Counseling & Career Resources

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Advanced Placement (AP) is an internationally recognized standard of academic excellence that provides the following benefits to students:

• AP curricula have been successfully mastered by students who are hardworking and dedicated to excellence and typically rank in the upper 25 percent of their class.
• AP can enhance a student's opportunities for scholarships and career possibilities.
• AP can enhance the student's opportunities to receive admission into recognized universities and post-secondary programs.
• AP can reduce college costs and the time required to obtain a degree by providing post-secondary credit for courses and examinations completed successfully in high school. AP exams are given in May and scored by the Educational Testing Service. Students are encouraged to take AP exams to demonstrate successful AP course completion.

NOTE: Each college or university determines which AP examination/score will be accepted.

Courses that may be taken for Advanced Placement are:

• AP English Language and Composition and AP English Literature and Composition
• AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics I, AP Physics II
• AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Statistics
• AP College Physics I, AP Physics C
• AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles
• AP/Honors United States History, AP U.S. Government and Politics, AP European History, AP Psychology
• AP Studio Art
• AP French 5, AP Spanish 5
• AP Music Theory

Tenth-, 11th- and 12th-grade students have the opportunity to take academic courses which have been identified by the school district and Johnson County Community College as college-equivalent courses (College Now). All College Now students must have appropriate ACT or other placement test score. (See your school counselor for more information.) Upon payment of specified tuition and fees and successful completion of the courses, college credit can be earned. Only students admitted to designated college equivalency courses can apply for this college credit option.

JCCC will charge an amount not to exceed that charged to any student as tuition for enrolling in similar campus-based courses. No additional charge beyond those authorized for high school rental fees and materials used for classroom activities will be made.

Enrollment information will be distributed in all high school courses designated as college credit classes. 

Planning for high school is an exciting and important step in a student’s journey. In Olathe, our vision —“Their Future is Our Future” — guides an individualized approach that prioritizes student choice and readiness for both college and careers.

Students have the opportunity to explore a variety of pathways, including Career Pathway Programs, Two-Year Academies, and Four-Year Academies. These options focus on high-demand career fields and are designed to connect student interests with learning through hands-on experiences, industry-standard tools, and real-world partnerships. Each opportunity helps students build the academic and technical skills needed for success in their future careers.

Students may choose to attend their boundary high school or apply to a Four-Year Academy or Two-Year Academy. Program availability varies by campus. Students accepted into a Four-Year Academy located outside their boundary school will transfer to the school where that academy is housed. Students who enroll in a Two-Year Academy during their junior and/or senior year attend for a three-hour block each school day.

Visit the Olathe Public Schools Career Pathways Site

OPS GPA Calculator

Board of Regents — Qualified Admissions Curriculum

Qualified Admissions (QA) are a set of standards used by the six state universities to review applicants for undergraduate admission. The universities using QA are Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Kansas State, Pittsburg State, University of Kansas, and Wichita State. These standards are set by the Kansas Board of Regents, the governing body for the state universities. It is important to note that our Olathe graduation requirements must be met to graduate from Olathe Public Schools. Please consult your student's school counselor with any questions.

At its Sept. 18, 2019 meeting, the Kansas Board of Regents approved amendments to the Qualified Admissions (QA) criteria. The new standards are below.

Accredited High School Graduate Going to Emporia State University, Pittsburg State University, Fort Hays State University or Wichita State University:

• ACT 21 or higher OR cumulative GPA of 2.25.
• Units (but not specific courses) are recommended; units are not required.
• 2.0 cumulative GPA on any college courses taken while in high school.

Accredited High School Graduate Going to Kansas State University:

• ACT 21 or higher OR cumulative GPA of 3.25.
• Units (but not specific courses) are recommended; units are not required.
• 2.0 cumulative GPA on any college courses taken while in high school.

Accredited High School Graduate Going to The University of Kansas:

• Cumulative GPA of 3.25 and ACT 21 or higher OR cumulative GPA of 3.0 and ACT 24 or higher.
• Units (but not specific courses) are recommended; units are not required.
• 2.0 cumulative GPA on any college courses taken while in high school.

Board of Regents — Kansas Scholars Curriculum

This is a state-sponsored scholarship program. Names of students who complete this curriculum are sent to the Board of Regents along with the student’s GPA. The Board determines the State Scholars; these are the students who can apply for the following need-based scholarships: Kansas State Scholar Scholarship, Nursing Scholarship, Teaching Scholarship, Minority Scholarship. These scholarships range from $50–$1,000 and must be used at a Kansas college or university. To be considered as a scholar, this curriculum must be met:

• 4 credits of English
• 3 credits of Social Studies
• 4 credits of Math, must begin with Algebra 1 or higher class
• 3 credits of Science – must be biology, chemistry, and physics
• 2 credits of World Language – must be the same language and must be taken while in high school

High school students planning to pursue athletics and athletic scholarships at the collegiate level must be aware of academic and other eligibility requirements. This page is intended to provide links to various resources to help students plan. This page is not comprehensive and students are always encouraged to communicate with academic and athletic advisors at the colleges they are interested in attending, to obtain accurate and complete information and requirements pertaining to those specific schools. 

Make sure you officially register with the NCAA and/or NAIA Eligibility Centers during your sophomore year if you are interested in playing college sports.

District Presentation for students planning to pursue NCAA eligibility (PDF)

Scholarship via Xello

Olathe Public Schools Foundation Scholarships

Black Excel

College Board

College Scholarships.com

CollegeNET

Cosmetology School Scholarships

Fastweb

Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information

FinAid

Use this website to check for the authenticity of any scholarship

Guaranteed Scholarships

The Princeton Review

Scholarships for Hispanics

United Negro College Fund

View Transcript Information

Applying for College

• The Common Application

  This application form is used by more than 300 selective colleges and universities

• Johnson County Community College

  Information regarding how to apply for admission to Johnson County Community College. 

• The Kansas Board of Regents

  Information regarding admission to Kansas Board of Regents colleges. 

• Kansas Regents Schools

  A mapping of Kansas Regents colleges and universities.  

• Midwestern Higher Education Compact

  Working side by side with states and institutions to improve education.  

Trade Schools

• Beauty Schools Directory

• Trade Schools, Colleges and Universities Directory

  This is a comprehensive, easy-to-use education directory with schools throughout North America offering online and on campus training. Programs are available in skilled trades, health care, business, design & media arts, culinary, technology, and legal fields.

Other Online Resources

• ACT: College Planning

• ACT Test for Students

• College Board

  Information regarding the SAT exam

• Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)

• Know How 2 Go

• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

• Parchment

  This is a digital credential service allowing people and schools to exchange transcripts and other credentials

• Peterson's

  Test prep, preparing student loans, researching universities, etc.