Preparing to Serve in God’s World.

The final piece of a Pella Christian education focuses on nurturing and educating students to serve in God’s world.

Pella Christian High School’s Academic Counselor is available daily to assist students with schedules, online class registration, career planning, and discussing possible schooling options both in and after high school.

College & Career Planning

College & Career Planning

Many opportunities exist as you plan for college and careers after your time at Pella Christian. Below are opportunities for you to check out.

Opportunities shared are for general information only. PCHS cannot confirm all opportunities are completely aligned with our school. Families are encouraged to assess opportunities for themselves and determine whether or not they are the right fit for their student.

Check out the opportunities

Colleges visiting Pella Christian

Colleges Visiting Pella Christian

Each year, we host college representatives on our campus. Juniors and Seniors have the opportunity to meet with representatives, attend presentations and learn about the college admissions process.

View College Visit Schedule

Scholarship Opportunities

Scholarship Opportunities

There’s some good news for Seniors looking for college scholarships: there are many scholarships out there! Accessing those resources takes time and effort – and planning – but can result in significant aid for college. Check out our extensive list of available scholarships, aid, and other resources.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Joint Credit & College Courses

Joint Credit and College Courses

Gain college credit while at Pella Christian to allow for more flexibility in college, work while attending college, graduate early or to lighten the academic college load.

LEARN MORE ABOUT JOINT CREDIT & COLLEGE COURSES

PCHS Course Guide

PCHS Course Guide

Our curriculum is designed to educate and nurture students so whether they find themselves college bound or career bound, they will be kingdom ready to serve in God’s world. View our Course Guide for course offerings, requirements and descriptions.

VIEW the PCHS Course Guide

Standardized Testing

Standardized Testing

Assess your mastery of college-readiness standards. Learn more about standardized testing.

Standardized Testing

Work-Based Learning

Work-Based Learning

Work-based learning opportunities in the form of apprenticeships, certification programs, and independent studies are available to students with focused career interests. Either through the WorkSMART Connector, in collaboration with area schools and local employers, or through individually arranged independent studies, students receive on-the-job training while earning class credit and, in many situations, a paycheck too.

Work-based Learning

College Planning Timeline

There’s a lot to think about when planning for college. The guide below contains key action steps for applying to college, broken down by each season of the four years of high school.

  • Starting high school is an exciting time. Take advantage of the opportunities, academic and otherwise.
  • Create a 4-year plan. Think about the classes you’d like to take over the next four years and start building the foundation you’ll need to be eligible for those higher-level courses coming later.
  • Learning matters, starting on day one. The work you put in today will pay off in four years when you move on to college, the workforce, or wherever God leads.
  • Develop strong study skills, and ask for help when needed.
  • Start keeping a list of all the things you do: accomplishments, activities, volunteer hours, etc. You’ll thank yourself when you get to Senior year and it’s time to work on college and scholarship applications.

  • Build your resume. Work to be a well-rounded student who is active in the classroom, co-curricular activities, and the community.
  • Think about the content you are learning and what interests you. The assignments and projects that are engaging provide clues for what career paths might interest you in the future.
  • Start looking for opportunities to take standardized tests (like the PSAT offered at PCHS every October). These opportunities will help you hone your skills and be prepared for important tests taken during your Junior and Senior years.
  • If the workforce or an apprenticeship is a realistic post-high school path for you, start building skills through coursework and work experience to make yourself eligible for great opportunities in the future.
  • Reassess your 4-year plan, and make changes if necessary.
  • Keep adding to your list of accomplishments and activities.

  • Put together a plan for when you will take standardized tests like the ACT. Spring of your Junior year is a great time to get started. Most students improve their scores with repeated testing, so increase your chances of getting accepted to your first-choice school and increasing scholarship money by allowing enough time for retests. 
  • Reflect on your interests and personality traits. Start compiling a list of colleges where you can picture yourself. If a college and its campus life doesn’t fit you academically, socially, and spiritually, it might not be the right place for you. 
  • Student life is busy, and the last two years of high school will fly by. Start looking for free weekends to visit college campuses and experience campus life. 
  • Class options greatly increase in the last two years of high school. Whether moving on to a college or career, choose elective classes now that will prepare you well for the future. 
  • College recruiters regularly visit PCHS. Take advantage of their visits, and stop by the Academic Counseling office when they are at school. Junior year is a great time to figure out what is important to you and start eliminating schools that don’t align with your interests and goals. 
  • Take another look at that 4-year plan. It may have changed a lot since freshman year, but that’s ok. Continue adjusting as needed.
  • Keep adding to your list of accomplishments and activities. And if that list seems a bit short, challenge yourself to get more involved.

  • Senior year is busy. Put together a timeline early so you don’t miss important dates that come up throughout the year.
  • Continue visiting colleges and meeting with recruiters. Narrow down your list of colleges so you can focus on applications for the ones that really interest you.
  • If college isn’t right for you, begin looking at potential employers. A career in the military may also be a great option for you. 
  • You will likely need letters of recommendation from teachers, staff, youth pastors, etc. Think strategically about who you ask to write your letter. Pick someone who has personally witnessed your strengths so you have the best chance of receiving a convincing letter. And ask for that letter early. Remember, they are doing you a favor, and the effort they put into crafting the recommendation will likely be directly proportional to the amount of lead-time you give them to write it. 
  • Work to complete college applications in October and November.
  • All students attending two and four year schools should complete the FAFSA. Even if you don’t expect to qualify for financial aid, many other grants and scholarships use the FAFSA as their qualifier to be eligible for funding.
  • While most colleges will accept applicants later, financial aid and scholarships are rewarded throughout the year. Don’t miss out on free money by procrastinating with the applications. Aren’t you glad you’ve been keeping that list of accomplishments, activities, and volunteer hours these last few years? 
  • Evaluate admissions offers and financial aid packages accurately. The sticker price doesn’t matter. It’s that final number that counts!
  • Ask for advice from parents and trusted adults in your life who can help you discern where God is leading you. And pray about it! Choosing what comes after high school is a big decision, but God has put people in your life to help you make the right decision. Try to make a college decision by May 1st. A lot of enrollment steps must be completed before college starts, and an earlier decision will help when making decisions about housing, class selections, etc.

Trixanna Wang

PCHS Academic Counselor

Deep Hope: To walk alongside students and their families as together we work to discern God’s plan for their future service in God’s World.

Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Dordt University; Masters in East Asian Studies from Duke University

Experience: Trixanna spent four years in overseas mission work in a school setting, six years in sales and project management in Asia and has been working at Pella Christian High School since 2014.

Favorite thing about my job: I love having a front row seat when students discover a class or area of study about which they are passionate.

 

Contact Trixanna