Guidelines

School counselors will be holding individual meetings with seniors this fall. Students will be asked to do one final check to make sure they have completed and/or have in their schedule the requirements for graduation. Counselors will also be discussing the student’s plan for after graduation and any steps that need to be taken to make those plans happen. General information regarding post-secondary planning will also be shared in Teacher Advisory period during the week of September 16th.

Be sure to ask your senior about this information and remind them to set up an appointment with their counselor, if they haven’t already done so.

The time is now! To begin, students are encouraged to go to the website of the college of interest and become familiar with their entrance requirements as these can vary greatly. Application deadlines vary. Keep in mind that some selective schools have early action or early decision as soon as mid-October. Some popular programs at technical colleges can fill quickly and may have waiting lists, so it is in your best interest to apply early. More information can be found at: https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/schools/high/services/college-planning.cfm

Universities of Wisconsin Direct Admit

1. Direct Admit: A new program where senior students are automatically admitted to participating universities based on their transcripts, which were shared in June.

2. Notification: Students and parents received an Infinite Campus notification on August 14.

3. Next Steps: Students planning to attend one of the universities in which they were admitted, will need to complete the Direct Admit Wisconsin Form at: apply.wisconsin.edu/direct-admit. If a student was not admitted to the university of their choice, they should meet with their school counselor to explore applying through the traditional application process.

4. Traditional Application: UW-Eau Claire, UW-LaCrosse, and UW-Madison are not participating in Direct Admit. Students applying to these universities will need to use the traditional application process. Those in the top 10% may be eligible for The Wisconsin Guarantee.

The Wisconsin Guarantee

1. The Wisconsin Guarantee offers admission to all Universities of Wisconsin (except UW-Madison) to first year applicants who are in the top 10% of their class, at the end of 11th grade. Those who are in the top 5% of their class are guaranteed admission to UW-Madison. Students must also have taken the required courses for admission.

2. Next Steps: Unlike Direct Admit, students must submit an application for admission by the university’s deadline. Students applying to UW-Madison with The Wisconsin Guarantee must submit an application by the Early Action Deadline (November 1).

More detailed information on both programs can be found at: https://www.wisconsin.edu/students/wipathways/

1. Tuition Promise covers the cost of tuition and fees at Universities of Wisconsin for families whose adjusted gross income is less than $55,000 per year. UW-Milwaukee has a separate tuition promise for its students.

2. Bucky’s Promise covers the cost of tuition and fees at UW-Madison for families whose adjusted gross income is less than $65,000 per year.

More information about Tuition Promise and Bucky’s Promise can be found at: https://www.wisconsin.edu/tuition-promise/

We will be hosting a Financial Aid Night on Wednesday, December 11 at 6:00pm in the high school cafeteria.

It is highly recommended for parents of senior students that are attending college and technical college next fall. A representative from UW-Eau Claire's Financial Aid Office will discuss types of financial aid, applying for aid and answer any questions you might have. We will also provide information on scholarship postings which are posted throughout the school year on our website and on our bulletin board. It’s not too early to begin gathering information and to apply.

Early College Credit (ECCP) and Start College Now (SCN) programs allow Wisconsin public high school students to take courses at an institution of higher education for high school and/or college credit.

Deadline to Apply:

• October 1 (for spring semester)
• February 1 (for summer semester)
• March 1 (for fall semester)

Students interested in earning college credit while in high school should reach out to their school counselor.

For additional information click on ECCP or SCN

In order to be eligible for early graduation, senior students must be able to complete all required coursework and have all necessary credits by the end of the 2nd or 3rd quarters of their senior year. Early graduation is allowed following 2nd and 3rd quarters only. Any senior interested in early graduation should complete the Early Graduation Application form as soon as possible.

Applications deadlines for early graduation:

• October 31 (end of 1st quarter) for January 17 graduation
• January 17 (end of 2nd quarter) for March 28 graduation

The Wisconsin Education Fair (WEF) will be offering both on-site and virtual options this year! The fair will be held on Wednesday, September 18th from 9am to 11am at the L.E. Phillips YMCA Sports Center (formerly the Eau Claire Indoor Sports Center).

WEF provides students with an opportunity to meet with representatives from a variety of post-secondary institutions all in one place. Participants include UW-4 year and 2-year colleges/ universities, Wisconsin’s independent colleges/universities, Wisconsin technical colleges and many out-of-state institutions. Trade schools and the armed forces are also available. For more information and a complete participant list go to: www.wefs.org

The National College Fair will be held in-person at the Minneapolis Convention Center on the following dates/times:

• October 22 from 9:00am - 12:00pm
• October 22 from 5:00pm - 7:00pm
• October 23 from 9:00am - 12:00pm

The National College Fair will also be held virtually on 3 different days. Each day will offer different college representatives, so make sure to check the website for more information.

• October 13 from 1:00pm - 6:00pm
• November 3 from 1:00pm - 6:00pm

College admission representatives from schools throughout the US and the world will be in attendance. There are also workshops that students and parents may wish to attend. For more information click HERE

CARDINAL FOOD PANTRY

We have an exciting resource at Chippewa Falls High School: Cardinal Market. We are partnering with Feed My People to offer food to students each week. Each week there will be a time for students to shop for the food they would like to take home. Students will need to fill out the form that is sent out each week to get their pass. Cardinal Market is in room 128!

If you would like more information, please reach out to Teresa Wahl, School Social Worker at wahltm@chipfalls.org or 715-726-2406 ext. 3549.

Below is a listing of events that the Student Services Department helps coordinate and/or promote. More specific information will be communicated through Infinite Campus notifications and/or in grade-level newsletters.

Sept-Dec - Individual Senior Meetings

September 16-20 - Senior Teacher Advisory Presentations

September 18 - Wisconsin Education Fair (College Fair and Post-Secondary Opportunities)

October - Freshman Success

October 9 - PSAT

October 9 - Youth Apprenticeship Meeting (6:00-6:30pm in the Auditorium)

October 13 - National College Fair (College Fair and Post-Secondary Opportunities) - virtual

October 26 - ACT (National Test Date)

October 20 - Christian College Fair at Jacob's Well Church

October 31 - Last Day of 1st Quarter

November 3 - National College Fair (College Fair and Post-Secondary Opportunities) - virtual

November 4 - First Day of 2nd Quarter

November 13 - Last day to drop a first quarter class without penalty

Dec-Jan - Course Scheduling for 2024-2025

December 3 - ASVAB

December 11 - Financial Aid Night

December 14 - ACT (National Test Date)

January 6 - Incoming Freshman Parent Information (sent electronically)

January 9 & 10 - High School counselors at Middle School for 8th grade course scheduling

January 17 - Last day of 2nd Quarter, Early Graduation for qualifying seniors

January 21 - First Day of 3rd Quarter

January 27 - Last day to add/change a 3rd or 4th quarter class

January 30 - Last day to drop a third quarter class without penalty

March 19 - Pre-ACT Assessment (Grades 9 & 10)

March 26 - Pre-ACT Assessment Make-up date (Grades 9 & 10)

March 28 - Last day of 3rd Quarter, Early Graduation for qualifying seniors

April 1 - First day of 4th Quarter

April 5 - ACT (National Test Date)

April 9 - ACT State Assessment (Grade 11)

April 16 - ACT State Assessment Make-up date (Grade 11)

May 6-17 - AP Testing

May 14 - Senior Awards Program (Daytime)

May 21 - Senior Scholarship Night (Evening)
May 23 - Graduation
June 4 - Last day of school
June 14 - ACT (National Test Date)

Website: https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/high/services/
Location: 735 Terrill Street, Chippewa Falls, WI, USA
Phone: 715-726-2406 - 1179