Scout Destinations Winter 2025 ☃️
Winter 2025
The Lake Forest High School Educational Services team is proud to share the Winter 2025 edition of Scout Destinations. This edition has numerous articles with current information and advice for families navigating the college admissions landscape and post-secondary planning. Our counselors highlight some schools worth a look, and important upcoming events. Additionally, this edition introduces the See It To Be It career exploration opportunities we have offered this year.
We always welcome reader feedback. You can share comments with Dr. Patrick Sassen, Associate Principal of Educational Services (psassen@lfschools.net).
In this Issue
- In the News
- Schools Worth a Look
Florida Institute of Technology
Creighton University
Ohio University
- Upcoming Dates
- Nuts and Bolts
- See It To Be It Career Clusters Field Trips
In the News
Schools Worth a Look
Florida Institute of Technology
Location: Melbourne, Florida
Size: Small (3,000 undergraduate students)
School Type: Private
Acceptance Rate: 64%
Average Accepted ACT Range: 22 to 28 or (Test-Optional)
Popular Majors: Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautics/Aviation Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Air Transportation, Astronomy/Astrophysics
Net Price: Approximately $31,000
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 98%Creighton University
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Size: Medium (4,200 undergraduate students)
School Type: Private
Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average Accepted ACT Range: 27 to 32 or (Test-Optional)
Popular Majors: Nursing, Finance, Biology, Management Sciences/Information Systems, Marketing, Research/Experimental Psychology, Exercise Physiology, Business
Net Price: Approximately $33,000
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 100%Ohio University
Location: Athens, OH
Size: Medium/Large (15,000 undergraduate students)
School Type: Public
Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average Accepted ACT Range: 22 to 27 or (Test-Optional)
Popular Majors: Nursing, Communications, Liberal Arts/Humanities, Business, Psychology, Business Analytics, Marketing, Zoology
Net Price: Approximately $20,000
Students Receiving Financial Aid: 98%Upcoming Dates
Course Registration: January 21- February 28
Gap Year Fair: January 25 at New Trier High School. See below for more information.
FAFSA Completion Workshops, Virtual or In-Person
Virtual Appointments: Schedule an individual appointment with Carlos Morales, our ISAC FAFSA expert.
In-Person at LFHS: January 23 from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm (Drop in, no appointments needed).
Junior Family College Meetings - March & April: Counselors will make appointments to meet with juniors and parents to discuss the college exploration and application process.
ACT Test- Freshmen through juniors will take the ACT on April 8. Details will be emailed to parents before that date.
Nuts and Bolts
Deferrals
A deferral means that a college is still considering a student for admission, and the student’s application will be reviewed again in the regular admission pool. Colleges typically request seventh-semester grades as part of their admission decision. Some colleges will take additional information during the deferral period, including new extracurricular involvement or awards. Be aware of any information that your college(s) will accept, and be sure to send it in a timely manner.
Mid-Year Transcripts
Seventh-semester transcripts are automatically sent to the colleges seniors have applied to and previously requested transcripts for. Seniors are reminded to check their email and portals in the event colleges request additional information from them.
Financial Aid
Senior families needing financial assistance to offset the cost of college tuition and room and board need to complete the FAFSA form online. Some colleges also request the CSS Profile, which gathers different financial information than the FAFSA. Check each college’s financial aid page to determine what information is needed. The counseling department is offering some FAFSA completion workshop dates, both virtual and in person. See the “Upcoming Dates” above for more information.
Click HERE For Helpful FAFSA Tips
It is a graduation requirement in the State of Illinois that all senior families either complete the FAFSA or an opt-out form. If your family will NOT be filing the FAFSA form, you must complete the opt-out form.
Registering for ACT/SAT Tests
Juniors will take the ACT on April 8 as part of their school day and are automatically registered for this test. The ACT is a graduation requirement. Students who wish to take additional ACT or SATs on a national Saturday test day must register directly through the ACT or College Board (SAT) website. Test dates are found on the websites as well.
Gap Year Fair
New Trier High School hosts an annual Gap Year Fair. This year’s fair will be held on January 25 from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm. More information about the fair and various gap year options can be found here.
Registration for Senior Year
Counselors will meet with current juniors starting January 21 to register them for senior-year classes. Students and parents will receive an email prior to this with class recommendations and other pertinent information. Students are reminded to think about balance with their class schedules as they consider outside activities and postsecondary plans.
See It To Be It Career Clusters Field Trips
Law - The Dirksen Federal Building
The Law Honors and Law (Dual Credit) classes visited the Dirksen Federal Building to see live court proceedings, meet the Assistant State's Attorney, a Magistrate judge and other legal professionals who work downtown in our Federal system.
Marketing - SalesForce Inc.
One of our Business Incubator mentors hosted students in the Business Accelerator program down at Salesforce Chicago for a day-long experience where they met with VPs of Sales, Marketing, Event Planning and more. The students were able to pitch their business ideas and work through the "pain points" they are facing with professionals. They also learned from sales trainers who shared their pathways as well as insights into how relationships are built through the sales process.
Business - Reynolds Consumer Products
One of our local Fortune 500 companies, Reynolds Consumer Products, hosted selected juniors that are part of the Business Incubator class to meet the retiring and incoming CEOs as well as VPs of Sales and Marketing. The executives walked the students through the product development cycle and gave insights on how they bring new products to market.
The 4th Annual Alumni Panel
Several recent LFHS graduates returned to share their insights and advice with current seniors on topics such as college life, career satisfaction, and maintaining balance in a fast-paced world.
Special thanks to LFHS Educational Services and the APT for organizing this meaningful opportunity to connect our students with alumni!