Future Planning

In this section:

  • VERTEX Initiative
  • Career Exploration
  • College Requirement Information

Download a printable version of this section:
FUTURE PLANNING (PDF)

VERTEX Initiative

VERTEX is an initiative of the Dubuque Community School District designed to help students discover where their interests and future possibilities intersect – all to help them reach the highest point of their individual journey to success.
VERTEX is designed around a core principle that career and college readiness is about more than just one experience. We believe that to best serve our students, it is our responsibility to help them see the vast possibilities before them. This process begins in middle school and continues through high school – always looking at providing experiences that get progressively deeper over time, moving through three key areas of awareness, exploration and application.

Programs and Partners

VERTEX brings together a variety of current Dubuque Community School District programs that connect students with employers in real-world work experiences including:

  • Work-Based Learning Program
  • School-to-Work Program
  • Summit Program
  • Transition Alliance Program (TAP)
  • Housing Education and Rehabilitation Training (HEART) Program
  • Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) Program

The district also works closely with many partners to bolster career and college exploration including:

  • Career Learning Link in partnership with Northeast Iowa Community College
  • Tech WORKS in partnership with Dubuque Area Labor Management Council
  • Greater Dubuque Development Corporation
  • City of Dubuque
  • Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation

➜ Learn more about the VERTEX Initiative at: www.dbqschools.org/vertex

Career Exploration

Please see Career Exploration webpage.

College Requirement Information

Your counselor is an excellent resource to help you explore your college and scholarship options. It is important to note that having completed all DCSD graduation requirements does not guarantee admission to a student’s college of choice. It is ultimately the responsibility of each student and parent to ensure that a student’s course selections meet the requirements of colleges and scholarships of interest.

All four-year colleges and universities have designated course requirements for admission. However, you should expect some variations in entrance requirements among the thousands of colleges and universities across the nation. Students and parents should always consult the college/university admission counselors to determine expectations.

Many colleges expect students to have had four years of English, three years of Math (Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II), three years of Science (many require two years of laboratory experience), three years of Social Studies, and two years of the same World Language.

Some colleges with a two-year World Language entrance requirement will allow students to meet an additional college exit requirement if the student successfully completes all four years of the same World Language in high school.

Students who are interested in applying to one or more of Iowa’s public universities (Iowa State University, University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa) are encouraged to visit the Iowa Board of Regents website for admission requirements for Iowa high school students.

Go to www.iowaregents.edu/RAI for information on the Regent Admission Index (RAI) used to calculate automatic admission for Iowa high school graduates to Iowa State University, University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa. Also see the listing of required high school courses for each of the three universities.

In addition to the number of core courses taken, ACT or SAT scores, class rank, and grade point average (GPA) are also taken into consideration for admission to post-secondary institutions. Unofficial ACT scores may be posted on the DCSD transcript; however, it is the responsibility of the student/parent to provide official ACT, SAT, or other standardized testing scores to post-secondary institutions.

NCAA approval for courses should be taken into consideration by students anticipating participation in intercollegiate athletics at an NCAA Division I or Division II institution in the future. Your school counselor can be a resource for this as well; however, it is the responsibility of the student and parents to ensure all requirements are met for NCAA eligibility. You may find it helpful to consult the NCAA website (www.ncaaeligibilitycenter.org).

The decision about your educational path beyond high school is important. Begin early and use all available resources to make a decision that’s right for you.