Career Center News
Week ending January 26th
The College and Career Center provides a wide variety of services to our Independence HS students and their families. I am here to help support everything from college planning and the application process, job opportunities, volunteer services, financial aid and scholarships, Military, Gap year, and more. Please direct questions to jill.perlman@lcps.org
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Upcoming Events in February
* February 1st ~ Pacific Discovery - Exploring Pre-College Gap Year Opportunities
* February 3rd ~ GAP Year Fair @ Briar Woods HS from 1 pm - 4 pm
* February 26th ~ Military Night @ Independence HS from 6 pm - 8 pm
Music & Art Contests
Get excited for the Red, White and Blue!
Show Your Talent. Display Your Patriotism. Express Your Creativity
Music: A National Anthem singing contest for youth in grades K-12. $500 National Prize
1) Record a video of your solo vocal performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" in the arrangement and genre of your choice.
2) Upload the video to YouTube and submit a signed entry form to a VFW Auxiliary by March 15 for judging.
3) Entry will be judged on vocal ability, mastery of lyrics, originality or interpretation and entertainment value.
Visit vfwauxiliary.org for contest eligibility, rules, national awards and an entry form.
Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Post 1177 Announce Kick-Off of Annual Scholarships & Contests for High School Students.
Two creative, patriotic art contests are open to students in grades 9-12. Both contests' entries must be received by March 15, 2024. Please see the flyer for more information. Click here to see how to apply!
COLLEGE & MILITARY CORNER
Summer Science Camps with the Virginia Tech College of Science
Do you know any middle or high school students who love science? Want them to have a fun summer where they can experience science in new ways and get a sneak peek at college life? Virginia Tech is offering several science camps this summer: SCIENCE CAMPS 2024!
HAVE FUN, LEARN SCIENCE, AND GET A SNEAK PEEK AT COLLEGE LIFE!
- EXPLORE SCIENCE
June 24 - 27 for rising 9th- 10th graders
June 30 - July 3 for rising 7th- 8th graders
Microbiology, neuroscience, physics, nanoscience, psychology, coding, game-o-nomics, and way more!
- EXPLORE DATA SCIENCE
July 8 - 12 for rising 11th- 12th graders
Statapult-catapults, coding, data ethics, molecular modeling, disease surveillance, game theory, career exploration, and more!
- EXPLORE PHYSICAL SCIENCES
July 15 - 19 for rising 11th- 12th graders
Solar energy, nanoscience, GPS and modeling, physics and astronomy, biochemistry, geophysical methods to study the critical zone, career exploration, and more!
EXPLORE LIFE SCIENCES - July 22 - 26 for rising 11th- 12th graders
Neuroscience, nanomedicine, ecology, chemical biology, emerging diseases, bioinformatics, ancient life forms, career exploration, and more!
Registration Is Now Open (Click Here)!
Space is limited, so register soon.
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes Application is Now Open!
We are currently accepting applications for the 2024 Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes!
This two-week online enrichment program is designed for academically motivated and intellectually curious students currently in grades 8-11. Each online course provides an in-depth exploration of a single subject, allowing students to enrich their academic interests while meeting other students who share their passions and abilities. Students join our community from around the world, and challenge themselves with advanced content not typically found in the high school curriculum.
The application deadline is March 29, 2024 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time.
Fordham's Summer Leaders Academy
Fordham's Summer Leaders Academy is an immersive pre-college program that offers innovative academic courses, along with activities in the most exciting classroom of all, New York City! With on-campus housing and commuter options available, this pre-college program is crafted to redefine the summer and set the stage for students' future success.
Your students can join us for a virtual info session on Wednesday, January 31 at 6:00 PM Eastern to learn more.
SUMMER LEADERS ACADEMY
Immersion 1: June 24-27
Immersion 2: July 8-18
Immersion 3: July 22-August 1
Course options include:
- A New York Exploration of Art History
- Business Communication
- FRESH Air: Hands-On STEM, Investigating Air Quality and Climate Impact in NYC
- Your Journey to the Bar: Fordham Pre-Law Intensive
- ...and many more!
Summer at UChicago
The University of Chicago's Summer Session brings together a global community of thinkers who are excited by interesting questions and seek to engage new ideas. Discover diverse program opportunities designed to challenge and engage curious high school students this summer across a variety of subject areas and disciplines. Within a supportive community, pre-college students are are given the chance to take intellectual risks, dive more deeply into subject matter, and discuss questions that go beyond the realm of their high school curriculum, while experiencing a dynamic campus situated in scenic Hyde Park in the city of Chicago during the best season of the year - summer!
All summer session programs are designed for high-school students ready to tackle undergraduate-level material. Apply and learn more at: summer.uchicago.edu
UMass Amherst Summer 2024 Pre-College Programs
Spring College Prep Workshops:
The first step towards college is applying – and making the right impression counts. Our college prep workshops are here to help high school students put their best foot forward.
This March, two unique online workshops are available: SAT & ACT Test Prep with best-selling author Brian Leaf, and College Application Essay Writing led by instructors from the award-winning UMass Writing Program.
Spaces are limited -- please see below for details and registration. Registration deadline is February 21, 2024.
UMass Amherst Summer 2024 Pre-College Programs
We are now accepting applications for 2024 Summer Pre-College programs at UMass Amherst.
Apply by March 15th and waive the $35 application fee. Use code: EarlyBird24
Rising 10th - 12th graders in high school are eligible to apply. Applications are done through our website and consist of:
- A statement of interest from the applicant describing their interest in the program
- An unofficial high school transcript including grades from the current school year
- A letter of recommendation from a teacher or school counselor
- English language proficiency scores (international students only)
Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, with deadlines as outlined below for each session. We recommend applying early as programs may fill up.
- Session 1 (Programs starting June 30): May 1st, 2024
- Session 2 (Programs starting July 14): May 15th, 2024
- Session 3 (Programs starting July 28): May 31st, 2024
Spend the Summer at University of College Dublin
The UCD High School Summer Program returns for 2024 and applications are now open! The UCD High School Summer Program is an enrichment program designed specifically for North American students who are interested in learning more about Irish history and culture and may be considering the possibility of applying to universities in Ireland for their undergraduate degrees. Through a series of taught lectures and interactive workshops at UCD, we introduce students to the academic culture in Ireland and the variety of subjects they can study. We also introduce students to Ireland's rich history and cultural identity through field trips around Dublin and the Irish countryside. At the end of the two weeks, we hope the students will have found that the academic programs and vibrant cultural heritage will be a great fit for future studies.
To be eligible for this program, students must:
- Be current juniors or sophomores (16 or 17 at the time of program)
- Demonstrate a minimum 3.0 GPA.
- Google application form, including brief essays about their interest in the program and what would make them a good candidate for the program.
- Counselor recommendation (Kendall Hook will send counselors direct link to Google recommendation form)
Dates: July 3rd-18th, 2024
Cost: €3100 (inclusive of accommodation, meals, cultural and academic activities, workshops, in-country transportation. Excluding airfare and personal spending money.)
Priority deadline for applications is February 15, 2024. Current Juniors will receive priority consideration for places on the program. The 2022 and 2023 programs reached capacity by February 15 and operated on a waitlist, however, should availability remain, applications will be open until April 1. This program is non-credit bearing.
Inspire Summer 2024 @ University of Virginia
Inspire Summer is the UVA | Northern Virginia summer program for rising 10th-12th graders to explore new interests and skills.
Summer 2024 Courses
- Introduction to Programming: Python
- McIntire Business Institute
- College Essay Writing
- Forensic Science
- Branding and Marketing
- Creative Writing
UVA College Essay Writing Course for Students
Course Highlight: College Essay Writing Inspire Summer is the UVA|Northern Virginia summer program for rising 10th-12th graders to explore new interests and skills. Summer 2024 applications are open: https://northern.virginia.edu/inspire.
UVA|Northern Virginia Team
Dental Health Sciences Camp @ Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University School of Hygiene and the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation have teamed up to launch the Dental Health Summer Institute at no cost to students.
The five-day camp will be three hours each morning the week of June 24, 2024. Students will get help with the college application process, learn about different aspects of dentistry, and receive a lab kit for hands-on lab activities.
This will be a highly-interactive experience, but there are limited spots available. Please complete the online application below by March 4, 2024.
2023-2024 ASVAB Test Registration
The ASVAB Career Exploration Program can help young adults identify and explore potentially satisfying occupations and develop effective strategies to realize career goals.
The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is one of the most widely used, multiple-aptitude tests in the world, developed and maintained by the Department of Defense. More than half of all high schools nationwide administer the ASVAB test to students in grades 10, 11 and 12 (sophomores cannot use their scores for enlistment eligibility).
The Military uses students’ ASVAB scores to identify the occupations that best suit their abilities. Junior, senior and post-secondary school students can use their ASVAB scores for enlistment for up to two years after taking the test.
More information on the ASVAB and test prep can be found here:
https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/asvab
You can register here for the ASVAB at one of our Loudoun County Public High Schools. Here are the dates / locations it's being offered.
Lightridge HS - 1/16/24 @ 9 am
Woodgrove HS - 1/22/24 @ 9 am
Loudoun Valley HS - 3/5/24 @ 8:30 am
Stone Bridge HS - 3/5/24 @ 10 am
Rock Ridge HS - 3/8/24
ODDS & ENDS
2024 WINTER ADMISSIONS INFORMATION (from the Academies of Loudon webpage)
The 2024 Winter Admissions Cycle is for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders applying for enrollment to the Academies of Loudoun for the 2024-2025 school year. This is where you will find the most current information about the admissions process and the criteria necessary to apply to the Advanced Academy of Engineering & Technology (Adv. AET) and/or the Monroe Advanced Technical Academy (MATA) programs. The Admissions & Outreach Team is here to support you through this process. We will be conducting a number of Winter Admissions Information Sessions throughout Loudoun County (see schedule below) and visiting with all of our LCPS high school students at their schools during the 2024 Winter Admissions Cycle. Please contact the Office of Admissions & Outreach at any time by email AcademiesAdmissions@lcps.org or by phone 571-252-1992. We look forward to meeting you soon!
- All MATA and Advanced AET applicants must have a PSAT (NMSQT) score
- 9th grade MATA applicants may substitute their PSAT 8/9 score for the PSAT (NMSQT) score
Career Conversations
As we schedule our programming in the Career Center for this school year, I plan to highlight one or two careers per month with speakers from our parent community.
I'm looking for 10 - 12 Independence High School parents who would be interested in spending 45 minutes - 1 hour discussing your careers, the pros and cons of your roles, and what types of skills / education are necessary. Please send me an email if you're interested, and can work out specific dates, times, and presentation information.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Olde Towne Pet Resort is Hiring
Love working with pets? These opportunities could be a good fit for you. Visit their website to find out more information.
Pet Care Associates: Shifts: 6AM - 2PM and 2PM - 10PM
Day Camp Associates: Shifts: 6AM - 2PM and 2PM - 10PM
Pet Bathers: Shifts: 8AM - 4PM
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
How To Register For an Event in SchooLinks
Log into your SchooLinks account.
From your Dashboard, click on the tab at the top titled School Events. You will then see a chronological list of all events happening in our building.
Select the event you’d like to register for. Once selected, you will click on the button that says Register For This Event.
Once you register for an event, the button should change and you should see a Reminders tab appear at the top. Here, you can see all the events you are registered for. And, of course, you can still click on an event to see the info popup once again.
As a reminder, only students are able to register for these College & Military Visits.