CRC Connection

Where should I be in the application process?

• If you haven't yet started a college application, now is a good time to start. Whether you are using the Common App or a college's institutional application, get started and "chip away" at the questions. It's always a good idea to aim for a college's Early Action deadline, and the most common Early Action deadline is November 1 (although a small number of schools do have an October 15 Early Action deadline).
• It's important to keep track of all of the pieces each college requires for a complete application. The best way to find out the application requirements for each college is to Google "College name application materials." If you have trouble finding this information, please stop by the CRC and we'll be happy to help. You can use this template to stay organized.
• Most seniors completing applications will have to submit a personal statement to at least one of their colleges. Some colleges also have additional supplemental essays. Take a look at the Common App essay prompts, begin brainstorming, and then start writing a draft. English teachers and College Reps will be available to review essays on Thursday, October 10. Sign up for an appointment here.
• After submitting an application, CHECK YOUR EMAIL REGULARLY (including your SPAM Folder)! You may need to open an account with the specific school or complete the SRAR for that school. Colleges also email Admission Decisions!

What resources are available to me?

• The CRC: Stop by the CRC during your study hall or lunch period to ask questions and work on your applications.
• The CRC Google Classroom: There are helpful links, tutorials, and other resources specifically for the application process and essay writing.
• College Reps: If you have questions for a specific college or university, feel free to contact the admission counselor assigned to VHHS. The emails for our college reps can be found in the Google Classroom.
• Your counselor: Counselors have been offering senior meetings to every senior on their caseload. If you haven't met with your counselor yet, make it a priority to schedule that appointment in the near future.

If a teacher has agreed to write you a letter of recommendation:

1. Fill out the Teacher Letter of Recommendation Request Form for your teacher
2. In SchooLinks, for EVERY college you want this letter sent to, add the teacher's name by selecting the +Request Teacher Evaluation option under the Teacher Evaluations column for that college. Your teacher will then be able to upload the letter into your account.
3. Once your teacher completes your letter, be sure to thank them.

If a counselor has agreed to write you a letter of recommendation (a less common college app requirement):

1. Fill out the Counselor Letter of Recommendation Request Form for your counselor.
2. There is no need to enter anything into SchooLinks to request that your counselor submit the form; if the college requires it, your counselor will upload it.
3. Once your counselor completes your letter, be sure to thank them.

Some students have been asking if it is okay to submit their applications before their teacher (or counselor) letter of recommendation has been completed. The answer is 100% YES! If you are finished with an application, please go ahead and hit “submit.” Teachers and counselors have until the application deadline to finish their letters. If your letter of recommendation is sent after your other materials, that is not a problem--it will just get added to your application file.

Every year, certain colleges ask VHHS to nominate one or two students for a scholarship opportunity. These scholarships are typically VERY selective and the applications can be very labor intensive. The deadline to submit the nomination forms for these scholarships is October 4. These scholarships are only valid if admitted and enrolled at the specific school awarding the scholarship.

Seniors who would like to be considered for nomination need to apply separately for each scholarship in which they are interested using these Google forms:

John M. Belk Scholarship--Davidson College Nomination Application

Pearson International Scholarship--University of Toronto Nomination Application

Jefferson Scholars Foundation--University of Virginia Nomination Application

There are currently three of these "nomination" scholarships for which students can express interest in receiving the nomination. For more information on each scholarship, see the links below.

Davidson College–John M. Belk Scholarship

University of Toronto–Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship

University of Virginia–Jefferson Scholars Program

If you have any questions, please stop by the CRC.

The FAFSA will not open until December 1 this year (more info will be sent at a later date), but some schools require families to complete the CSS Profile, which opens on October 1. The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid. The list of schools requiring the CSS Profile can be found here. Deadlines vary, so check with each school you are applying to.

The CRC is hosting a Senior CRCelebration - That's a Wrap on Apps! on November 15 all day. Parents/Guardians, we need your help to make this happen! Please consider donating food/items or volunteering to help set-up, serve or clean-up--sign up HERE. We are very grateful for your generosity and support of our Seniors in recognizing all of their hard work this application season.

Juniors, we have been very impressed with your attendance at our college rep visits, we hope you find these visits helpful as you start thinking about your plans for "life after VHHS." Here are a few other resources available to you:

• CRC Class of 2026 Google Classroom: Make sure that you have joined our classroom (Class code ps6hwvr). We post a lot of information related to college and career planning throughout the year.
• CRC Remind Group: Be sure you receive Remind messages from the CRC by joining our Remind Group. The code to join is @vhhscrc26. Stop by the CRC if you need any help with this.
• SchooLinks: This is our primary college planning software, and it can be a very helpful tool in researching colleges and looking at historical admission data (scattergrams). Students can access SchooLinks via Classlinks, and log in using your school google account. Parents/Guardians were provided with instructions on how to create Guardian Accounts.

Target Audience: Juniors and Junior Families

Date: December (Date and Registration Information Coming Soon)

Time: TBA

Where: Zoom

Join us for a webinar for all District 128 juniors and their families. This is our kick-off program to help you prepare for “Life after VHHS.” Learn more about testing, finding your fit, resources, your second semester timeline, and more. Registration info coming soon.

We have over 50 college and military visits scheduled for the month of October! All of our upcoming college and military rep visits are viewable in SchooLinks (Events Tab), CRC Google Classrooms, VHHS CRC calendar, 2024-25 VHHS CRC Rep Visits Details and by following us on Instagram (@vhhs_crc) and Facebook (Vernon Hills High School CRC) . Remember, you MUST sign up in SchooLinks at least 24 hours in advance of the visit, and if you will be missing class, you need to have your teacher sign a permission slip (also available in the CRC).

The Air Force/Space Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy and Military Academies will be visiting in the Foyer in October during all lunch hours, and in the CRC in November for structured visits.

Each month, D128 will offer a Career Trek and a Career Speaker event. October's Career Trek features a trip to Empire Beauty School on October 9 (register by October 2). The Career Speakers Series will feature a Navy Nuclear Engineer and a Navy Submarine Officer on October 16, 4th period, in the VHHS Library Classroom (register by October 15). For more information and registration details, see the attached fliers.

The LHS and VHHS CRC offices are pooling resources to give you a robust listing of jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities in our area. Check back often as we update the list regularly.