Almond College & Career Center News
October 27, 2024
Happy Halloween!
Have a safe and fun weekend and Halloween week!
SENIORS
We're coming up on the last few days of October and IF you have a November 1st deadline (not all colleges have that as a priority deadline), please don't wait until the last minute to submit your application. You should submit whenever you are ready, regardless if your letters of rec and counselor forms are submitted. Teachers and counselors send those in separately, so there's no need to wait. Click HERE to reference the final reminders that were emailed last week. We're in the final stretch for those early app deadlines. You can do it!
JUNIORS
Once November 1st turns over, we begin to focus more of our attention to our Junior families! Lots of key events coming up this month:
- See this email for additional opportunities for post-secondary planning
- Nov 7: College Planning for Juniors
- 3pm in Room 211 at Almond
- 7pm in the O'Plaine Auditorium
- Nov 9: FREE Practice, Virtual ACT Test
- WTHS is once again facilitating a FREE practice, optional ACT test for our Sophomore and Junior students virtually on Saturday, November 9th-Sunday, November 10th. Compass Educational Group will be virtually proctoring the practice ACT that morning. Click HERE to review the details & to register. Deadline to register is November 4th at 5pm CST.
BOTH JUNIORS & SENIORS
College of Lake County Events
- October 29th, 7pm via Zoom, CLC Informational Webinar:
- Interested WTHS families are welcome to join Ms. Quinnlyn Meadowcroft, our CLC College & Career Navigator, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom to learn more about the opportunities at CLC. Register HERE or see the flier.
- Zoom access: https://clcillinois.zoom.us/j/8502366304?omn=94241132444
College Application Fee Waiver Codes
- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (free application until 11/1)
- Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (free application until 12/1)
- Western Illinois University (free application until 11/1)
- Northern Illinois University (always free)
- Eastern Illinois University (always free)
- University of Illinois-Springfield (free application until 12/1)
- Miami University of Ohio has free application until 12/1 (select Miami Fee Waiver on application)
- Ripon College (free until 1/15)
- Lawrence Tech (month of October): enter October1932
- Kent State (free application until 10/31)
- Bowling Green State University (free application until 10/31 with code BGSU)
- Central Michigan University (free application until 10/31 on their website or using code FireUp2025 in the Common App)
- University of Cincinatti (must apply between 11/1-11/15 on their website or select code Free Application Days November 1-14 on Common App)
Colleges that have Free Applications:
- There are many!!! Click HERE for a list of 2,500+ you can narrow down.
Here is the contact information for Student Services.
Have a wonderful week!
Mrs. McGahan, Post-Secondary Counselor
SENIORS: Need help writing your Essay?
PREPARING FOR THE P-SAT, P-ACT, SAT OR ACT?
October brings testing to many of our WTHS juniors and seniors. Click HERE for suggestions of free and at-cost test preparation. Also explore Compass Educational Group's, comprehensive guide on college admissions testing.
WTHS Common App Guide for Students
Step 1: Is your college even on the Common App?
Step 2: Do you have a school that requires it?
Step 3: Do you have at least 3 schools that will allow you to apply via Common App?
Step 4: Proceed to complete the Common App.
Need to meet with a Counselor?
College Information and Upcoming Events
SchooLinks-New College & Career Readiness Platform
WTHS is excited to announce the roll out of our new college & career readiness platform, SchooLinks. This comprehensive tool can help families navigate their post-secondary planning throughout high school.
For students, simply click "log in with Google" using your WTHS credentials.
Our Junior Class of 2026 will need to complete the onboarding process in order to view and sign-up for our upcoming college visits. Juniors are encouraged to view the tutorial below. As always, please stop into the College & Career Center in the main office if you would like additional help.
VIDEO tutorial
SLIDES tutorial
**NOTE: Parents/Guardians are now able create a shadow account to view the college information, view upcoming college visits (under Events) and more! See this UPDATED communication.
CLC Informational Webinar, 10/29
- Interested WTHS families are welcome to join Ms. Quinnlyn Meadowcroft, our CLC College & Career Navigator, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom to learn more about the opportunities at CLC. Register HERE or see the flier.
- Zoom access: https://clcillinois.zoom.us/j/8502366304?omn=94241132444
College Visits to the Almond Campus
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, October 29th
- Period 2: Hofstra University
- Period 5: University of Arizona
Thursday, October 31st
- Period 3: University of Illinois-Springfield
- Period 5: Arizona State University
- Period 6: Butler University
- Period 7: Marquette University
Thursday, November 7th
- Period 3: National Louis University
- Period 4: University of Alabama
Thursday, November 14th
- Period 7: Columbia College Chicago
US Military Academies Nomination Application due 10/31
Students who aspire to attend the U.S. Military Academy (USMA), the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) are required to apply for a congressional nomination for appointment.
Attending a service academy is a tremendous honor, and it entails a commitment to serve in the military for at least five years after graduation.
For more detailed information, click the link and review the Frequently Asked Questions page for those seeking a Military Academy Nomination. https://schneider.house.gov/services/military-academy-nominations/military-academy-nominations-faq
Applicants should ensure that all materials for the academy classes of 2029 are submitted before 5:00 p.m. on October 31, 2024.
We will carefully review these materials in our office and subsequently reach out to students to schedule an interview with our Service Academy Nomination Board in December.
Should you have any questions during the application process, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at 847-383-4870 or via email at Patrice.Campbell@mail.house.gov.
UIUC Hosts Exploration Opportunities for Interested Students
The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign is hosting several webinar opportunities for families to hear from several Colleges about their academic programs. Click HERE for additional information.
UIUC Virtual Application Workshops
UIUC is hosting upcoming virtual application workshops to get all the tips students need to submit a strong application. Their admissions counselors will walk them through the process and answer any questions you have about Illinois or applying.
U.S. Military Reps to Visit Almond Cafeteria
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
College Planning for Junior Families, 11/7
This presentation will be offered to junior families on Thursday, November 7th at 3:00 p.m. in room 211 at the Almond Campus and at 7:00pm in the Auditorium at the O'Plaine Campus. At the 7:00 p.m., we welcome the Manager of Illinois Recruitment, Sylvia Hernandez, from Michigan State University to present to students and families on the college search process.
If you are the first in your family to seek to earn a college degree, you are FIRST GEN! Email Mrs. McGahan at cmcgahan@wths.net to be added to our First Gen group! We send email and text communication to invite students to our monthly workshop and other events.
WTHS hosts a free, optional, practice ACT on 11/9-11/10
WTHS is once again facilitating a FREE practice, optional ACT test for our Sophomore and Junior students virtually on Saturday, November 9th-Sunday, November 10th. Compass Educational Group will be virtually proctoring the practice ACT that morning. Click HERE to review the details & to register. Deadline to register is November 4th at 5pm CST.
FREE PRACTICE ACT OR SAT TEST AT WARREN NEWPORT LIBRARY, 11/9
Take a timed practice SAT or ACT test, sponsored by the Huntington Learning Center of Grayslake. Check-in starts at 9:15am for the 9:30 am test start time. The test will begin promptly at 9:30 am, so please don’t be late. Students should bring a #2 pencil and a non-phone calculator (ideally a graphing calculator). Tests will be graded by Monday (11/11) and distributed at the follow-up event. Open to anyone in grades 11-12. Register here.
CLC Transfer Opportunities Lunch & Learn Workshop
Are you thinking about starting your college education and CLC and later transferring to earn a Bachelor’s degree? Not sure about how this works? Join Ms. Meadowcroft, our CLC Navigator, in the College & Career Center during your lunch period on Tuesday, November 12th to learn more!
SoFi Preparing for FREE College Webinar Series
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:
Breaking Down the Basics of College Financing
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
7pm
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.
Tech Campus Application Now Open & Open House, 11/14
Juniors interested in taking a course at the Lake County Technology Campus next year as seniors, need to apply early as programs fill up quickly and the application is already open!
Students can review all available Tech Campus programs here. Juniors, click here and then click "apply" at the top to access the application. See your Counselor if you need assistance completing it.
All interested families are invited to also attend the Tech Campus Open House on November 14 from 4:30 - 7:30 pm. The best way to learn more about the offerings at Tech is to go check it out for yourself! Interested students are highly encouraged to attend the Open House with their families. Some of the benefits of attending Tech include taking classes in line with your interest, learn essential skills and training to become skilled in a specific trade, qualify to take the State Board Exam to work upon graduation, the opportunity to earn high school and college credit at no cost and much more !
Construction Career Workshop
Would you like to learn more about careers within the Construction field? Swing by the CCC either 6th or 7th period on Thursday, November 21st to hear from a 2018 WTHS Grad about his experience and career tips! To attend, please register in SchooLinks under Events.
Career/Job Opportunities
Explore Engineering at the University of Dayton, 11/9
The University of Dayton is hosting Explore Engineering on November 9th. This FREE event is where students can learn about a career in engineering and what makes a University of Dayton engineering degree unique. Students will participate in hands-on activities in our labs, meet faculty and current students, and tour campus and engineering facilities. Registration deadline is November 1st: register today! You can also download this flyer.
Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth Mentor Immersion: Virtual Research
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.
Can You Code Your Own App?
The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide competition that encourages students to learn science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills by coding their own app for any digital device. This challenge is open to all middle and high school students who live or attend school in the Tenth District. Students can choose to participate individually or as part of a team of up to four students, if two of the team members meet eligibility requirements. To enter, participants must upload a video showcasing their app and an explanation of what they learned throughout the app-making process. Click here to register by November 1, 2024 (registration indicates your intent to compete).
Lake County JATC now accepting applications
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
Thinking of a Career in Education?
Illinois Tech Virtual Internships
Standout Search
Additional Internship and Volunteer Opportunities
Lake County Sheriff Explorer Post Program
Virtual Career Fair
General Resources
Support Services are Available
Wondering if your interested college has test-optional admissions?
Mrs. McGahan
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