Almond College & Career Center News

The end of the school year is in sight and our Seniors are getting ready to celebrate such great accomplishments!

If you need any help getting to the finish line of your classes, choices and final processes, please reach out to your counselor, Ms. Hartley or myself. We are happy to help!

JUNIORS:

SAT Test & Score

Best of luck to our Juniors this week as they take the SAT test on Wednesday, 4/10 and ISA Test on 4/11. Remember to bring your charged Chromebook both days as the new SAT is fully digital!

It is recommended to practice and review the new format leading up to Wednesday!

Scores will be electronically accessible in your College Board account on or after May 2nd.

If you have not already created a College Board account, click HERE for assistance. This is how you will access your score once available online. For additional information about understanding your score report once available, click HERE.

**Please note, many college and universities are continuing a test optional admissions policy for Fall 2024 admission. To view the updated list, visit www.fairtest.org. Unless a college requires an SAT or ACT score for college admission or scholarship consideration, it is recommended to NOT list any schools when you sit to test this spring. Keep the leverage in your hands when applying to schools in the fall of your Senior year.

College Knowledge Workshop

Would you like to learn about how to apply to college, the timeline, financial aid, scholarships, the college essay, letters of recommendation, Maia Learning, apply to Illinois State University for FREE, and hear from WTHS alumni about the college process? Then register for College Knowledge today! Click HERE for additional information and how to register for this popular FREE summer workshop. Space is filling quickly, so register by 4/19 to secure your spot! It is listed as an advancement summer school course.

College and Career Planning Summer Appointments

Are you feeling lost with the college and career search process or not sure where to start? Meeting with a Post-Secondary Counselor can give your family a great kick-start to help plan for life after high school. Watch for a separate email coming the first week in May with additional details.

SENIORS:

Home stretch! Finish strong and make good choices as you near Graduation!

Graduation Checklist, Senior Exit Survey & Final Transcript Request

As seniors make their final decisions, here are a few action items to complete:

1. Please review the Graduation Checklist.
2. Complete your Senior Survey. Please note this can only be completed ONCE!
   
3. Update your application statuses in Maia Learning: Final Transcript Instructions.
4. Please complete complete the survey and request your final transcript no later than May 16th. If your family is still deciding after this date, the Senior Survey does provide an additional question to request a second final transcript be sent to a different college.
5. If you have not already, please file your FAFSA or submit a Waiver ASAP. This is required to graduate from WTHS per the State of Illinois. Review this EMAIL for additional information. This must be completed by May 16th as well in order to receive your diploma. ***NOTE: WTHS will begin to receive a weekly update of the student names who have filed a FAFSA successfully (we are hoping by mid-April). There is no additional verification or confirmation needed from families unless we communicate via email to you.
6. Post your intentions @bluedevilseniors on Instagram by sending a DM or emailing Mrs. McGahan (cmcgahan@wths.net). See below for more info.
7. Check the Graduation website often.

Please note: We do not release final transcripts until early June when final semester 2 grades are posted and official. This will not include any SAT scores, so if you applied with a test score for admissions and it is an action item for you, the college needs to have an official ACT or SAT score report on file from either ACT or College Board sent electronically to your college. As always, if students need assistance in making their final plans for after high school, please contact your counselor or Mrs. McGahan.

How can I make changes to the initial FAFSA I submitted?

• Once the student receives a confirmation email that their FAFSA has processed, a student can file a "corrected FAFSA" to update any colleges not originally on the list or errors made on the FAFSA.
• Then submit the corrected version.
• **PLEASE NOTE: for this cycle, corrections will not be able to be made until all backlogged FAFSA submissions have been processed. We are anticipating this to be in the next two weeks.
• It is still recommended if you have error issues or are getting locked out, call Federal Student Aid at 800-433-3243 early in the morning, during the week to try to resolve your issue. Prepare to be on hold unfortunately.

Thinking of applying for a Gap Year Deferral?

Explore this article to provide you with tools to understand what is a gap year deferral and how to gain an approval for your request.

How to say NO to a College

April is the time when Seniors start to make their final decisions (exciting!!!) and need to say no to the colleges they are not pursuing. This will cease communications and the bombardment of emails/mail to you. Click HERE for a sample email to draft to the general admissions office on page 2 of the document.

Financial Aid Award Letters

Many families have or will soon receive their college financial aid award letters (finally!!!). Click HERE to review a presentation to help understand the terminology to make an education, financial college choice. If your family would like assistance in understanding the letter, feel free to contact the college's financial aid office, your WTHS counselor or Mrs. McGahan.

***Save the date for a workshop for students to help understand their financial aid letters on Tuesday, April 23rd during all lunch periods. See flyer below.

Still not sure what to do after high school?

Then click HERE for additional tips on how to create a plan. Please contact your counselor or Mrs. McGahan if you need help planning for your next steps. Feel free to explore our Virtual Career Fair to assist as well!

Senior Celebration Day

We will plan to celebrate our seniors on Monday, May 1st at the Almond Campus to recognize their post-secondary paths. Don't forget to send a DM to @bluedevilseniors with your first and last name, a photo of yourself, your intended college name, major/minor, any sports/instruments that you will be continuing at college (if applicable) or other non-college plans you have. No Instagram? No problem! Just email that information to Mrs. McGahan (cmcgahan@wths.net). We will post your information to Instagram and you can click HERE to review senior destinations!

For BOTH Juniors and Seniors:

Looking for a Job?

See the Career Opportunities section below for local opportunities for high school students or check our Job Board often! We will continue to add more in the coming weeks!

We are here to help answer your questions, so students, please check your email often, follow us on Instagram or Facebook (@wthsccc), watch for text reminders or reach out to your counselor, Ms. Hartley or myself if you have any questions. We are glad to help! Here is the contact information for Student Services.

Have a great week!

Mrs. McGahan, Post-Secondary Counselor

If you would like to make an appointment to meet with your Almond Campus Counselor please email them or stop down to Student Services in the main office to submit a request form. If you would like to meet with Mrs. McGahan, please scan the QR code to the right or click HERE. Book an appointment during your free period.

Seniors! We need your help to honor you for our National Declaration Day festivities! When you are ready to commit or finalize your plans for after high school, send a DM @bluedevilseniors or email Mrs. McGahan cmcgahan@wths.net with your first & last name, photo, intended college & major or career plan, or other plans you have after high school. We look forward to celebrating you! Click HERE for the growing list of declarations!

Looking to gain firsthand knowledge regarding the recruiting, training, and transformation from civilian to Marine? Head to the College and Career Center- Period 5- on Tuesday, April 9th for the opportunity to speak face-to-face with active duty Marines and ask any questions.

• 9 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing a College – Guiding questions to help students consider key factors as they rank their options.

• 5 Things to Do Before College Decision Day – Help make a confident enrollment choice with these important questions.

• QUIZ: How Do I Know if the College I'm Considering is Right for Me? – This quiz asks students important questions that will steer them into making the best choice for them.

Thank you to all of our seniors who submitted applications this year! Mrs. Maggiore will be sending out an email the week of April 22nd to notify all students who applied about their application status. Thank you for your patience as our committees finalize their decisions.

Explore the five Lake County locations from 10am-1pm and learn about degree and career certificate programs. Meet faculty, staff and students and get your questions answered. Join and be welcomed by the Lancer community!

As well, you can participate in free financial workshops, attend the Maker Faire showcase, and tour the new Prairie Restaurant at Brae Loch, run by CLC's talented hospitality and culinary students.

For more information and to register, click HERE.

Students and their guests along with local counselors are invited to an SEC college fair to learn about the 14 universities in the Southeastern Conference. The event is FREE and open to interested attendees in the surrounding areas. Each SEC university has a specific time slot to give an individual presentation and guests will have an opportunity to talk with representatives from all the SEC schools, or just your favorites. REGISTER to see schools like Mizzou, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, etc...

Boys State is a week long government simulation (June 8th-14th) where participants are citizens in a mock 51st state. Throughout the week , attendees learn how the American political system works by participating in their own primaries, elections and assemblies. In addition to participating in the mock government, attendees learn valuable leadership skills and participate in a wide variety of developmental opportunities. The applicants are open to males who have completed their Junior year by 2024. Click below for the information or visit their website.

Informational Flyer

FAQ

For further information:

Contact: Jim Huisel

Gurnee America Legion Post 771

jhuisel@post771.org

847-910-3330 (M)

The American Legion Auxiliary’s marquee Girls State program, first presented in 1937, is one of the most respected and coveted experiential learning programs presented in the United States.

The program epitomizes the ALA’s mission to honor those who have brought us our freedom through our enduring commitment to develop young women as future leaders grounded in patriotism and Americanism. The young women become knowledgeable of the democratic process and how our republic form of government works at the state and national levels.

Applicants must currently be in their junior year in high school or the home school equivalent.

To apply and for additional information, visit their website.

We are starting to receive regular scholarship opportunities in our inbox each week. To access the growing list, log onto Maia Learning. Under Financial Plan --> Local Scholarships. The list will continue to grow until spring break, so check often!

If you need to request a transcript for a scholarship, please complete this FORM. You may pick-up transcripts from Mrs. Maggiore in Student Services in the main office.

SoFi is hosting a Preparing for College Webinar Series for the parents of college-bound students. This empowering series covers the information and insights needed to help navigate college financing. Below are the topics, dates and times of these webinars:

•Evaluating College Acceptances and Appealing Financial Aid and Merit Scholarships, Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 7pm

•Financing Your Student's Education, Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 7pm

Register here

• Alpha Omega Epsilon, a STEM-based sorority at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is inviting girls to their event, All About Engineering, on April 20th, 2024. This event is mainly for girls who are in the process of committing to the University of Illinois or are interested in applying in the future.

• All About Engineering is a day long event from about 10 am to 4 pm, that will allow girls who are interested in engineering/technical sciences as well as the University of Illinois to explore campus, meet with sisters of our sorority, have coffee chats with professors they may have in the future, or just make new friends! Lunch will be provided and the event will be free for all attendees.

• Please note that only the first 30 responses will be accepted to come.
• Link to sign up: https://forms.gle/EAqDPqXQARVpqKx97

If you're planning to attend college and neither of your parents completed Bachelor's degree in college, then YOU are considered First-Generation or First-Gen! Did you know many of our Warren teachers are first-gen? Nationwide, about half of all college students are first-gen.

All first-gen Almond students are invited to attend our next I'm First Club meeting on 4/22 at 2:20 p.m. in the Almond CCC. Email Mrs. McGahan (cmcgahan@wths.net) if you are first-gen and would like more college/career info, including our upcoming meetings!

WTHS is fortunate to have Ms. Quinnlyn Meadowcroft, our CLC College Career Navigator, housed in the Almond College and Career Center to assist all students. Whether you are exploring your options, thinking of taking one class or enroll full-time at CLC after high school, Ms. Meadowcroft will be your point-person every step of the way.

**Friday, April 26th: CLC Math Placement Test (for invited students who have submitted an enrollment application and require a placement test)

• Click HERE to learn about CLC Enrollment Steps
  
• Click HERE to learn about CLC Proficiencies, Prerequisites and Placement Testing
• Click HERE for the English Placement tutorial
• Click HERE for the Math Placement tutorial

Feel free to contact Ms. Meadowcroft should you have any questions about CLC or how to enroll (qmeadowcroft1@clcillinois.edu). Or schedule an appointment with her HERE.

What is SLE?

• SLE is a one-week program for current Juniors (High School Class of 2025) to visit West Point in June.
• Students in this program get to spend the week with our cadets, live in the barracks, and eat in the mess hall.
• Learn about West Point’s world class academics by trying 5 of our 17 academic workshops.
• Learn about military training and becoming a Leader of Character at West Point by completing two military days to include rappelling, Zodiac boats, combatives (like Jiu-Jitsu) training and more!
• Challenge themselves physically by attempting the Candidate Fitness Assessment, conducting physical training, and sports.
• Complete their admissions interview with a cadet.
• Spend the week making friends with other students from all over the US who are applying to West Point.

Priority application deadline for SLE is the following Friday on March 15th and they will accept applications until April 15th. SLE is competitive and not all who apply are offered to attend.

Learn more about SLE- https://www.westpoint.edu/admissions/summer-program
Apply now- https://apply.westpoint.edu/portal/candidate

The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign is hosting several visit opportunities for high school families this spring. Click HERE to view the complete list divided by College of interest.

As seniors receive their college acceptances, many students look for means to help narrow their list. Here are a few suggestions to help! Especially if your family is not able to visit the campus this winter. As always, contact your counselor or a post-secondary counselor for assistance!

NACAC’s upcoming series of Virtual College Fairs wraps up April 21st. This virtual event is designed to help students connect with college admissions officers and ask important questions about the application process. The sessions support all students, including seniors who have not yet applied. Students can prepare ahead of time by tagging the Zoom sessions they want to attend.

Sign-up:

• April 21st

For students interested in learning more about the U.S. Military, representatives from the following branches will be located at the front of the Almond Cafeteria. Stop by their table to receive additional information!

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

Then plan to register and attend College Knowledge this summer, 2024!

• This comprehensive, 2 day, 2 1/2 hour workshop in the Almond Campus College and Career Center will walk you through the entire process and you will leave feel relieved about how simplistic the process is!
• A binder of information will be distributed to each student including information about admissions, financial aid, scholarships, college search, Maia Learning, Common App, Coalition App, and more!
• We will host Illinois State University to complete a live application to see what the applications are all about.
• An English teacher will provide an introduction to the Common App essay prompts and essay writing in general.
• A college-student panel of WTHS alumni will return to share their insight about the process and college life.
• All for FREE!
• Sign-up for one of our 4 sessions by Friday, April 19th to lock in your spot!
• Session 1: June 3-4...9:45-12:15
• Session 2: June 3-4...12:45-3:15
• Session 3: June 5-6...9:45-12:15
• Session 4: June 5-6...12:45-3:15

The College of Lake County would like to invite you to join us in celebrating:

Youth Apprenticeship Week

Monday, May 6, 2024

5 - 7 p.m.

College of Lake County (CLC) Advanced Technology Center (ATC)

7735 W Grand Ave, Gurnee, IL 60031

Parents and guardians are encouraged to attend this FREE event.

The WEL program is once again offering the opportunity to participate in a hands-on paid internship with the Lake County Emergency Management Agency. Limited spots available, apply ASAP!

Apply: Submit an application.

• Launch your career with industry professionals
• Work full-time for six months in a paid internship ($22/hr.)
• Eligible for industry-recognized credentials

Link to flyer: https://www.lakecountyil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/71761/WEL_LCEMA-Flyer-2023-PDF

This program is open to any 14 to 21-year-old interested in learning more about law enforcement careers. Students will help the community as well as learn about careers in law enforcement and learn foundational policing skills. For additional information see their website.

Click HERE to access and explore 170+ careers with videos and information. By participating, you will gain a better understanding of the variety of industries and positions. Some employers may also have possible internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing and/or employment opportunities for our students! For those of you who may not know what you want to do, there’s a career assessment included that will help you narrow down a career cluster to further research. At the end, please complete the exit survey to reflect and provide feedback so we can continue to assist you with your post-high school plans.

WTHS has in-person Study Tables on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:20-3:00 p.m. in the Almond Campus Library for English, Math, Science and Social Studies. Students who need bus transportation home are able to take the shuttle from Almond to O'Plaine and take the O'Plaine busses home.

For a list of our WTHS academic tutors, please click HERE.

Maia Learning is a college and career readiness platform that engages students in planning their futures. It allow students to develop profiles, explore careers that fit those profiles, and build academic, college, and career plans. It helps them manage college applications, and build portfolios that will gain them admission. It helps counselors manage student progress, and keeps families involved in the process.

Click here for a brief tutorial on accessing Maia Learning or click here for a shared folder which houses several helpful video tutorials and resources on the college search and application process.

The Paying for College Resource delivers free, easy to understand information and resources, so your family is confident you have everything you need to figure out how to pay for school.

To date, www.fairtest.org as published over 1,800 colleges and universities which are allowing Fall 2024 applicants to apply test-optional. Many institutions are stating students are at no disadvantage of applying test-optional. But it is good diligence on your part to verify the institution will still distribute merit, academic scholarships, be considered for direct-entry, competitive majors and Honors College consideration.

Almond Post-Secondary Counselor

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