Career and College
We are committed to helping all students find their path after they leave Delano High School. Below you'll find information on career and college exploration, earning college credits, and resources for college and career planning. Our counselors are also a resource for students to explore opportunities and plan their next steps.
Offerings and Resources
- Career Exploration
- College Fairs
- Four Year Planning
- Earning College Credits: CIS and PSEO
- Naviance: Career and Post-Secondary Planning Tool
- Standardized Assessments: ACT, SAT, PSAT, MCA
- Scholarship and Financial Aid
- Resources for Students with Disabilities
- Wright Technical Center
Career Exploration
Use these links as a way to explore careers that align with your interests. If you don't know what your interests are, take a career cluster survey or use the 16 personalities test to learn more about yourself. Naviance, a separate tab, also has many tools for students to use like a career interest inventory, personality assessments, and college match search.
College Fairs
The Minnesota National College Fair, sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), is one of the largest fairs of its kind, attracting representatives from over 350 colleges and universities and nearly 25,000 students and parents. At Delano High School, we recommend attending the college fair with your parents because ultimately your college decisions are a joint effort. For details on the National College Fair, visit the Minnesota Association for College Admission Counseling page and you will find the following information:
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Directory of colleges
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Workshop sessions
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Minneapolis Convention Center map
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How to Prepare for the College Fair information
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Dates & times of the fair
The National College Fair is the time to begin your search for the school that best fits your student's educational aspirations after high school.
Going to a College Fair?
Before the fair:
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Ask yourself some questions and write down the answers.
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What classes do you like?
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Do you want to be in a large city or a small town?
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Are there sports or activities that are very important to you?
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Public or private?
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In-state or out-of-state?
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Research colleges in your career field to make a list of some colleges that match with your description of what you like.
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Ask your guidance counselor for help if you need it.
At the fair:
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Visit the colleges on your list first. You can always visit others if you have time left over.
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Ask each college questions and write down the answers:
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What are your college's strengths?
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How many students attend your college?
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Do you offer the programs I am interested in?
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What support programs do you have for first-year students?
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What is the application procedure and deadline?
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How much does a full year cost (tuition, fees, room/board)?
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How much and what types of scholarships are available?
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After the fair:
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Read the information you picked up about the colleges. Make a list of those that still interest you.
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Call the colleges on your list for more information or to schedule a visit.
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Apply to the colleges that you and your family think make sense for you. Remember to file for financial aid.
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Wait to hear from the colleges - and get ready!
Four Year Planning
These templates are just examples, written for graduation years 2027 and beyond. The listed schedules are meant to be used as samples. The arrangement of classes is one example of what a student's might look like, among many other possible arrangements. They are not meant to be replicated exactly for every student. Please pay more attention to the classes being taken, not where they are placed in the schedule.
View graduation requirements for students
The individual tracks listed below are generalized tracks. A student can mix and match between all tracks to find a path that will best fit their needs.
Earning College Credits: CIS and PSEO
College in the Schools (CIS)
College in the Schools (CIS) is a concurrent enrollment program serving students by offering college credit while still in high school. This opportunity gives students direct experience with the pace, academic rigor and individual responsibility inherent in college education. In short, they become university students taking university courses for both high school and college credit.
To be considered for CIS enrollment, students who are juniors must be in the top one-third of their class academically; seniors must be in the top one-half. Students must complete and submit one application per course. Other criterion includes your grade point average, a complete and accurate application form and prior course work completed. Some courses will include summer work.
Learn how CIS credits transfer to post-secondary institutions
Post-Secondary Education Options (PSEO)
Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis (see note below). Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. If a school district determines a pupil is not on track to graduate, she/he may continue to participate in PSEO on a term by term basis.
By March 1 of each year, or three weeks prior to the date a student registers for courses for the following school year (whichever is earlier), schools must provide PSEO information to all students in grades 8-11 and their families. To assist the district in planning, a student must inform the district by May 30 of each year of their intent to enroll in postsecondary courses during the following school year.
There is no charge to PSEO students for tuition, books or fees for items that are required to participate in a course; however, students may incur fees for equipment that becomes their property when the course or program is completed, textbooks that are not returned to the postsecondary institution according to their policies, or for tuition costs if they do not notify the district by May 30 and the district does not waive this date requirement.
Funds are available to help pay transportation expenses for qualifying students to participate in PSEO courses on college campuses. For more information on these funds, access the PSEO Mileage Reimbursement Program Instructions.
Enrolling in a PSEO course does not prohibit a student from participating in activities sponsored by the high school.
School districts must allow a PSEO student reasonable access to the high school building, computers and/or other technology resources during regular school hours to participate in PSEO courses, whether on-line or on campus.
Each year, districts must publish their grade-weighting policy on their website, including a list of courses for which students can earn weighted grades.
All courses taken through the PSEO program must meet graduation requirements. Districts must transcript credits earned in PSEO by a ratio prescribed in statute. Districts have the authority to decide which subject area and standards the PSEO course meets. If there is a dispute between the district and the student regarding the number of credits granted for a particular course, the student may appeal the board's decision to the commissioner. The commissioner's decision regarding the number of credits will be final.
Postsecondary institutions are required to allow PSEO students to enroll in online courses consistent with the institution’s policy regarding postsecondary student enrollment in online courses.
Tenth-grade students may initially enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) PSEO course if they receive a reading proficiency score of “meets” or “exceeds” on the 8th grade MCA. If 10th graders taking a CTE PSEO course earn at least a grade C in that class, they may take additional postsecondary courses. If the student did not take the MCA in 8th-grade, another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling postsecondary institution can be substituted. For students with disabilities, there is an alternative option to demonstrate reading proficiency.
Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage
Additional PSEO Resources:
Naviance: Career and Post-Secondary Planning Tool
Standardized Assessments: ACT, SAT, PSAT, MCA
ACT
ACT is a standardized achievement examination for college admission. The ACT assessment measures high school students' four skill areas: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. The optional Writing test measures skills in planning and writing a short essay. The ACT is a content-based test and until recently was a required test by colleges in the Midwest. Now, most schools accept either the ACT or the SAT.
The national average score for the ACT is 21. Delano's average ACT score is 23.
Delano High School's Code Number (CEEB/ACT Code) is 240-615.
SAT
SAT is a standardized achievement examination for college admission. The SAT assessment measures high school students' skill level in Math, Vocabulary, and Reading Comprehension. The SAT tests critical thinking and problem solving skills and until recently was the test of choice for schools in the Northeast and both coasts. Now, most schools accept either the SAT or the ACT. The national average for the SAT is 1500.
PSAT/NMSQT
PSAT/NMSQT is an academic qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship Program. This test consists of Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing Skills. Any student grades 9-11 can register for this test, but only grade 11 students are qualifiers for the National Merit Scholarship. The fee to take this test is $18. Registration information will be communicated through Delano High School.
MCA
MCAs (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments) are standardized tests in reading math, and science that public schools in Minnesota give to students.
- All 7th graders take the Math and Reading MCAs.
- All 8th graders take the Math, Science, and Reading MCAs.
- All Biology students take the MCA Science in May.
- All Sophomores take the MCA Reading in April.
- All Juniors take the MCA Math in April.
Scholarship and Financial Aid
Visit the FAFSA website (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to find out everything you need to know about applying for federal financial aid. Many schools also require you to complete the CSS Profile to start financial aid application. For more information on paying for college, visit the MN Office of Higher Education. If you are looking for a Step-by-Step Guide, visit Standout College Prep.
Financial 101: The Basics
Resources for Students with Disabilities
BestColleges have compiled a collection of resources for students with disabilities in an effort to support students in their pursuit of a rewarding and successful college experience. The following guides include an outline of student rights, strategies for success, a listing of assistive technologies, and a list of scholarships:
College Help for Hard of Hearing and Deaf Students
Our college planning guide gives students with partial to total hearing loss the tools to self-advocate for quality high education. Learn more.
A Guide for College Students with Psychiatric Disabilities
For students with affected by mental illness, successfully transitioning to college rests on a number of factors. Learn more.
A Guide for College Students with Physical Disabilities
For students with disabilities, successfully transitioning to college rests on a number of factors. Learn more.
A Guide for College Students with Visual Impairments
For students with visual impairments, successfully transitioning to college rests on a number of factors. Learn more.
Support for College Students with Learning Disabilities
Only 17% of college students with learning disabilities take advantage of available resources on campus. Learn how to access the education you deserve.
Wright Technical Center
The Wright Technical Center is a cooperative public high school established in 1972 to provide instruction in career, technical and alternative education. The WTC services eight member school districts in both Wright and Sherburne counties. The eight local districts include: Annandale, Big Lake, Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose, Delano, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, Maple Lake, Monticello, and St. Michael-Albertville. The WTC provides students with fourteen different career and technical program choices to meet their needs, skills and career interests.