Career Center News
Week ending January 12th
The College and Career Center provides a wide variety of services to our Independence HS students and their families. I am here to help support everything from college planning and the application process, job opportunities, volunteer services, financial aid and scholarships, Military, Gap year, and more. Please direct questions to jill.perlman@lcps.org
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Upcoming Events in January & February
* January 17th ~ FAFSA Assistance Night @ Briar Woods HS
* January 20th ~ FAFSA Workshop @ Rock Ridge HS
* January 22nd ~ Elevate Loudoun @ LVHS
* January 23rd ~ Resume & Career Goal Statement Workshop in Career Center (during all lunch blocks) - Sign up in SchooLinks
* January 24th ~ Resume & Career Goal Statement Workshop in Career Center (during all lunch blocks) Sign up in SchooLinks
* January 25th ~ Skilled Trades Fair @ Academies of Loudoun
* February 1st ~ Pacific Discovery - Exploring Pre-College Gap Year Opportunities
* February 3rd ~ GAP Year Fair @ Briar Woods HS from 1 pm - 4 pm
* February 26th ~ Military Night @ Independence HS from 6 pm - 8 pm
COLLEGE & MILITARY CORNER
Summer at UChicago
The University of Chicago's Summer Session brings together a global community of thinkers who are excited by interesting questions and seek to engage new ideas. Discover diverse program opportunities designed to challenge and engage curious high school students this summer across a variety of subject areas and disciplines. Within a supportive community, pre-college students are are given the chance to take intellectual risks, dive more deeply into subject matter, and discuss questions that go beyond the realm of their high school curriculum, while experiencing a dynamic campus situated in scenic Hyde Park in the city of Chicago during the best season of the year - summer!
All summer session programs are designed for high-school students ready to tackle undergraduate-level material. Apply and learn more at: summer.uchicago.edu
UMass Amherst Summer 2024 Pre-College Programs
The Association for Pre-College Program Directors is proud to present the Summer 2024 Pre-College Programs Virtual Fair, a virtual event that provides students and their families the opportunity to learn about academic summer programs at top US colleges and universities. At the fair, attendees may visit virtual booths, where you can ask questions via text or video chat with summer program representatives. Registration is free to attendees.
2024 Summer Pre-College Program Fair
Saturday, January 20, 2024
10:00am - 12:00pm EST
REGISTER NOW
Representatives from UMass Amherst Pre-College Programs will be at the event. Any questions about the event can be directed to fairs@precollegeassociation.org.
Spend the Summer at University of College Dublin
The UCD High School Summer Program returns for 2024 and applications are now open! The UCD High School Summer Program is an enrichment program designed specifically for North American students who are interested in learning more about Irish history and culture and may be considering the possibility of applying to universities in Ireland for their undergraduate degrees. Through a series of taught lectures and interactive workshops at UCD, we introduce students to the academic culture in Ireland and the variety of subjects they can study. We also introduce students to Ireland's rich history and cultural identity through field trips around Dublin and the Irish countryside. At the end of the two weeks, we hope the students will have found that the academic programs and vibrant cultural heritage will be a great fit for future studies.
To be eligible for this program, students must:
- Be current juniors or sophomores (16 or 17 at the time of program)
- Demonstrate a minimum 3.0 GPA.
- Google application form, including brief essays about their interest in the program and what would make them a good candidate for the program.
- Counselor recommendation (Kendall Hook will send counselors direct link to Google recommendation form)
Dates: July 3rd-18th, 2024
Cost: €3100 (inclusive of accommodation, meals, cultural and academic activities, workshops, in-country transportation. Excluding airfare and personal spending money.)
Priority deadline for applications is February 15, 2024. Current Juniors will receive priority consideration for places on the program. The 2022 and 2023 programs reached capacity by February 15 and operated on a waitlist, however, should availability remain, applications will be open until April 1. This program is non-credit bearing.
Inspire Summer 2024 @ University of Virginia
Inspire Summer is the UVA | Northern Virginia summer program for rising 10th-12th graders to explore new interests and skills.
Summer 2024 Courses
- Introduction to Programming: Python
- McIntire Business Institute
- College Essay Writing
- Forensic Science
- Branding and Marketing
- Creative Writing
Dental Health Sciences Camp @ Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University School of Hygiene and the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation have teamed up to launch the Dental Health Summer Institute at no cost to students.
The five-day camp will be three hours each morning the week of June 24, 2024. Students will get help with the college application process, learn about different aspects of dentistry, and receive a lab kit for hands-on lab activities.
This will be a highly-interactive experience, but there are limited spots available. Please complete the online application below by March 4, 2024.
2023-2024 ASVAB Test Registration
The ASVAB Career Exploration Program can help young adults identify and explore potentially satisfying occupations and develop effective strategies to realize career goals.
The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is one of the most widely used, multiple-aptitude tests in the world, developed and maintained by the Department of Defense. More than half of all high schools nationwide administer the ASVAB test to students in grades 10, 11 and 12 (sophomores cannot use their scores for enlistment eligibility).
The Military uses students’ ASVAB scores to identify the occupations that best suit their abilities. Junior, senior and post-secondary school students can use their ASVAB scores for enlistment for up to two years after taking the test.
More information on the ASVAB and test prep can be found here:
https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/asvab
You can register here for the ASVAB at one of our Loudoun County Public High Schools. Here are the dates / locations it's being offered.
Lightridge HS - 1/16/24 @ 9 am
Woodgrove HS - 1/22/24 @ 9 am
Loudoun Valley HS - 3/5/24 @ 8:30 am
Stone Bridge HS - 3/5/24 @ 10 am
Rock Ridge HS - 3/8/24
ODDS & ENDS
Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation
The Coolidge Scholarship is an annually awarded, full-ride, presidential scholarship that covers a student’s tuition, room, board, and expenses for four years of undergraduate study. The Coolidge may be used by recipients at any accredited college or university in the United States. Anyone of any background, pursuing any academic discipline of study, may apply to this non-partisan, need-blind, program.
Students apply for the Coolidge Scholarship during their junior year of high school. Finalists are flown in for a finalist weekend at the Coolidge Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, Vermont where they interview with the Coolidge Scholars Finalist Jury. Recipients of the Coolidge Scholarship are notified of their award late in their junior year, before college application (note: current high school seniors are not eligible to apply). Finalists who are not named Coolidge Scholars are eligible to receive a smaller, one-time, college scholarship.
Elevate Loudoun
Elevate Loudoun will be happening this year on January 22nd at Loudoun Valley High School from 9 am-1 pm. This event is open to all LCPS high school students.
Discover Tomorrow's Future Industry Leaders: Connect with industry partners at our upcoming Career Fair! As an student, you'll have the opportunity to engage with industry partners eager to share with students opportuntiies and workforce readiness skills.. Don't miss this chance to connect with our industry partners !
RSVP today to secure your spot at this event! For more information, contact, Kristina Lee | kristina.lee@lcps.org | 571-246-0982.
2024 WINTER ADMISSIONS INFORMATION (from the Academies of Loudon webpage)
The 2024 Winter Admissions Cycle is for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders applying for enrollment to the Academies of Loudoun for the 2024-2025 school year. This is where you will find the most current information about the admissions process and the criteria necessary to apply to the Advanced Academy of Engineering & Technology (Adv. AET) and/or the Monroe Advanced Technical Academy (MATA) programs. The Admissions & Outreach Team is here to support you through this process. We will be conducting a number of Winter Admissions Information Sessions throughout Loudoun County (see schedule below) and visiting with all of our LCPS high school students at their schools during the 2024 Winter Admissions Cycle. Please contact the Office of Admissions & Outreach at any time by email AcademiesAdmissions@lcps.org or by phone 571-252-1992. We look forward to meeting you soon!
- All MATA and Advanced AET applicants must have a PSAT (NMSQT) score
- 9th grade MATA applicants may substitute their PSAT 8/9 score for the PSAT (NMSQT) score
Resume & Career Goal Statement Workshop
Are you applying to a MATA Program an Adv AET Program at the Academies of Loudoun? Then join Mrs. Perlman on either January 23 (B Day) or January 24 (A Day) during your lunch block for any help needed on your Resume and / or your Career Goal Statement. Sign up in your SchooLinks account!
Career Conversations
As we schedule our programming in the Career Center for this school year, I plan to highlight one or two careers per month with speakers from our parent community.
I'm looking for 10 - 12 Independence High School parents who would be interested in spending 45 minutes - 1 hour discussing your careers, the pros and cons of your roles, and what types of skills / education are necessary. Please send me an email if you're interested, and can work out specific dates, times, and presentation information.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Olde Towne Pet Resort is Hiring
Love working with pets? These opportunities could be a good fit for you. Visit their website to find out more information.
Pet Care Associates: Shifts: 6AM - 2PM and 2PM - 10PM
Day Camp Associates: Shifts: 6AM - 2PM and 2PM - 10PM
Pet Bathers: Shifts: 8AM - 4PM
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
How To Register For an Event in SchooLinks
Log into your SchooLinks account.
From your Dashboard, click on the tab at the top titled School Events. You will then see a chronological list of all events happening in our building.
Select the event you’d like to register for. Once selected, you will click on the button that says Register For This Event.
Once you register for an event, the button should change and you should see a Reminders tab appear at the top. Here, you can see all the events you are registered for. And, of course, you can still click on an event to see the info popup once again.
As a reminder, only students are able to register for these College & Military Visits.