Posted on: Thursday, March 31, 2005
ECOS helpful in college prep
| • | Chart (opens in a new window): Most frequent searches on Princeton Review System |
By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Education Writer
Secondary students across the state are being encouraged to start career and college preparation as early as middle school through the Princeton Review Education and Career Opportunities System.
Through ECOS, students can explore their interests, consider various careers, research colleges, practice for the SAT or ACT, hunt for scholarships and create resumes.
"It's a fantastic tool," said Clyde Kobashigawa, state ECOS coordinator for the Department of Education. "When they fill out a profile, it's sort of like an electronic record for their educational plan from middle through high school. It can even be transferred to some community colleges."
While the DOE has made ECOS available to every public school student, it's up to the school how much time students are given to access the system.
However, once the students get a user ID and password, they can log on anywhere they have Internet access.
The profiles also track students' courses, subjects they perform well in, extracurricular activities, offices and honors and artistic skills.
Once they enter personal information, students can use the site's resume generator to learn how to create a resume. "Most kids have no idea what a resume is," Kobashigawa said.
If students identify their interests, they can look for the jobs they are best suited for and start planning the educational pathway to those careers.
"What you get out of ECOS is what you put into it. If you don't put in accurate information, you won't get accurate results," Kobashigawa said.
The personal information is kept secure, Kobashigawa said. Only the student and authorized school staff can view it. Students can have accounts only if they have their parents' permission.
The site offers students the option to have their information provided to college recruiters.
For students who need financial aid to pursue higher education, ECOS can be a valuable tool. According to Princeton Review, a company that provides test and college preparation, one student found $2.4 million in scholarships he was eligible for.
Although those results aren't common, "(ECOS) helps them find the money to go to college if they have prepared ahead of time," Kobashigawa said. "It's a good guidance tool if it's used in that light."
Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8014.
