CCR Update
St. Charles East-October 7, 2022
Fall Testing
10th & 11th-grade students will be taking College Board's PSAT/NMSQT exam in the traditional paper & pencil format.
12th graders have a non-attendance day. Seniors are encouraged to use this day to complete college applications, make a college visit, complete the FAFSA, apply for scholarships or attend our College Application & Essay Workshop in the Main Commons.
Grade-specific emails have been sent with more details about testing.
FAFSA Graduation Requirement
P. A. 101-180 requires all Illinois public high school students to complete either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma. Additionally, high schools are expected to provide students and their families with any support or guidance necessary to comply with the requirement. For students who choose not to file an application, a waiver may be completed by their parent. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) makes available through their website a FAFSA Nonparticipation Form (English and Spanish) for this purpose. Check out our FAFSA Update for more information.
ECC's Financial Aid 101
Date: Saturday, October 8, 2022 to Saturday, October 8, 2022
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: ECC Main Campus, Bldg. E, Rm. 125, Seigle Auditorium
All are welcome to attend this FREE and informative event. During the event, you can: Learn ways to pay for college at ECC. Explore the differences between grants, loans, scholarships, and student employment. Hear about how to apply for financial aid and scholarships at ECC. Speak with financial aid representatives about your Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA). Attendees will have the opportunity to start (and even complete) their 2023-2024 FAFSA at this event. Experts will be on hand throughout the event to answer questions.
FAFSA Completion Workshop
Senior Meetings
Each senior will meet individually with their school counselor regarding their post-secondary plan during the months of September and October. Seniors can start booking appointments with their counselor using their You Can Book Me link found on the CCR homepage or the link below.
College Application/Post Secondary Workshops
The College & Career Readiness Team will be offering workshops in the LRC-East & West Labs to assist our seniors with their post-secondary planning for college, military, trades, etc. These workshops will run periods 1-8 every Wednesday from August 31 until October 26th. Seniors are reminded to attend during a free period in their schedule.
CCR Events-Save the Date
- September 21: Financial Aid Night-St. Charles North Auditorium
- October 19: FAFSA Completion Workshop-Saints Lab-B200C
- October 25: 2 Year, Tech, Trades & Military Post-Secondary Options-Compass Academy (Haines Center)
- November 9: Future College Athlete Night-St. Charles North Auditorium
- November 30: Early College Credit Information Night-NCAC/East Auditorium
- March 1: Spring Into College-NCAC/East Auditorium
- March 15: Illinois Regional College Fair-Kane County Fairgrounds
More details will be shared as we get closer to each event date.
2023 AP Exams for Students NOT Enrolled in the Class
Important information for students who are interested in taking an AP exam but are not enrolled in the corresponding AP course:
Students wishing to take any AP exams for classes in which they are not enrolled must register and pay for the exam no later than Friday, November 11. The fee is $97 per exam and is non-refundable after November 11. Registration forms are available here or in the College & Career Office. Once payment is received, you will receive a join code from Mr. Gill to complete your order.
Job Shadow Program
The City of St. Charles is offering a career pathway job shadow program to St. Charles high school students interested in exploring a career in municipal government. You may schedule up to three different job shadow experiences per school year, during which you can explore work sites, ask questions, see demonstrations, and learn about education and certifications. Students will be responsible for transportation to and from the City. The date, time, and length of the job shadow will be scheduled outside of school hours directly with the City’s job shadow program coordinator. Please return your completed registration form to Mr. Matt Gill in the College & Career Office.
NIU-STEM Fest
Join us Oct. 15, 2022 from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm at STEM Fest. Along with the opportunity to meet and network with students, faculty and industry professionals in a variety of STEM Fields, students can also engage with nearly 100 hands on exhibits and activities, including Meta Code Remix, a free one-hour introduction to music production workshop for students ages 13+ that brings beat-making and coding to life. Students will program musical beats using block-based coding in Javascript and then share their creation with their community. All participating students will receive a Certificate of Completion. Advance registration for these workshops is required and now open at: https://niu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bDxRKDtSQY9fFRA. You won’t want to miss these hands-on sessions on the campus of NIU.
It takes place in the heart of NIU’s DeKalb central campus in the Holmes Student Center, MLK Commons and Founders Memorial Library. Download our STEM Fest activities and exhibits map to bring along on Saturday, October 15, 2022.
Parking is available for free in any lot on campus on the day of STEM Fest. (Do not park in any space marked “Reserved.”) A parking map is available here.
College & Career Events
Upcoming Events:
The Start of College Decisions
Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2022 to Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: Virtual
Where to start your college research? How to focus your research? This workshop will help you better define your search parameters and share resources to use in your college planning. Registration Required
College Visits-In Person & Virtual
Virtual campus visits are an excellent way to learn more about prospective colleges and universities. These visits can be a precursor to an in-person visit over the summer or in the fall. Virtual campus tour websites are listed below:
All virtual and in-person meetings will be in the LRC (unless otherwise noted) and students must obtain a pass from the Office of College and Career Readiness at least one day prior to attending. This pass then should be signed by the teacher of the class for that period. While we encourage students to attend these meetings, please note that what is happening in the classroom is more important. Teachers may deny the request to miss class if they feel it is in the student’s best interest to be in attendance.
If you have a conflict with a college visit, please email Patty.Hofer@d303.org for the college rep's contact information.
For Scheduled Virtual Visits: Click the link to enter the live virtual conference with a college rep. For the full listing go to the College Visit page on the CCR Website.
Upcoming Visits:
Oct 11th @ 7:20/1st period - Knox College (IL)
Oct 11th @ 8:13/2nd period - Belmont University (TN)
Oct 11th @ 9:09/3rd period - Kettering University (MI)
Oct 11th @ 10:02/4th period - University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus (PA)
Oct 11th @ 10:55/5th period - The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (TN)
Oct 11th @ 11:48/6th period - Marquette University (WI)
Oct 11th @ 12:41/7th period - University of Kentucky (KY)
Oct 11th @ 1:34/8th period - Trinity International University - Illinois (IL)
Oct 13th @ 7:20/1st period - University of Maryland - College Park (MD)
Oct 13th @ 8:13/2nd period - University of Kentucky (KY) - College of Engineering
Oct 13th @ 9:09/3rd period - University of Nebraska-Lincoln (NE)
Oct 13th @ 10:02/4th period - Blackburn College (IL)
Oct 13th @ 10:55/5th period - Truman State University (MO)
Oct 13th @ 11:48/6th period - Wittenberg University (OH)
Oct 13th @ 12:41/7th period - University of Akron Main Campus (OH)
Oct 13th @ 1:34/8th period - University of Arkansas (AR)
Oct 14th @ 8:13/2nd period - University of Denver (CO)
Oct 14th @ 11:48/6th period - University of Colorado Boulder
The College Tour
Hosted by Alex Boylan, each episode of The College Tour tells the story of a single college through the lens of its students.
Join us for a truly one-of-a-kind series featuring colleges and universities in a way they have never been seen before!
7 Tips for Amazing Campus Visits
A campus visit's significance could not be overstated. After all, four years of your life will be spent at the college you decide to select. This is particularly important for high school students searching for numerous universities and colleges. Admission advisors encourage the students to have scheduled campus visits to get a general outlook for the schools.
If you're an incoming college freshman or transferee, here are some specific pointers about how to get the most out of your college visits: Read Full Article here.
Scholarships
Information for local scholarships and select national scholarships is available in the College and Career Office and through the scholarship listing on the CCR website. This list will continue to grow throughout the school year.
Heisman High School Scholarship Program
Heisman High School Scholarship Program
The Heisman High School Scholarship program honors hundreds of the nation’s most accomplished, community-minded high school senior athletes each year. This year, the college scholarship amounts have been doubled, increasing support for each student-athlete’s education. The program will recognize a winner from each high school that has student participation. The top male and female applicants from each state will be awarded $1,000. State winners will move on for the chance to become a national finalist and win at least $2,000. Of the national finalists, a male and a female will be selected as the winner of the $10,000 National Heisman High School Scholarship. Community-minded scholar-athletes can learn more and apply at https://heismanscholarship.com. the application deadline is October 18, 2022.VFW-Voice of Democracy
The Voice of Democracy is the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ premier scholarship program. Each year nearly 40,000 high school students compete for more than $2 million in scholarships and incentives, with a top prize of $30,000. Students compete by writing and recording an audio essay on an annual patriotic theme. The 2022-2023 audio-essay competition topic is: Why is the Veteran Important? The Voice of Democracy is open to students in grades 9-12. The VFW Post 5036 will award a $1,000 renewable scholarship for the local winner. Please contact Richard Zawislak (richard.zawislak@yahoo.com) for details on how to submit your entry. All entries should be submitted to the local St. Charles VFW Post 5036 by October 21, 2022 in order to meet the national deadline. Rules and criteria for submitting your application are attached here.
The Cameron Pepera Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Cameron Pepera Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Cameron Pepera Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by Kevin, Judy, and Paige Pepera of Saint Charles, IL, in loving memory of their beloved son and brother, Cameron (August 2002-September 2015). The Pepera Family’s vision is to keep the memory of Cameron alive in the community and to help students in the area who may need additional support to have a fulfilling future after high school. Eligibility is restricted to students who are high school seniors graduating from St. Charles North and St. Charles East High Schools. Students must demonstrate a need for financial assistance. It is preferred that the students have participated in extracurricular activities during their high school years, i.e. sports, clubs, and/or volunteering. The application for a 2023-2024scholarship has been linked from the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley website. The application will be available from October 7, 2022 through December 9, 2022.
Kayla’s Hope Scholarship Fund
Kayla's Hope Scholarship Fund was created by Hans, Ruthie and Hannah Lehmann of Saint Charles, IL to honor the life of their beautiful daughter and sister, Kayla Brooke Lehmann (April 5, 2003- April 7, 2018). Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 are awarded to 2 graduates of St. Charles East High School and 2 graduates St. Charles North High School who will continue their education studying music, literature, psychiatry or psychology. The application for a 2023-2024 scholarship has been linked from the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley website. The application will be available from October 7, 2022 through December 9, 2022.
College & Career Readiness Team
Website: https://sites.google.com/d303.org/stcharleseast--collegecareer/home
Location: 1020 Dunham Road, St. Charles, IL, USA
Phone: 331-228-5538
Twitter: @STCECCR