HPHS Postsecondary Counseling News

Class of 2026 ~ We were so excited to see so many of you and your parents/guardians at our Kick-off to Postsecondary Planning program on 11/18/24. We have posted the presentations (Both in English and Spanish) shared that evening on our Postsecondary Counseling website under Information for Juniors/Programs. As we mentioned in our evening program, this is the time of year where we look forward to beginning our formal relationship with each of you starting next semester. We are so excited to partner with and support you on this part of your high school journey. No matter where you are on your personal path, our goal is to work with you to explore, apply and then decide on the direction you take for life after high school. Please read through this newsletter to find more specifics about how we can support you and topics and ideas that will give you some information to begin considering and discussing with trusted peers and adults in your life. We encourage you to finish this semester with a strong focus on doing your best and encourage you to then take some time to rest and re-energize. We look forward to sharing the exciting journey 2025 will bring you and look forward to meeting each of you in the year ahead.

The Postsecondary Counseling Team

Mr. Rob Becker - CRC Coordinator

Dr. Bill Morrison - Postsecondary Counselor

Mrs. Jen Pendergast - Postsecondary Counselor

Ms. Holly Siegel - Postsecondary Counselor/Generalist Counselor

Thank you to those who attended our Kickoff to Postsecondary Planning meeting on November 18th. For those of you who may have missed the event, the PowerPoint presentation from the meeting is available on the Postsecondary Counseling website under the Information for Juniors>Programs section. A reminder that all of our programs are listed here under "Calendar of Programs" and we regularly post the subsequent materials a few days after the program.

The Postsecondary Counseling curriculum at Highland Park high school is a developmental program designed to assist students with career exploration and the college search, selection, and application process. We work closely with students and parents/guardians to ensure that students craft a plan that is right for them. Please check out our website and our Facebook page to learn more about us and how we serve students.

Website: https://www.dist113.org/Page/349
Location: 433 Vine Avenue, Highland Park, IL, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HPHS-Postsecondary-Counseling-520027864823500

Students & Parents,

Standardized testing and college admissions continues to change each year, with some institutions being test-blind (do not look at any testing), to required testing for admission, to some version of test-optional. Because of this, the HPHS Postsecondary Counseling team encourages every student to plan to prepare for and take some form of standardized testing - either the SAT or the ACT.

If you missed the 9/18 virtual presentation delivered by D113, where our trusted colleagues at Compass Education Group provided insight on practical, usable information about standardized testing and college admissions, you may want to watch the recording. This recording is available on our website, in the Programs section under Information for Juniors.

All juniors are required to take the mandatory state ACT, which will be held during school on April 9, 2025. More information will be sent out from HPHS closer to the date.

Individual appointments for students and families with Postsecondary Counselors begin in January and will continue throughout the Spring. The Postsecondary Counselor calendars will open for appointments beginning January 15, 2025, with appointments themselves beginning on January 22, 2025.

Before making an appointment check your account in MaiaLearning, where you will see the name of your assigned postsecondary counselor when you click on the Connections section of your Student Dashboard. Once you know who your designated Postsecondary Counselor is, visit our webpage to make your appointment by clicking on the name of your counselor under Contacts. Initial appointments are scheduled through Calendly and are 55 minutes in length and must be scheduled during a free period. It is highly recommended that students complete the self-assessment form which is shared through a link in the appointment sign up, or found on our website before your initial appointment. Doing this, will make your first meeting much more informative and productive.

As we shared at our Kick-Off meeting, colleges, universities, and different types of organizations have begun to offer a variety of virtual programming to address the needs of students. These options range from virtual open houses, campus tours, and various types of information sessions. Check with the schools you are interested in to see what types of virtual and in person programs they are offering and be sure to take advantage of these opportunities!

The Illinois Association for College Admissions Counseling (IACAC) has many resources available on it's website but a few to check out are:

* Summer programs for High School students

* Calendar of College Fairs 2025

We know that keeping track of your research and your reflection on what you need and want for your future can be challenging. MaiaLearning is a great place to keep track of schools you are interested in learning more about by simply clicking the "heart" emoticon in your account. Another tool we found from GeorgiaTech is this fillable planner that may help you consider what is important to you, and finding the best FIT for you is the ultimate goal in this process.

Last, but not least, the HPHS Postsecondary Counseling website has a number of resources within the navigation bar: Gap Year, Special Student Populations, Careers, Military and other Useful Sites are just some of the topics you can learn more about there.

Although listed on our website under Calendar of Programs, we wanted to share some of the programs coming up next semester. All programs will be held virtually, and you will receive an email with program details and link to access before the meeting .

PARENT & STUDENT PROGRAMS:

January 27, 2025 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Understanding College Options

A discussion of the various types of college options available from the perspective of admissions representatives at different institutions. Large public, small liberal arts, 2-year colleges, and International Options will be covered.

March 6, 2025 6:30PM

Financial Planning for College

An overview of the different ways families meet the rising cost of college education will be discussed. Strategies covered will include need based financial aid, merit-based scholarships, reciprocity, and shortening the amount of time in college. Presenters will review the different ways that families take on the challenge of paying for college.

April Programming 6:30PM

Exploring the Admission Process

Live Virtual Webinars:

Highly Selective Admissions - 4/2/25

College Admission Case Study - 4/9/25

Fine Arts Admissions - 4/16/25

How does an IEP or 504 Plan Impact the Process 4/23/25

Athletics - 4/30/25

Parent Program: Rumbo a la Universidad

February 5, 12, 19, and 26 2025 6:30pm HPHS Cafeteria - in person

This is a series of 4 workshops for Spanish speaking parents to learn more about the postsecondary process and resources available.

The Postsecondary Counseling team will stay in touch with you in a number of ways throughout this process. Keep an eye out for these quarterly newsletters, watch for email communications from us, and join our Facebook page. Finally, familiarize yourself with the many resources available on our Postsecondary Counseling website.