costs to attend higher education institutions have risen to a staggering amount, there are resources available to help you earn the degree without the cost/debt.  One group, Lumerit Scholar, offers a program that helps you do a hybrid of online college classes and on-campus (to the school of your choice) classes in order to finish quickly and with the fraction of the costs associated with a traditional on-campus four year degree program. 
BIBLE SCHOOLS
Torchbearers began in 1947 at the end of WWII as there was a great need for the hope and truth of the gospel. Currently there are over 20 locations around the world. The Torchbearers schools offer intensive biblical teaching and practical training in short terms of 6 weeks to 12 months. Many Christian colleges will accept transfer credits of the Torchbearers Bible classes. 
YWAM
Youth With A Mission is a global movement of Christians from many cultures, age groups, and Christian traditions, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. When they began in 1960, their main focus was to get youth involved in missions, and currently work in more than 1,100 locations in over 180 countries, with a staff of over 18,000.​
APPRENTICESHIPS
Attending a trade school is a great way to quickly obtain specific training in a certain technical field. The education is almost exclusively skills based. The State of Oregon provides this resource for anyone looking to apply for a position as an apprentice.