Senior Fall Lancer Period

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College Apps & Post-Secondary Planning

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Lake Park High School

Objectives

• Students will understand
• College & Career Center resources & how to access them
• Senior Year Upcoming Events
• Senior Year Timeline
• College Application Procedures
• Other post-secondary options
• Military, Trades, Work
• Financial Aid & Scholarships
• Students will be able to
• Access their SchooLinks accounts
• Set up College Application Manager
• Connect their Common App accounts to SchooLinks (if applicable)
• Explore other post-secondary options (if applicable)

College & Career Center

• Located in Room 231A in the library
• Mrs. Klingler’s office is in counseling- make an appointment or drop in!
• Assistance for all your post-secondary planning needs:
• Senior Seminar (Thursdays during all lunch hours!)
• Individual counseling
• College application assistance
• FAFSA completion, financial aid and scholarship resources
• Representative visits from colleges/universities, military
• Classroom presentations
• Evening programs & workshops
• Website – can be found on the LPHS homepage or from the LP Launchpad
• Instagram @lp_careercollege

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SchooLinks: Review

• Login link is on the LP Launchpad under “College & Careers”
• Use your LP Google credentials to login
• Career & college planning platform
• Database of colleges, careers, majors
• Create a personal post-secondary plan
• Track college applications & send transcripts/rec letters
• View and sign up for events, such as college rep visits
• Search for scholarships and job opportunities

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Senior Upcoming Events

• Senior Seminars - Every Thursday - Lunch periods - CCC
• Best way to get questions answered on college apps and see your senior counselor
• College Application & Financial Aid Info Night
• College Visits start early 1st semester: Visit a college rep right here at Lake Park! See the events list on SchooLinks for the schedule!
• Register for a visit in SchooLinks
• Have your teacher sign the college visit pass at least one day before the visit

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Senior Year Timeline

• Fall
• Narrow down your list of schools- should happen ASAP!
• Determine deadlines and requirements
• Apply to schools (Nov 1 is a great goal!)
• If you aren’t considering college, what is your plan? Work, trades, military?
• OCTOBER-DECEMBER: File FAFSA, Alt. App, or submit a waiver
• December-March
• Receive admission decisions
• Apply for scholarships both through your colleges and local scholarship opportunities

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College Application Procedures

for ALL Colleges

1. Complete the online application
2. Log in to SchooLinks & set up/ update College Application Manager
3. Send your transcript

1. Complete an online application

• There are often multiple platforms to apply to one college:
• The college’s website - this is school specific
• Common App- apply to multiple member schools using the same application
• State application systems
• You only need to fill out ONE application.

2. SchooLinks: College Application Manager

The SchooLinks College Application Manager allows you to:

• Track the progress and requirements for your college applications.
• Organize all the application materials for the colleges where you're applying.
• Request your application materials including transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc. to be sent to the desired institution.
• SchoolLinks is NOT an application portal

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To access Application Manager, click the Colleges icon.

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Then click College Applications.

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SchooLinks College Application Manager

• If you are applying via Common App- Link your account

• If you are applying on a college’s own application- Add the application and it’s requirements to the application manager

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3. Request your transcript

• Official Transcripts
• Once a college is added to your list of applications in SchooLinks, a request to send your transcript will happen automatically
• Self Report
• No formal request, you will enter all your courses and grades on the application

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Additional Items that MAY be required for SOME colleges:

• Test scores
• Essays
• Teacher/counselor recommendations
• Interview/Audition/Portfolio

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ACT/SAT Scores

• Determine if you need to/want to send scores
• Check your options for submitting scores:
• Self-report
• Student uploads scores, or enters them directly on the application
• Official report
• Ordered through the testing agency - College Board (SAT) or ACT
• Lake Park does not include test scores on transcripts and we cannot send test scores on your behalf

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Essays

• Check to see if your list of schools requires an essay(s)
• Personal Statement
• Common App Essay
• 7 different prompt options to choose from
• Supplemental Essays
• Smaller essays that are specific to each school
• EX: Why your major? Why this college?

Recommendation Letters

• Check to see if a recommendation letter is required and which type
• Please do not ask staff members to write a letter unless you are sure you need one.
• You can use the same letter for multiple schools
• Ask your recommender if they would be willing to write you a letter. Please do this BEFORE inviting them on SchooLinks
• Teacher Letter: "Invite" on SchooLinks for each school you want the letter for
• Counselor Letter: Will be added automatically on SchooLinks if required.
• Fill the Rec Letter Request Form AT LEAST 10 school days before your earliest application deadline.
• Recommendation Letter Request Form - COUNSELORS
• Recommendation Letter Request Form - TEACHERS
• Thank your recommender!

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NCAA

If you are planning to play sports in college and have not registered with NCAA yet, please do so ASAP!

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More information is our our website: Prospective College Student Athletes

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College of DuPage

• Apply online on COD website - typically opens around October 1
• *Mid-Year Grads - apply first semester
• Request a transcript through SchooLinks by adding COD to your application list
• Used for placement
• No essays or recommendation letters
• Useful links to COD’s website and application can be found on the College & Career Center website: College of DuPage

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Trades & Workforce

• Resources & useful links are on the CCC website: Career Resources
• Narrow your options
• Apprenticeships
• Programs through COD
• Applying to unions
• Apply
• Local Trade Union Contact Information

Military

• Know your options
• Visit with our military reps!
• They visit once a month during all lunch periods in the cafeteria, see the schedule on SchooLinks!
• No sign up is required
• Military Resources
• Once you’ve decided on a branch, ROTC, etc., complete applicable forms to register.
• Take the ASVAB test- Lake Park will host this test-usually early 2nd semester. More information to come, check your emails!

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

• The FAFSA is usually scheduled to open October 1st (past few years it has been delayed… check the CCC website)
• www.fafsa.gov
• Requirement for graduation (or Alternative App or waiver)
• LP Financial Aid Night & FAFSA Completion Workshops
• Financial Aid Office Hours- CCC

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Scholarships

• Local Scholarships
• List on SchooLinks
• Watch for LPEF Scholarships (32) - App available in late December, due in March - you’ll apply using Going Merry
• National Scholarship Searches
• Create/ update an account on Going Merry
• Can also search in SchooLinks
• College specific scholarships-check with the schools you are applying to
• We’ll get into more detail in the Winter Lancer Period lesson

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Everyone: Update SchooLinks Goals

Login to SchooLinks

1. Go to the LP Launchpad
2. Click the SchooLinks logo

3. Select “Log in with Google”

4. Choose your LPHS account

Update SchooLinks Postsecondary Goal

EVERYONE needs to update their future path before leaving class- this helps us provide specific support to you and your post secondary plans!

1. Click “Activities” > My Goals
2. If the Future Path box is blank, select a path now
3. If you need to update their path, click “Change Path” and then “Save Goal”

** You can update your path/plan at any time

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Senior Tasks

Applying to College

• Set up College Application Manager
• Link Common App account (if applicable)
• Invite recommender(s) (if applicable)
• COD - apply 2nd semester, but you can learn more about programs and the enrollment process at www.cod.edu and the COD tab on the CCC website
• Check college reg visits under “School Events”” and sign-up
• Work on your applications!

Senior Tasks

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Work & Trade

• Go to www.apprenticeship.gov
• Click on the “Resources” tab
• Under “Apprenticeship Tools” column, choose either the ”Occupation Finder” option or the “Apprenticeship Job Finder” option
• The Build Illinois website is also helpful for more information.
• Go to Local Trade Union Information and start applying
• Update your goals (click on your name in the upper right corner)
• Save careers of interest
• Read about requirements and develop next steps

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Senior Tasks

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Military

• Click here to complete a webquest exploring military career options and how to pursue them.
• Update your goals (click on your name in the upper right corner)
• Save careers of interest
• Read about requirements and develop next steps

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Good Luck SENIORS!

Thank you for your attention!

Need more post-secondary planning help? Make an appointment with Mrs. Klingler!