CCR Update

The CCR Update is a weekly newsletter from the St. Charles North Office of College and Career Readiness. Our weekly update contains information to help navigate students through high school and into post-secondary options. A variety of links will be provided to assist students and families in making choices along this journey. For additional information students should reach out to their individual counselor.

The College & Career Readiness Office would like to share the following reminders about student schedules:

Students wishing to make a preferential course request should come to the CCR Office during their lunch period or schedule a meeting with their counselor through the counselor's "Student Appointment" button on the CCR Website HERE. We will do our best to accommodate your requests, however, we are unable to make changes regarding a lunch period or teacher preference. Please See the Academic Program Guide for scheduling guidelines.

Please note the following important deadlines:

Adding a course (the tenth day of the semester) — August 25, 2026

Dropping a course (the fifteenth day of the semester) — September 1, 2026

A request for a course change is NOT a guarantee that the change is possible. Students made course requests in the winter of the previous school year and our master schedule was built to honor those requests. Any changes will be made based on availability.

Classes at the Fox Valley Career Center begin on Wednesday, August12th!

Students in Session 1-3 must take the bus to and from FVCC. Students in Session 4 will need to provide their own transportation.

Bus information for those students attending classes at the Fox Valley Career Center will be emailed to students enrolled in these classes in the next few days. This information can be accessed at the above link as well.

Our amazing counselors met with Senior students on 8/18/26 during their Social Studies classes (American Agenda, Civics, Economics, AP Macroeconomics and/or AP US Gov). Please click HERE to view the presentation. If you were unable to attend the presentation, please reach out to your counselor!

Important information for students who are interested in taking an AP exam that are not enrolled in the corresponding AP course:

Students wishing to take any AP exams for classes in which they are not enrolled must register and pay for the exam no later than Friday, November 6th. The fee is $100 per exam and is non-refundable. Please register HERE by completing this form. Once payment is received, you will receive a join code from Mrs. Gomez to complete your order. Stop by the CCR Office with questions!

• Senior College Night: Tips & Advice from Experienced Admissions Counselors on August 25th 2026 in the St. Charles North Auditorium from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
• D303 Financial Aid Night on September 16th 2026 in the Auditorium at St. Charles North from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
• 2027-2028 FAFSA Application: Scheduled to open October 1, 2026
• Junior Jumpstart Night on October 6th 2026 in the St. Charles North Auditorium from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
• Pathways Night (2 Year, Tech, Trades & Military Post-Secondary Options) - October 28th 2026 at Compass Academy/Haines Center from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
• Early College Credit Information Night at St. Charles East HS in the Little Theater on November 17th 2026 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• Fox Valley College Fair on March 24th 2027 in the Main Gym at St. Charles East HS from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

More details will be shared as we get closer to each event date.

Elgin Community College is offering a series of College & Career events for the fall and spring semesters. Session topics include The Start of College Decisions, Financial Aid 101, Early College Credit options, Professional Etiquette, Discovering Careers, Career Clusters & Opportunities, Successful Interviewing and more. All events are free and open to the public. Events will be held virtually over Zoom on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7 P.M. unless otherwise noted. For more information and meeting links, please visit https://elgin.edu/community/college-transitions/ccr/

Upcoming Events: Launch Strong: Thriving in College

Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Time: 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
Location: Virtual

Success in college begins with a plan. Whether you're a first-time college student, adult learner, transfer student, or returning to complete your degree, this webinar will help you build a strong foundation for the semester ahead. Participants will learn how to read and understand a course syllabus, manage important academic deadlines, set realistic goals, navigate college expectations, and connect with campus resources designed to support student success. By understanding how college works and learning practical ways to stay organized, manage responsibilities, and access support, students can approach the semester with greater confidence. Join us as we kick off the College & Career Success Series, a year-long webinar series designed to help students plan, prepare, and succeed in college, career, and beyond. Theme: PLAN

Have you ever thought about a career as an electric lineman, firefighter, police officer, lab technician, or in tree maintenance, or IT/Networking? These are all individuals, and many more, who are employed by the City of St. Charles.

The City of St. Charles is offering a career pathway job shadow program to St. Charles high school students interested in exploring a career in municipal government. You may schedule up to three different job shadow experiences per school year, during which you can explore work sites, ask questions, see demonstrations, and learn about education and certifications. Students will be responsible for transportation to and from the City. The date, time, and length of the job shadow will be scheduled outside of school hours directly with the City’s job shadow program coordinator. Please return your completed registration form to Ms. Gomez in the College & Career Office.

The Discovery Program exposes students to a broad range of activities designed to encourage their interest in healthcare careers. Program activities include tours, guest speakers, group discussion, and hands-on projects. Meetings are most often on the third Saturday of each month from 9:00am-12:00pm. The NM Discovery West Chapter and the Greater DeKalb Chapter collaborate a lot, so meetings will be held at Central DuPage Hospital, Delnor Hospital, Kishwaukee Hospital, and various off-site NM locations. Please note, meeting dates, times, and topics are subject to change. Participants are responsible for their own transportation.

For information about the Discovery Program and how to apply.

The application deadline is 9/28/26.

For questions about the Discovery Program please email NMDiscoveryProgramWest@nm.org

College Visit Sign-up in SchooLinks

1. Log in to your SchooLinks account (https://app.schoolinks.com/).
   

2. On the Student Dashboard, click on the School Events section to see all upcoming college visits.
   

3. Click on the name of the visit you want to attend, and then click on the Register for this Event button.
   

Before attending the visit, make sure you pick up a College Visit Pass from our College & Career Readiness Office. You will need to fill out the form and have your teacher sign it before attending the visit. You will also be responsible for making up any missed work when attending a college visit.

If you have a conflict with a college visit, please email Ms. Adrienne Geiseman at adrienne.geiseman@d303.org for the college rep's contact information.

For Scheduled Virtual Visits: Click the link to enter the live virtual conference with a college rep. For the full listing go to the College Visit page on our CCR Website.

Upcoming Visits:

8/31/2026 Northern Illinois University

Information for local scholarships and select national scholarships is available in the College and Career Office and on the "Scholarship" page of the CCR website. This list will continue to be updated throughout the school year.

College & Career Readiness Team

255 Red Gate Road, St. Charles, IL, 60175

331-228-6290