What Are My Options?

Completing high school is a big accomplishment and figuring out what to do after high school is often a challenging task. This may be the first time that you are required to make such major decisions regarding your own life. Hopefully, you have started thinking about different career or educational choices and are ready to begin exploring your options. Whether or not you have any idea of kinds of careers that are the best match for you, you probably have a lot of questions.  By gaining a better understanding of possible next steps, it will become easier to make decisions about your future.

KEY QUESTIONS:
Several questions are important when thinking about options.
These are:

1. If I want to go to college, what are my options?
2. What are the advantages of each of these options?
3. Do I have to attend college right after I graduate from high school?
4. Do I have to go to college in order to make a lot of money?
5. Do I have to have a high school diploma to attend college?
6. Do I have to have a lot of money to go college?
7. Are there specific college programs for students with disabilities?
8. If I don’t want to go to college, what are my options?
9. What are job training, career, vocational, or technical programs?
10. What are apprenticeships?
11. What are community service programs such as Americorps and City Year? Are they work or educational programs?
12. Can I join the military right after high school?
13. How do I learn more about all of these options?
14. What are the benefits of entering the workforce after high school?
15. How do I decide which option is best for me?
16. When do I have to decide what I want to do after high school?
17. What programs are available for students who earn a special education certificate?
18. What programs are available if I am not sure about my career interests?
19. Will I have an IEP in my postsecondary program?