SCOUT DESTINATIONS
A QUARTERLY GUIDE TO COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING
Happy Holidays! All of us in Educational Services wish our families a relaxing and enjoyable Winter Break. Our winter edition includes important dates on the horizon. We share several timely articles about the college search process and have some interesting Gap Year data as well. As always, we highlight some of the colleges our Counselors are visiting this year and places our graduates have gone. Hopefully, there are some places on our list that might be a part of your student’s search in the near future. We always welcome reader feedback. You can share comments with Dr. Patrick Sassen, Director of Educational Services ( psassen@lfschools.net).
Upcoming Events in Educational Services
Scholarship Scoop
Senior students...are you looking for scholarships to help pay for college?
Check out the December issue of the Scholarship Scoop HERE

FREE SAT Preparation Classes at LFHS
LFHS is excited to offer FREE SAT Test Prep classes to junior students as they prepare for the SAT test on April 7, 2020, which is administered to all juniors during the school day at LFHS. The Prep classes will meet Saturday mornings at LFHS East Campus, beginning
January 25 through March 14, 2020. All the details and registration information HERE

New Trier Gap Year Fair
Details about this annual event that provides families all the information
they need to consider a Gap Year - HERE

Junior Class Course Registrations
Junior students will meet with their Counselors to schedule classes
for the 2020-2021 school year and to review graduation requirements.
February 2020

Career Fair
Company representatives from across the Chicagoland area
(including many in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff) will answer questions.
Some offer summer intern opportunities.
March 17, 2020 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Competition Gym

Ask the Experts - College Admissions Panel
Admissions representatives from a variety of colleges will answer questions
from the audience in a moderated setting. Parents and students
are encouraged to attend
March 19, 2020 7:00 PM 
RMA

Junior Family College Meetings
Counselors meet with juniors and their families in March and April
to discuss the college exploration and application processes.
Invites to come in the after the first of the year.

Prom & Graduation Meeting
LFHS administrators and APT representatives
go over logistics and expectations for these events.
April 16, 2020 6:30 PM
RMA
In the News
Excellent article about what matters most in college admission beyond grades, test scores and extracurricular activities...
 
10 College Application Mistakes to Avoid...
 
6 Common College Admissions Myths. Get a feel for how much grades, tests and your resume really matter from those who review the applications... 
 
Beginning September 2020, students will be able to retake sections of the ACT, superscore their results and sit for a digital version of the assessment...
 
What senior students can do if they have been deferred by a college in the admission process...
 
What senior students can do if they have been waitlisted by a college in the admission process...
 
Gap Year Data: Gap Year Solutions did a study of 27 high schools (with an average class size of 347 students) located in North Carolina, Illinois, California, New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts to identify Gap Year trends. They found the average percentage per graduating class taking a Gap Year was 2.5%.

Follow LFHS Educational Services on Facebook and Twitter @scoutservices1 to learn valuable information about college admission, career exploration, college scholarships, and the daily happenings of the LFHS Ed Services Department. 
Nuts & Bolts
Registration for 2020-2021 School Year 
The best preparation for college is to keep a rigorous schedule including at least four core courses all four years. Beginning February 5 and continuing throughout the month, counselors will meet with students to get them registered for the following school year. Teachers will be providing recommendations for classes. Students should keep in mind extracurricular activities and other responsibilities to help them balance their schedule.  Rising seniors have many options for English, science and social studies classes. Please consult the curriculum guide found on the LFHS website here for detailed course descriptions prior to registration.

Mid-year Transcripts
Seventh semester transcripts are automatically sent to colleges that seniors have applied to (and previously requested transcripts for). Colleges often want these grades as part of the admission process, so seniors are encouraged to keep their grades strong! Mid-year transcripts are typically sent late January. Students are reminded to check their application status through the college’s website or portal to see if any other information has been requested. 

What to do When Deferred from a College
A deferral means a college is postponing an admission decision and will review the application with the regular decision applicants. Students will then receive an admission decision in the spring. It is common for colleges to request additional information such as 7th semester grades before making an admission decision.

Registering for ACT/SAT Tests
Juniors are encouraged to register early for standardized tests they wish to take during the second semester. Many Saturday test date options are available for both the ACT and SAT as indicated on the respective websites: www.act.org or www.collegeboard.org. LFHS will host the ACT on February 8, and SAT on March 8. Additionally, all juniors will take the SAT at LFHS during the school day on April 7. This is a graduation requirement. Colleges will take either of these tests as part of the application process, and they do not have a preference between the two tests. Many students will take both the ACT and SAT to determine if they are better suited for one of these tests. 
  
CAREER INFO: Job Shadows
Students who want to learn more about careers are encouraged to participate in a job shadow experience. This gives students an opportunity to gain a better understanding of what a day in a specific career typically entails. Students should contact Jim Sullivan ( jsullivan@lfschools.net) for details.
Schools Worth a Look
Located in Elon, North Carolina
(Photo courtesy of Elon University website)

Elon is a midsize liberal arts institution with approximately 5,800 undergraduate students. It is known for its friendly student body and strong sense of community. Elon emphasizes its Five Learning Experiences (Service Learning, Leadership, Undergraduate Research, Internships, and Study Abroad). EU accepts 57% of its applicants with an average ACT range of 25 to 29. Popular majors include Communications, Business, Exercise Science, Psychology, and Education. 
Located in Auburn, Alabama
Photo courtesy of Auburn University website)

Auburn is a large flagship research institution with approximately 24 thousand undergraduate students. It offers one of the best college towns in the US, with an easily walkable campus. The student body actively supports their sports teams, and Greek life is popular. Auburn accepts 78% of its applicants with an average ACT range of 24 to 30. Popular majors include Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, Business, Management, Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Architecture, Education, and Agriculture.
Places We're Going This Spring
Each year, LFHS Counselors identify areas of the country they want to visit to learn more about certain colleges our students show interest in. They look to visit a wide variety of places in order to diversify their knowledge of the many institutions this country has to offer. Information from these trips are presented to the Counseling team once they return.

A few examples of other schools our Counselors will be visiting:

Brown University, Bryant University, Johnson & Wales University, New England Institute of Technology, Providence College, Rhode Island College, Rhode Island School of Design, Roger Williams University, Salve Regina University, and University of Rhode Island, NC State, UNC - Chapel Hill, Duke, Elon, High Point , Wake Forest, Davidson, George Washington, Georgetown, American U, Catholic U, U Maryland, Johns Hopkins
Schools Our LFHS Students are Attending