Happy Commitment Day! The Lake Forest High School Educational Services team is proud to share the latest edition of Scout Destinations. This edition has numerous articles and blog posts with current information and advice for families navigating the college admissions and post-secondary landscape.

Our Counselors highlight some schools worth a look, and important upcoming events are listed. We always welcome reader feedback. You can share comments with Dr. Patrick Sassen, Associate Principal of Educational Services (psassen@lfschools.net).

Location: Rolla, Missouri

Size: Medium (5,000 undergraduate students)

School Type: Public

Acceptance Rate: 85%

Average Accepted ACT Range: 26 to 32 (Test-Optional)

Popular Majors: Mechanical Engineering, Information Sciences, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biology, Computer Hardware Engineering, Aerospace Engineering

Out of State Tuition: approximately $27,500

Students Receiving Financial Aid: 98%

Location: Asheville, North Carolina

Size: Small (2,500 undergraduate students)

School Type: Public

Acceptance Rate: 82%

Average Accepted ACT Range: 22 to 29 (Test-Optional)

Popular Majors: Psychology, Environmental Science, Communications, Public Health Education, Business, English, Graphic Design, Biology, Computer Science, Sociology

Out of State Tuition: approximately $25,000

Students Receiving Financial Aid: 93%

May 1 Commitment Date/Continuing the Journey

Wednesday, May 1, is the usual commitment day for Seniors to declare which college or university they will attend next year. Seniors are required to send in a deposit to secure their place at the school they plan to attend. This year, some colleges have moved their commitment date beyond May 1 in response to the slow processing of the FAFSA form which has resulted in delayed notification to students of their financial aid awards. Students should be aware of each college’s commitment date so they are sure to secure their place by the date specified.

Sending Final Transcripts

Counselors are meeting with seniors May 15 and 16. During this time, seniors will complete a graduation survey where they indicate the college they will attend next year. Final transcripts will be sent in mid-June to the college that seniors indicated on the survey.

FAFSA Completion

Completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a graduation requirement in the State of Illinois, but for families not seeking financial aid, a Non-Participation Form may be completed instead; the form is at the very bottom of this Program Application & Status Checks tab. See the Financial Aid Application Non-Participation Form Instructions for details on how to complete the electronic form.

College Waiting List

As an admission decision, some seniors may have been granted a spot on a college’s waiting list. In this instance, a senior must commit to another school they have been admitted to by May 1. It is hard to determine from one year to the next the likelihood of being accepted from the waiting list, as it all depends on the admissions yield. Students who are placed on a waiting list and wish to remain on the waiting list should communicate that with their college.

Individual Meetings With Counselors

Counselors are meeting individually with their junior families to discuss the college search process. These meetings started in March and will continue until May. During these meetings counselors discuss the college planning and application timeline, as well as helping to develop a list of schools appropriate to each student.