Class of 2025 SchooLinks Data

SchooLinks is a college and career readiness platform to prepare students for what comes after graduation. SchooLinks helps students discover their interests and strengths, explore colleges and careers, and create a personal graduation plan that best reflects their post-secondary goals. SchooLinks in Bend La PIne Schools is accessible in grades 6-12 by students and their parents. School counselors intentionally incorporate SchooLinks into classroom lessons, small group activities, and individual planning to support students’ academic, career, and personal development.

The College Application Manager component in SchooLinks serves as a resource for both students and counselors to partner together to support the college application process for our students.

The Class of 2025 went BIG with their post-secondary applications—and the results are worth celebrating!

✨ Our seniors submitted an incredible 3,860 applications to more than 450 different colleges, universities, and programs across the country.

📬 A total of 1,002 students (that’s 73% of the senior class!) applied to at least one post-secondary option, averaging 2–3 applications each.

🥳 And here’s the most exciting part: The Class of 2025 received over 3,000 acceptances—with every single student who applied earning at least one offer!

The future is bright, and we couldn’t be prouder of our seniors as they take their next steps beyond high school. 🌟

Students from the Class of 2025 reported that they will be attending 195 different institutions from across the country and world!

While most students are headed to in-state options (OSU, UO, COCC) and nearby public universities (Boise State, WSU, Montana State, ASU, Utah, UW, Cal Poly SLO), a few choices stand out:

• Career/Technical Paths: Tattoo/apprenticeship programs, lineman training, WyoTech, Perry Tech, and multiple cosmetology schools (Phagans, Paul Mitchell, Aveda).

• International: Students enrolling at McGill, UBC, University of Victoria, St Andrews, Exeter, Dublin, Greenwich, Puebla, Madrid, and Temple University–Japan.

• Selective/Elite Schools: Harvard, Princeton, Williams, Middlebury, Pomona, Reed, Harvey Mudd.

• Arts Focus: MICA, SCAD, Cornish, Ringling, Parsons/The New School, Columbia Chicago, Drexel.

• Military/Service: U.S. Air Force Academy, West Point, Virginia Military Institute.

👉 Beyond the big trends, we’re seeing adventurous and creative pathways — from highly selective liberal arts colleges to hands-on trades and global destinations.

Before graduation, the Class of 2025 participated in an End of Year Senior Activity. This allowed them to share their post-secondary plans and offer valuable feedback on our district and school counseling programs. Out of 1,361 students, an impressive 1,280 took the time to complete the survey, reflecting a completion rate of approximately 94.5%. Below outlines some valuable information we gathered from our students.

The Class of 2025 is charting exciting and diverse paths after graduation! Of the 1,286 students who shared their post-secondary plans, just over half (51%) are pursuing a four-year degree, while another 20% plan to obtain a two-year college degree/certificate. Students are also exploring a wide range of other opportunities: 4% will enter trade or technical programs, 4% are pursuing apprenticeships, and 8% plan to join the workforce. In addition, 11% of students are choosing a gap year, and others are committing to the military (3%), volunteer work, or internships. Altogether, more than 70% of the class will continue their education after high school, with the rest engaging in meaningful experiences that reflect the many ways our graduates are preparing for their futures.

Of the 1,002 seniors who applied to a post-secondary institution or program, 794 also completed the FAFSA or ORSAA. This is a strong step forward in connecting students to financial aid, but it also highlights an important opportunity: ensuring that all students who plan to continue their education have the support they need to access available funding.

Of the 1,002 seniors who applied to a post-secondary institution or program, 558 also took the extra step of applying for scholarships. This shows a strong commitment to planning for life after high school, and we see even more opportunity ahead to ensure all students access the financial resources available to them.

Thank you to our School-to-Career team for their leadership in providing student support for completion of FAFSA/ORSAA and scholarship opportunities!

🌟 Positive Aspects

• Access to Academic Support
  Many students reported using academic support services, including general questions, counselor collaboration with teachers, four year planning and help with forecasting and class selection.

• Social and Emotional Support
  A significant number of students appreciated the social/emotional and mental health support offered, highlighting its importance to their overall well-being.

• Engagement in College and Career Exploration
  Students valued college and career exploration opportunities with their school counselor, including counselor-led lessons, workshops, and evening events that helped them understand future pathways.

• Individual Planning and Counseling
  One-on-one planning sessions were well-received, helping students navigate academics and future options. Many wished these sessions could happen more consistently each year.

• Classroom Presentations
  Students found counselor-led classroom lessons/presentations informative and beneficial. They shared interest in having more classroom time with counselors to learn about college, career, and academic development.

💡 Areas for Improvement

• Communication and Outreach
  Students expressed a need for better communication about counseling services and resources, especially for those who may not actively seek support.

• Increased Support for College Applications
  Calls were made for more structured guidance in the college application process, including earlier outreach and scholarship navigation.

• Consistency in Counseling Availability
  Students noted inconsistency in counselor availability and suggested more drop-in times or flexible appointment options.

• Focus on Individual Needs
  More personalized one-on-one check-ins were recommended to better support unique student concerns and goals.

• Integration of Life Skills Education
  Students suggested incorporating life skills (e.g., financial literacy, time management) alongside academic and career support.

• Consistency Across Grade Levels / Schools
  Students emphasized the importance of equitable and consistent counseling support throughout all grades and schools in the district

✨ In Summary: Students deeply value their counselors as trusted adults who support their academic journeys, well-being, and future planning. They also see opportunities for growth in communication, consistency, and expanded programming. This feedback provides both a celebration of what’s working well and a clear roadmap for strengthening Bend-La Pine’s Comprehensive School Counseling Program moving forward.

Bend-La Pine Schools (BLS) is committed to ensuring all students are supported in developing the knowledge, skills, and mindsets necessary to successfully navigate their postsecondary pathways. School counselors play a critical role in guiding students—beginning in elementary school and continuing through high school—toward future readiness by providing aligned, developmentally appropriate college and career planning programming.

All BLS students have access to school counseling programming outlined below. Counselors provide targeted support programs and responsive services to aid students in their academic progress, college and career planning, and social and emotional development. In addition, beginning with Class of 2028 all high school students complete the Higher Education Career Pathway Skills Course, which emphasizes exploration of college and career options and is developed in conjunction with high school counseling programs.

Every year, students in grades 6–12 complete their Educational Plan and Profile (EPP) through SchooLinks activities and counselor-led lessons, ensuring they graduate with passion, purpose, and a plan for their future.

We’ve also taken student feedback from the senior survey to strengthen and update our comprehensive school counseling programming—keeping it relevant, responsive, and student-centered.

👉 Please see the images below for an overview of our programming and the Educational Plan and Profile. We look forward to continuing to grow and strengthen these supports as part of BLS’s commitment to ensuring that every student graduates with a passion, a purpose, and a plan.