Almond College & Career Center News

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to send my sincere appreciation to all of you in the Warren community.

I am constantly in awe of the talented, kind, supportive, adaptable and thoughtful students at WTHS. Our outside guests, like college reps or presenters, are consistently impressed by our Warren students. Those little things say so much about you and I am proud of our school and those of you who make it special.

And thank you, parents, for attending our meetings and presentations, reading the emails and newsletters, and sending us notes expressing your appreciation. It means a lot and drives us to want to be better.

I am thankful for Warren's supportive and caring community and wish everyone a safe, restful, and happy Thanksgiving break.

*Thank you also to our students who attended our 3rd annual Skilled Trades Career Fair on Friday, 11/15. HERE is a list of the participants, job & apprenticeship opportunities and links to company websites.

JUNIORS:

Summer Programs

• With the change in temperatures, it is a good time to plan for warmer summer events! Many colleges and universities offer summer programs either on-campus or virtually to learn about specific career areas or earn college credit. Click HERE and see below for additional suggestions!

FREE ACT Prep Class

• WTHS is partnering with Huntington Learning Center to offer our Junior students a FREE ACT prep course in 2025! See below for additional info. Registration deadline is 12/6.

SENIORS:

Early Admission Application Deadlines

• December 1st is typically the priority application deadline for common institutions like Loyola University Chicago, the University of Kentucky, Miami University (OH), University of Cincinnati, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and others. Early January is often the Regular Decision deadline for many institutions as well.
• If you are still thinking of applying to college, we would be happy to start the conversation! Stop into the CCC during your lunch period to learn more!

Financial Aid to help pay for college

• The '25-'26 FAFSA opened 11/18/24. Click HERE to sign-up for one of our December FAFSA workshops at the Almond Campus CCC.
• If you are planning to apply for financial aid, it is HIGHLY recommended to apply for the FAFSA or Illinois Alternative Application by January 15th.
• Click HERE to review the presentation materials from our Senior Paying for College Presentation on 9/12.
• As a reminder, per the Illinois State Board of Education, as a graduation requirement, all HS seniors must file one of these financial aid applications or complete a waiver and upload to SchooLinks. Instructions HERE. Click HERE to reference the latest reminders or click HERE for a helpful FAQ document of the financial aid application process.
  

For BOTH Juniors and Seniors:

Scholarships

• Scholarships are on the minds of many of our students and families, so students see below to learn about our scholarship workshop on December 6th during the "A" portion of all lunch periods!
• If you are not able to attend, please click HERE for a list of financial aid and scholarship websites.
• If students are looking for national scholarships, check out www.goingmerry.com or www.appily.com.
• We will host a WTHS senior-specific local scholarship workshop on February 7th to talk about our WTHS specific scholarships students can apply for. More info to come early in 2025.

We are here to help answer your questions, so students, please check your email often, follow us on Instagram or Facebook (@wthsccc), watch for text reminders or reach out to your counselor, Mrs. Hartley or myself if you have any questions. We are glad to help!

Here is the contact information for Student Services.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday break!

Mrs. McGahan, Post-Secondary Counselor

If you would like to make an appointment to meet with your Almond Campus Counselor please email them or stop down to Student Services in the main office to submit a request form. If you would like to meet with Mrs. McGahan, please scan the QR code to the right or click HERE. Book an appointment during your free period.

College Reps will begin to visit with our Almond Campus students starting in September! Meeting with these reps is an excellent way to gather information about your college of interest, answer questions you may have and make that personal connection. Juniors and Seniors are welcome to attend in the College and Career Center!

Students can view the upcoming college visits in SchooLinks --> Events.

Students are expected to sign-up in SchooLinks for the visit by clicking on the events --> Register for the Event.

**Students are allowed to attend 3 college visits per semester if they are missing an academic class. Students attending during a lunch or study hall period will not count towards the 3 visits. If you are not able to attend, but would like the information from the institution, please email Mrs. McGahan (cmcgahan@wths.net).

Tuesday, December 3rd

• Period 5 University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Thursday, December 5th

• Period 6: Milwaukee School of Engineering

SoFi is hosting a Preparing for College Webinar Series for high school counselors and the parents of college-bound students. This three part series will help prepare your family with the information, insights and tools necessary to navigate college financing, and get ready to complete the FAFSA.

Register for one or all of the upcoming events:

Figuring Out Your FAFSA®

Tuesday, December 03, 2024
7pm

Can’t join? Register via the link above and they will send you a copy of the recordings.

Seniors! The FAFSA is open! If you need help completing your FAFSA or the Illinois Alternative Application to find funds for college, attend an evening family financial aid workshop in the Almond College and Career Center. Our next workshops are on Thursday, December 5th and Thursday, December 12th from 6-8pm. Click HERE to register. Remember completing a FAFSA or submitting a non-participation waiver is required for graduation.

On Thursday, December 5, 2024, from 4 PM to 6 PM the University Center of Lake County in Grayslake, IL, will be hosting an Internship & Career Expo!

Internships are a goldmine of invaluable experiences that provide opportunities to refine your skills, establish meaningful connections, and prepare for your future career. Dress professionally, bring an updated resume with several copies, and be prepared for potential on-the-spot interviews.

Make sure to RSVP and take the next step in your professional journey!

Did you know there are billions of dollars of scholarship money waiting to be awarded to high school and college students? This workshop will provide tips to search and apply for scholarships. Plan to attend on Friday, December 6th during the “A” portion of your lunch period in the College and Career Center. Both Juniors and Seniors are welcome to join us. Please bring your Chromebook and learn how to earn money for college!

Interested in applying to the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign's Grainger College of Engineering? Don't forget to sign up for SWENext UIUC's Virtual Panel open to all high schoolers!

Where📍: Held Virtually on Zoom (link will be sent later!)
When📆: December 8th, 2024 at 3:00 - 4:30 PM CT
What⚙️: Students interested in learning about the Grainger College of Engineering will hear from current engineers about their experiences here at Illinois, receive valuable tips on how to curate a strong application, and learn about relevant resources available for applicants.

Sign-up now!

If you have any questions about this upcoming event please don't hesitate to email swenext@illinois.edu!

If you're planning to attend college and neither of your parents completed Bachelor's degree in college, then YOU are considered First-Generation or First-Gen! Did you know many of our Warren teachers are first-gen? Nationwide, about half of all college students are first-gen.

All first-gen Almond students are invited to attend our next I'm First Workshop on 12/9 during 6th period in the Library. Email Mrs. McGahan (cmcgahan@wths.net) if you are first-gen and would like more college/career info, including our upcoming meetings!

Monday, December 9th 6:30-8:00pm O'Plaine Campus

-Come play in our Industrial Tech labs!

-Explore possible careers!

-Talk with college representatives!

-Visit with Mrs. McGahan & Ms. Hartley, WTHS Career & College Counselors!

-See the fun activities the students have been working on!

The goal of Industrial Technology Night is to showcase student work as well as help families explore possible careers. We open up the O'Plaine Campus labs for students to showcase their work to their family, community members, and prospective students. In each lab the Industrial Tech Department will have fun activities or demonstrations for students and families to get involved in. College & Career representatives will be on hand to showcase their programs and answer questions. Our own WTHS College & Career Counselors will also be on hand to help families with any questions they may have on a post high school process. This is a tradeshow style event so come and explore as you please! Click HERE for a list of schools, companies and additional details.

The University of Illinois is hosting a Spanish-speaking virtual admissions session on December 11.

The event will be held entirely in Spanish. A counselor will walk students and their families through their admissions process, providing valuable insights, key dates, and available resources that will ensure students and parents are well-equipped to navigate the admissions journey.

Please sign up. If you have questions, please contact their Campus Visits Office.

For students interested in learning more about the U.S. Military, representatives from the following branches will be located at the front of the Almond Cafeteria. Stop by their table to receive additional information!

Air Force -- 4th Thursday of the month

Army Reserve – 3rd Tuesday of the month

Army National Guard -- 1st Tuesday of the month

Army – 2nd Tuesday of the month

Navy – 4th Tuesday of the month

Marines – 3rd Thursday of the month

High school youth are invited to join Together for Nature's mentees at their Youth for Sustainability monthly community meetings happening every fourth Monday from 6:30 to 7:15 pm on Zoom. These sessions will be focused on connecting and educating youth over topics and efforts related to sustainability, environmental justice, conservation, equity, and related topics. Participants can sign up at bit.ly/youth4sustainability.

The November 25th session will focus on environmental solutions that value and protect human and ecological diversity in the face of climate change. The main themes will be restoration, conservation, and green sustainability.

You can learn about the great work our community does with the volunteer-led Mentorship for Sustainability Program here and their Beaver Ecology Internship Program here. They are working to prepare youth and local people for sustainability leadership and careers by helping them learn about and participate in local efforts that aim to create social and environmental change.

Vanderbilt University's PTY has just announced courses for the Spring 2025 cohort of Mentor Immersion: A Virtual Research Experience, a virtual program for 10th-12th grade students.

• This is a five-month program in which students participate in an application process for a placement in a mentorship focused on a specific academic area of interest.

• Information about application components and placement process, including the test score or educator recommendation option, can be found here.

• Participating students will be paired with a mentor in an academic field and participate in weekly live meetings for 2.5 hours with their mentor and 2-9 other students with similar interests who are working with the same mentor. An office hour is available for student support.

• The mentorship experience culminates with a final project that reflects work in the field of the mentorship.

Beginning October 1, through February 28, the Lake County Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee will begin accepting applications for both the five-year electrical construction and the four-year telecommunication apprenticeship programs.

· Students must be 18 by June 30, 2025

· High school graduate

· One full-year HS algebra

· Valid driver's license by 1/31/2025

· Minimum score of 4 on NJATC Aptitude Test

· Pass physical exam, background check & drug screen (hair follicle)

https://lakecountyjatc.org/howtoapply/

Electrical Construction Apprenticeship Program - Inside Wireman

· Five-year program

· $17.72+ per hour to start

o Raises at specified times throughout 5-year program

· Journeyman pay rate upon graduation approximately $44.30+ per hour

Telecommunication & Data Apprenticeship Program

· Four-year program

· $18.54+ per hour to start

o Raises at specified times throughout 4-year program

· Journeyman pay rate is approximately $41.20+ per hour

The Golden Apple Scholarship Application is now open! High school students graduating in 2025 or first- and second-year college students can apply to become a Scholar by clicking here. Priority applications close on December 1, 2024. Final deadline is April 1, 2025. See flier for more information.

This program is open to any 14 to 21-year-old interested in learning more about law enforcement careers. Students will help the community as well as learn about careers in law enforcement and learn foundational policing skills. For additional information see their website.

Click HERE to access and explore 170+ careers with videos and information. By participating, you will gain a better understanding of the variety of industries and positions. Some employers may also have possible internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing and/or employment opportunities for our students! For those of you who may not know what you want to do, there’s a career assessment included that will help you narrow down a career cluster to further research. At the end, please complete the exit survey to reflect and provide feedback so we can continue to assist you with your post-high school plans.

WTHS has in-person Study Tables on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:20-3:00 p.m. in the Almond Campus Library for English, Math, Science and Social Studies. Students who need bus transportation home are able to take the shuttle from Almond to O'Plaine and take the O'Plaine busses home.

To date, www.fairtest.org as published over 1,800 colleges and universities which are allowing Fall 2025 applicants to apply test-optional. Many institutions are stating students are at no disadvantage of applying test-optional. But it is good diligence on your part to verify the institution will still distribute merit, academic scholarships, be considered for direct-entry, competitive majors and Honors College consideration.

Almond Post-Secondary Counselor

Instagram @wthsccc

(847) 548-6709

Email: cmcgahan@wths.net
Website: https://www.d121.org/Page/313
Phone: (847) 548-6709
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wthsccc