By Adriana Moreno, staff writer
School counselors help students thrive academically, personally and socially, and assist them in exploring their options after high school. Gone are the days of school counselors sitting in their office simply handing out college applications, making schedule changes for students who want to drop a class or meeting with the troublemakers in the school. Today’s school counselors are vital members of the education team. They help with all students in the areas of academic achievements, personal/social development and career development, ensuring today’s students become the productive, well-adjusted adults tomorrow.
At Indian Trail High School and Academy, counselors are trying to get the word out for students to know about the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test coming up, on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and again on Thursday, April 7.
“The ASVAB is the most widely-used multiple aptitude test in the world. It covers eight areas, including Science, word knowledge, mathematics and mechanical comprehension. Essentially, this test provides high-quality career exploration and planning at no cost to the students,” said Elizabeth Ekstrom, IT counselor.
The ASVAB is a timed multi-aptitude test, which is given at over 14,000 schools and Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) nationwide and is developed and maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense. These tests will give you an idea of how you’ll score, and identify areas that need improvement. They have suggested resources and ASVAB study guides to learn how to prepare for the ASVAB test. The tests are not only for military students or for people that want to go into the army. These tests help any individual figure out what they may like as their future career.
“I think any student should take the ASVAB, especially if they aren’t sure what they are interested in doing after high school. It’s not just for Military Academy students. Although if you are interested in going into the military, it is needed to see what positions you are qualified for in each branch of the military,” said Joel Sinden, another IT counselor. “If you are considering the military as an option after high school, I would say, definitely take the test. If you are a student that is unsure about what you want to do after high school, it’s a good opportunity to see where your interests and strengths are.”
At ITHSA the test is offered every year. The ASVAB Career Exploration Program can help young adults identify and explore potentially satisfying occupations and develop effective strategies to realize career goals. The test scores help students to get a good sense of their verbal, math, and science and technical skills compared to other students in the same grade. ASVAB results are reported to students and counselors on the ASVAB Summary Results sheet. This report shows grade-specific, gender-specific, and combined standard scores and score bands for all eight tests and three Career Exploration Scores. It also provides students with percentile-based interpretations of those scores. The ASVAB Summary Results sheet provides students with appropriate explanations of the scores, as well as suggestions for their use.
“At the national level, in 2012-2013, of the students who took the ASVAB, only 18 percent were planning on a career in the military. Forty-five percent were planning on attending a four-year college and 7 percent were planning on attending a two- year college,” said Ekstrom.
The ASVAB test is not hard for the student to comprehend because it is a computerized adaptive test, which means that the test adapts to your ability level. The computer software selects items that are suitable for you, based on your responses to earlier items in the test. The ASVAB is targeted toward your ability level, it is possible to administer a shorter test than is used in the paper and pencil administration. The paper and pencil ASVAB is a traditional test, which means that everyone takes the same set of questions at the same pace.
“If I was in a position of not being sure what I wanted to do after high school, I would definitely take the ASVAB. It would be helpful for me in determining my strengths and what I might want to do for a job,” Sinden said.
“A key factor of encouragement for taking this test should be the convenience and cost. This test is offered right in our school building, during the school day. Also, the test is offered at NO COST to the students!” Ekstrom said.
IT will offer the ASVAB on Tuesday, Nov. 24, and again on Thursday, April 7, from 7:40 am – 10:45 am, here at Indian Trail.
”If students are interested, they should sign up with their counselor in early November,” Ekstrom said.