October 3, 2025

College Week 2025: October 6-10

Monday, 10/6: Make a list!
Still looking to add colleges to your list, or unsure of where to start? Come talk through how to search for colleges that will be right for you to plan for your best future during all lunch periods!

Tuesday, 10/7: Write it out!
We are holding an Essay Writing Workshop during all lunch periods in the CCRC. Stop in to learn how to brainstorm your essay topics, get some tips about writing, and ask for help or a quick review!

Tuesday evening, the CHOICES College Fair is taking place at Lake Forest High School. This once a year opportunity is for students looking for colleges to support them with their learning differences and disabilities! See more information here: https://postsecondarychoices.org/choices-fair-2025

Also Tuesday evening, Just down the road at Lake Forest Academy there is another College Fair happening with over 100 representatives available to speak to all of our students! Please register in StriveScan for this event, taking place from 6:30-8pm! https://app.strivescan.com/students

Wednesday, 10/8: All About the Money!
Paying for college can seem daunting, but we’re here to help! During all lunch periods, our ISAC (Illinois Student Assistance Commission) Representative, Denver Keske, will be presenting to our students about the FAFSA and Financial Aid in the CCRC. All grades are welcome!

Wednesday Evening we are hosting our FAFSA Completion Workshop from 5-8pm right here at MHS in rooms C103 & C104. Register Today via your Student’s SchooLinks Account for your timeslot to join us!

Thursday, 10/9: Apply for FREE!
The big event! Our FREE COLLEGE APPLICATION DAY for seniors will be taking place in the main gym during all lunch periods. We have 25 colleges attending who either have free applications or are waiving their application fee for our students for this day only! Check out what you need to bring and see who will be in attendance HERE.

Friday, 10/10: Finish Your Applications!
Let’s finish this! The CCRC will be open to students all day long and students are encouraged to stop in to receive assistance with any questions from anything learned during the week: Financial Aid, Essays, or Applications. If you are ready, we will also happily assist you in checking things over before you ultimately submit your applications!

Remember to register in SchooLinks!

Completing the FAFSA, Alternative Aid Application, or a waiver, is an Illinois State graduation REQUIREMENT!

Class of 2026: The 26-27 FAFSA is open! Keep in mind that each contributor (student and one or both parents or stepparent, depending upon circumstances) will require their own Studentaid.gov ID, available here. This should be created at least 3 days before completing the FAFSA.

Please register for our evening FAFSA Completion Workshop at MHS on Wednesday, October 8th from 5-8pm. Select only one timeslot that works best for your family. Both the student and the parent should attend the session together if at all possible. If not, the attendee must have the Studentaid.gov account information and financial information for the person who is not able to attend.

Every Wednesday, our ISAC representative Denver Keske is available in person at MHS to work with our students and parents, right here in our CCRC! She is also available virtually at many other times. Please see the ISAC Room in the MHS Virtual CCRC to find her scheduling links!

Remember that about 270 undergraduate institutions also require the CSS Profile, which also opens on October 1. It is crucial that our students not miss their financial aid deadlines, which will vary by institution and application round.

If you haven’t yet, we strongly encourage you to look at the resources in our Paying For College virtual room. In this space you can also access our FAFSA page for helpful information on completing your FAFSA. We also have access to past presentations (if you missed them) in our Resource Library.

Please review THIS DOCUMENT for more information about this Public Act. Check out our FAFSA Mandate FAQ to find some answers to frequently asked questions.