College Planning Meetings for Juniors
Individual college planning meetings for juniors and parents are currently ongoing. During these meetings, the college research and application timeline will be discussed, along with help determining a list of schools to consider.
Standardized Testing
Juniors will take the ACT test as part of their school day on April 8. Students are automatically registered for this test. The State of Illinois requires this test to be taken during junior year, and it is a graduation requirement. If juniors wish to take additional ACT or SAT tests for college admission purposes, they must sign up directly with the specific testing agency: ACT.org or collegeboard.org.
May 1 Commitment Date
Thursday, May 1, is the national commitment day for Seniors to indicate which college they will attend. Committing to a school usually requires that a student send in a deposit (often non-refundable). Seniors should follow the steps in their admission letter to commit to that particular school. It’s important that a student commits to a school by May 1, as colleges don’t have to hold admission for them after this date.
College Waitlists
Some seniors may have been offered a spot on a college’s waitlist. If a student wishes to stay on the waitlist, they need to communicate that to the college. In this instance, a student must commit to another college by May 1. Colleges don’t always pull from their waitlist; they typically won’t know their final admission yield (how many students will be attending) until after the May 1 commit date.
Senior Seminars Final Transcripts
Counselors will be meeting with seniors to discuss specifics for graduation and the completion of senior surveys. During these seminars, seniors will indicate their post high school plans (work, military, gap year, college , other). For those attending college, seniors will indicate which college they will attend, and their final transcripts will be sent in mid-June to that particular school.
FAFSA Completion
Seniors are required to either complete the FAFSA or, a FAFSA waiver form (if they did not complete the FAFSA form). This is a State of Illinois graduation requirement. If you are completing the waiver form (Non-Participation Form), it is found at the bottom of the Program Application & Status Checks tab. See the Financial Aid Application Non-Participation Form instructions for details on how to complete the electronic form.
Common App Workshop
The Common App workshop is offered to all rising seniors on June 9-11 from 9-11 am OR from 12:30-2:30 pm. During this workshop, students will create their Common App accounts and begin completing the main parts of the application. The application essay will also be worked on during this summer class. Registration is required for this workshop. Please register here.
