HPHS Postsecondary Counseling News
Junior Update - November/December 2021
A Note from the Postsecondary Counseling Team
The Postsecondary Counseling Team
Mr. Rob Becker - CRC Coordinator
Dr. Aliza Gilbert - Postsecondary Counselor & Co-Chair of Counseling Department
Dr. Bill Morrison - Postsecondary Counselor
Mrs. Jen Pendergast - Postsecondary Counselor
Kick-off to Postsecondary Planning Program Review
Thank you to those who attended our virtual Kickoff to Postsecondary Planning meeting on November 18th. We hope you found it informative. For those of you who may have missed the event, the recorded presentations, PowerPoint presentations, and handout from the meeting will be available on the Postsecondary Counseling website under the Information for Juniors>Programs this week. A reminder that all of our programs are listed here and we regularly post the subsequent materials a few days after the program.
The Role of Postsecondary Counseling
Website: https://www.dist113.org/Page/349
Location: 433 Vine Avenue, Highland Park, IL, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HPHS-Postsecondary-Counseling-520027864823500
Join us: Testing Amid the Surging Test Optional Movement
Students & Parents, please attend a virtual presentation co-hosted by D113 and D225, where our trusted colleagues at Compass Education Group will provide insight on practical, usable information about standardized testing and college admissions. This Virtual Meeting will take place on November 30, 2021 at 7:00 pm. You must register ahead of time and can do so here.
Postsecondary Counselor Appointments
Individual appointments for students and families with Postsecondary Counselors begin in January and will continue throughout the spring. The Postsecondary Counselor calendars will open for appointments beginning January 5, 2022, with appointments themselves beginning on January 19, 2022. Postsecondary Counselors are pre-assigned, if you have a compelling reason and wish to request assignment to a particular Postsecondary Counselor email Dr. Aliza Gilbert at agilbert@dist113.org by Dec. 6. Please include your reasons for the request. All requests will be considered but may or may not be granted.
Before making an appointment check your account in MaiaLearning, where you will see the name of your assigned postsecondary counselor on the right hand side of your Student Dashboard. Once you know who your designated Postsecondary Counselor is, visit our webpage to make your appointment by clicking on the name of your counselor under Contacts. Initial appointments are scheduled through Calendly and are 55 minutes in length. Students need to complete the self-assessment form shared in homerooms during Postsecondary Planning 101 in December before your initial appointment.
Waiver of Access Form
Included in the materials from Kickoff to Postsecondary Planning is the District 113 Waiver of Access form (Spanish). All students who wish to have a letter of recommendation written by a member of the HPHS faculty or staff for college admissions, scholarships, employment, summer programs, etc. MUST complete this form and turn it into Mr. Rob Becker, CRC Coordinator, at rbecker@dist113.org.
This waiver of access form will waive your right to access the recommendation, thereby making it a much stronger recommendation in the eyes of the viewer. This is especially important to keep in mind for those who will be applying to colleges next fall when you will see this same waiver type of question on various applications. We encourage you to waive your right whenever asked because colleges and universities won’t consider a recommendation as strongly if you do not waive your right to see it. Another way to view this is that if you have any concerns about what the recommender might write about you, then you are probably asking the wrong person to write it.
Virtual Programs, Resources & Tools to Support your Search Process
As a response to the pandemic, colleges, universities, and different types of organizations have begun to offer a variety of virtual programming to address the needs of students. These options range from virtual open houses, campus tours, and various types of information sessions. Check with the schools you are interested in to see what types of virtual and in person programs they are offering and be sure to take advantage of these opportunities!
The Illinois Association for College Admissions Counseling (IACAC) has many resources available on it's website but a few to check out are:
* This past fall IACAC hosted 6x6 Virtual College Fairs hosted by several different colleges, covering a variety of topics, check out the recordings here
* Calendar of College Fairs 2022
We know that keeping track of your research and your reflection on what you need and want for your future can be challenging. MaiaLearning is a great place to keep track of schools you are interested in learning more about by simply clicking the "heart" emoticon in your account. Another tool we found from GeorgiaTech is this fillable planner that may help you consider what is important to you, and finding the best FIT for you is the ultimate goal in this process.
Last, but not least, the HPHS Postsecondary Counseling website has a number of resources within the navigation bar: GaP Year, Special Student Populations, Careers, Military and other Useful Sites are just some of the topics you can learn more about there.
Looking Ahead ~ Upcoming HPHS Postsecondary Counseling Programs
Although listed on our website under Calendar of Programs, we wanted to communicate all of the programs coming up in the weeks ahead and next semester. All programs will be held virtually, and you will receive an email with program details and link to access three weeks before the meeting .
Students Only:
Postsecondary Planning 101
PSC 101
December ~ Self-Assessment and the Postsecondary Planning Process
Postsecondary Planning 102
~ Delivered during Homerooms throughout the Winter and Spring of Semester 2
* Postsecondary Counselors will conduct 10-15 minute virtual presentations on a variety of topics during Homeroom. In addition to the presentations students will be encouraged to utilize a variety of resources suggested by the Postsecondary Counselor to further expand their knowledge of the topic of the day.
PSC 102:
February ~ MaiaLearning
~ Researching Colleges
March ~ Alternatives to Traditional Four-Year Colleges
April ~ How Admissions works/Types of Admissions Plans
~ Tips for Tackling the Process
May ~ Essay Writing - Brainstorming Topics and Dos & Don’ts
PARENT & STUDENT PROGRAMS:
February 1, 2022 6:30PM
Understanding College Options
A discussion of the various types of college options available from the perspective of admissions representatives at different institutions. Large public, small liberal arts, 2-year colleges, and International Options will be covered.
February, 23, 2022 6:30PM
Financial Planning for College
An overview of the different ways families meet the rising cost of college education will be discussed. Strategies covered will include need based financial aid, merit-based scholarships, reciprocity, and shortening the amount of time in college. Presenters will review the different ways that families take on the challenge of paying for college.
April 4-7, 2022 6:30PM
Exploring the Admission Process Week
Admissions representatives from a variety of institutions will review different aspects of the college application process. Topics to be covered will include highly selective admissions, essays, interviews, athletic admissions, and visual and performing arts. A different topic will be presented each evening.
Staying in Touch
The Postsecondary Counseling team will stay in touch with you in a number of ways throughout this process. Keep an eye out for these quarterly newsletters, watch for email communications from us, and join our Facebook page. Finally, familiarize yourself with the many resources available on our Postsecondary Counseling website.