HPHS Postsecondary Counseling News

Class of 2025,

As we look forward to winter break, we want to acknowledge you for all you have accomplished so far this year as we begin to reach the mid-point of your senior year! Many of you have submitted college applications, visited college campuses, explored alternative programs and continue to reflect on what you desire for life after high school. We have enjoyed seeing so many of you at our Fall College Visits hosted at HPHS, our application completion workshops and in our individual meetings! Please read through this newsletter as we have put together information about things you need to be thinking about and topics that are likely on your mind at this time of the school year. We look forward to supporting you wherever you are on this journey, so reach out if you need something.

Your Postsecondary Counseling Team,

Mr. Rob Becker, CRC Coordinator - rbecker@dist113.org

Dr. Bill Morrison, Postsecondary Counselor - wmorrison@dist113.org

Mrs. Jennifer Pendergast, Postsecondary Counselor - jpendergast@dist113.org

Ms. Holly Siegel, Postsecondary/Generalist Counselor - hsiegel@dist113.org

A reminder to those seniors planning to apply for financial aid for college. As we shared at our September Program on Financial Aid, the FAFSA has been updated and revised and the 2025-2026 application period opened in late November. All students planning to complete the FAFSA will need to create a Student Aid account prior to completing the FAFSA. You and your parents can learn more by clicking here. We encourage you to complete all required forms by the priority deadlines for the various colleges and universities to which you are applying.

In addition, some colleges, usually private schools, will require an additional form called the CSS Profile or perhaps their own institutional form. Please note, the CSS Profile is available now for you and your family to complete.

The Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act allows eligible undocumented students and transgender students disqualified from federal financial aid due to failure to register for Selective Service to apply for all forms of state financial aid. The Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid provides a way for these qualified students to apply for Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants, the state's largest need-based grant program for low-income college students.The 2025-26 Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) is also available (in English and Spanish). Further details are provided at ISAC's Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act page.

Check with your colleges to determine exactly what forms are required and when they are due. You should determine what the earliest of the deadlines is and try to meet that deadline for all of your schools to ensure you submit everything on time. You will complete the FAFSA or Alternative Aid Application and possibly CSS Profile one time and send to all of the schools you list on the form/s.

For more information on the financial aid process see the recorded Financial Aid presentations (in English and Spanish) on the Postsecondary Counseling website . You can also find information on scholarships and other ways to pay for college on this section of our website. Additionally, a separate email with this flyer was shared with all seniors and parents on resources and programs available to you.

If you would like assistance in applying for financial aid, it is very important that you attend the FAFSA/Alternative Aid workshop on Wednesday, January 15 from 4-7:30 pm in the library.

You will need to bring your chromebook and the following documents with you:

Items needed to complete the FAFSA/Alternative Aid Application:

*Student Social Security Number (FAFSA only)

*Parent Social Security Number (if available)

*2023 federal tax returns, W-2's and other records of income

*Banking statements and records of investments (if applicable)

*Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

*List of colleges to which student is applying

If you are completing a FAFSA, students and parents (if eligible) should obtain a FSA ID prior to the workshop. The FSA ID provides access to the Federal Student Aid's online systems and can serve as your legal signature. Parents unable to obtain a FSA ID will sign a paper signature form.

Filling out the FAFSA or the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid is a high school graduation requirement for the State of Illinois. If you do not plan on filling out one of these forms, you can fill out a non-participation form from the Illinois State Board of Education by clicking on the "Non-participation Form" link and then clicking on it again in the next page, confirming you understand what the FAFSA is and have chosen not to apply for aid. The non-participation form is available now at that link and please note you will need to create or use your ISAC username and password to access the portal containing the official form.

HPHS has an assigned Illinois Student Assistance Commission representative who can work with our students and families on individual questions regarding the FAFSA and financial aid process. Please see her contact information below to set up individual meetings with her:

Carlos Morales (He/Him)
ISAC Corps Community Outreach Worker
Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Region 2 - College of Lake County District
carlos.morales@illinois.gov

Cell: (847)-309-8820

Drop In Quick FAFSA Completion Questions w/Carlos on Friday 12/13/24 from 11am-1pm during lunch periods. No appointment necessary, stop by with any questions you have about completing your part and inviting contributors.

Carlos' availability to meet with students at HPHS next semester (email Mr. Becker RBecker@dist113.org for an appointment time.)

Thursday, February 13, 9:00am-1:00pm

Thursday, March 20, 10:00am-3:00pm

Wednesday, April 9, 9:00am-1:00pm

Wednesday, April 30, 10:00am-3:00pm

For other appointment times or questions, please contact Carlos.

We have met with many of you this semester and although we will begin our Junior meetings in late January, we do want to remind you that there will be some availability to meet with us throughout the rest of the year. We will continue to use Calendly to schedule all appointments this year. To sign up for an appointment, simply click on the link for your PSC on the Postsecondary Counseling website. On each of our individual pages, you will find our contact information and the link to schedule an appointment using our Calendly link shared. We do our best to reach out and want to ensure that every senior has a plan for your life after high school. If you are uncertain on your next steps, please reach out to your Postsecondary Counselor or Counselor as soon as possible.

Additionally, please remember that you can stop by the CRC to have quick questions answered by our CRC Coordinator, Mr. Rob Becker. He is more than happy to help you on this journey and a tremendous resource!

This is the time of year when many students start to inquire about scholarship opportunities to help fund college costs. A reminder that for most students the vast majority of scholarship money will come through the colleges themselves through the admissions process. However, many students will also pursue additional scholarships offered by the colleges or perhaps ones offered through independent organizations. Some good resources to look into on this topic include:

College Websites - Check out the colleges you are applying to and see if they offer scholarships in addition to the general ones offered through the admissions process. These may be given out by major, require involvement in community service, be funded by a local alumni chapter for students in the area, etc. See what is out there and if you may be eligible for any of these offerings.

MaiaLearning - The scholarship section in Maia not only has a national database but also includes local and HPHS scholarships. These can often be good to apply to as there is a smaller pool of possible applicants as they are often limited to Lake County, Illinois, or HPHS students. Once these are live for this school year, you will receive an email from Mr. Becker indicating the application is open with dates and details. Additional scholarships are available now and you can learn more by logging into MaiaLearning. From your MaiaLearning Menu on the left-hand side of the screen, select Universities and then Scholarships. If you have any questions please email Mr. Becker at rbecker@dist113.org .

National Scholarship Databases - Websites like FastWeb, Scholarship America or Going Merry have thousands of scholarship opportunities. These sites can be a bit overwhelming as they have so many offerings that it can be tough figuring out which ones are worth the time and effort. As with the local scholarships, think about applying to ones that limit the possible applicant pool in some way, making it more likely you have a good shot at receiving one. For example, if it limits applicants by race, ethnicity, religion, location, left-handed, over 6 feet, or some other factor, it could be very much worth your time. The fewer people that are eligible for the scholarship the greater your chance at getting one!

There are a number of colleges and universities that require mid-year grades from seniors as part of the normal admissions process. In addition, many colleges that do not require these grades from all students may request them from students who applied Early Action but the school would like to receive more information from the student before making a decision.

All students who apply to schools via the Common Application will have mid-year grades automatically submitted through the Common App once they are available in February. If a student applied to a school via the Coalition Application you must request through the Coalition Application that grades be sent. If you applied using a school specific application, and they require mid-year grades, you will need to submit a transcript request through Parchment. If you submit this request prior to grades posting at the end of January, remember to select "Hold for Grades".

More information on this process will be sent out after Winter Break once grades are finalized. We wanted to give you some information ahead of time as during the next month, many students will begin to receive notifications from their colleges about submitting mid-year grades. There is nothing you need to do right now, as grades will not be available until early February, simply make sure to keep track of which of your colleges require mid-year grades to be sent.

This is also a gentle reminder to keep studying and doing your best as these mid-year grades can and do matter - finish each semester this year as successfully as possible!

Colleges and universities continue to provid campus visits and they may offer special "admitted student days". The best information available on visiting a campus will be found on the admissions section of the college's website. We know that many of you may have applied to a college without visiting a campus and plan to do so during second semester.

We want to remind you that May 1 is the National Candidate Reply date. This means that unless you applied and are admitted under a binding Early Decision plan, you have until May 1, 2024 to accept one offer of admission, scholarships, and financial aid from a chosen school.

Many colleges have virtual visit offerings on their websites, which may include an information session, program specific sessions or a tour. Please see the admissions page of your individual colleges and utilize these virtual resources now and during second semester as the pandemic will likely impact institutions and parts of the country differently.

As students begin to receive admissions decisions from their various schools we ask that you reach out to Mr. Becker to keep him up-to-date as to how things are going. We routinely track admissions for our students to colleges and universities across the country as a way to ensure our students have solid options come decision time as well as to gather statistical data for future applicants. Please email Mr. Becker at rbecker@dist113.org as you receive your decisions.

Highland Park High School has a dedicated College & Career Navigator (CCN) and she is available to meet with students, answer questions and assist you in the application and registration process at CLC. Here is her name and contact information:

Yazmin Patiño, M.A. (she/her/hers/ella) < Why is this here? / Por qué está esto aquí?

Lead College & Career Navigator

Email: ypatino@clcillinois.edu | SROB Phone: 847-543-2090

She is excited to work with our students to help them find the best path forward at CLC. We encourage you to reach out to her using the link and information above.

CLC & HPHS events coming up:

12/6/24 Field trip to CLC Grayslake

2/7/25 Yazmin visit in CRC 10:30-1:30

3/5/25 Field trip to CLC Southlake and Lakeshore campuses

3/7/25 CLC math placement test at HPHS

4/14/25 CLC advising and registration at HPHS 10:30-2:00

5/9/25 Yazmin visit 10:30-1:30

As your postsecondary planning continues throughout senior year, some of you may be exploring the idea of a gap year. A gap year can provide students with a break in their formal training or education and provide unique opportunities and experiences. Although COVID continues to be present and does add various testing, vaccination and/or masking requirements, numerous programs are running this year and students are actively engaging in them. If you are interested in learning more about these types of programs we encourage you to check out this website where you can learn more about the history of a Gap Year and learn about current trends and opportunities around the country and globe. This section of our website also has more tools and resources to explore this option. There will be an in-person Gap Year Fair held at New Trier on January 25, 2025, please click here to learn more and register for the event. Additionally, there are some Gap Year Fairs happening either virtually or in-person and you can find out more here.