JUNIOR SEMINARA GUIDE TO JUNIOR YEAR AND PLANNING AHEAD

Waukegan High School

Academics:

Junior year is probably the most important year when it comes to your grades!

READ, READ, READ!

Academics: Study skills

Note taking, highlighting, etc

Time management Set aside time for studying and homework

Organization Agenda book, folders, etc

Meet with your Counselor

Elective Fair

Course choices for senior year

Make sure your courses prepare you for your future! Ask teachers for recommendations Consider honors or AP classes.

Extracurricular Activities

-Get Involved- Colleges want well-rounded students

-Extracurricular involvement shows commitment

-Be sure to keep a current record of all of your accomplishments, awards, and activities.

College Prep. Opportunities

ATTEND COLLEGE REP VISITS IN THE HEWITT/CUBE CENTER

ATTEND COLLEGE CAMPUS VISITS

Review the calendar for college reps and decide which sessions you’d like to attend. Make sure to let your teacher know ahead of time making sure they sign off on your admission ticket.

Before making your final decision to attend a college, be sure to schedule a campus visit and arrive prepared with a list of questions to ask. Take this time to meet with their admissions and financial aid advisor.

ACT

All juniors will be taking the ACT this spring. This is an important college entrance exam. Continue to use this time to prepare for the ACT and take advantage ACT workshops as they become available.

Attend College Fairs

During the spring of each year, the Hispanic College Fair comes to Waukegan High School and juniors are invited to visit each college’s booth, talk with a college rep, and pick up information on the school including academic and financial aid info.

The College of Lake County hosts a large college fair each year so keep watch for those dates.

Register For the NCAA

If you are a student athlete who wants to continue in college: Register on the NCAA eligibility center. Speak with your family, coach, and counselor For more information and to view athletic

eligibility, visit www.eligibilitycenter.org

Interested in Joining the Military?

1) Speak with a recruiter to learn about entrance requirements and discuss taking the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery),

2) You’ll want to be well informed of the different branches and requirements before making a decision whether to enlist or not.

For more information, visit www.todaysmilitary.com

Determine Interests & Set Goals

Junior year is when you should begin to think about possible career paths

Naviance can help you decide

Career Interest Profiler

Follow these steps to access the career interest profiler on Naviance: Click the “about me” tab Under “my assessments”, click “career interest

profiler” Click, “start profiler” to begin survey

Career Interest Profiler Cont’d

Remember to answer honestly!

Ask yourself: What am I good at? What skills do I have? Would I enjoy continuing my education and for how

long? Would I prefer to attend a career program at a

community college or vocational school for a year and begin working right away?

Why do I want to attend college? (Career advancement, money, independence, etc.)

 Job Shadowing

As you begin to consider some of your interests, talk with an adult who works within that job and ask them for an interview. If possible, see if you can job shadow that person for the day.

The Career Search

. A career search will help answer some of these questions:

What types of jobs match my interests and skills?

What type of education and training is required?

How much will it cost me to attend school to finish this degree/certificate?

What is the demand for this position, are there a lot of these jobs available?

How much money will I make?

The Career SearchFollow these steps to access the career searches on Naviance: Click on the “Careers” tab Under “Explore Careers” click on “Explore Careers

and Clusters”

The College Board has a career and college major search. Once on the website, click on “Explore Careers”

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org

The College Search

Once you’ve determined your interest of study, you can begin your college search where you’ll eventually narrow down your list to a couple of schools. Naviance has several features that can assist you in your search. Follow these steps to access the College Searches on Naviance: Log into your personal account Click on the “Colleges” tab Under “College Research”, click any of the 5 Search

links

The College Search

Factors to consider Admission Requirements Location Cost Size Build your list  Reach: admission is a “long shot”, but you

should apply anyway Match: there is a “likely” chance you’ll get

in Safety: you will “most certainly” get in

College websites: What am I looking for & how do I get there?

Northern’s Website

College Websites Cont’d…

Across the top, you see the following categories: Academics, Admissions, Tuition & Financial Aid, Life at NIU, and Research.   

College Websites Cont’d… Admissions-Once in Admissions, you’ll want to click on

“Undergraduate Admissions”, which will direct you to the page for freshman or transfer students.

College Websites Cont’d…

NIU even offers an easy step-by-step guide to applying for admission.

College Websites Cont’d…

Tuition & Financial Aid-

Expenditure Price

Illinois Resident Total Cost $25,680

   In-State Tuition $9,096

   Other Fees $3,880

   Room and Board $11,404

   Books and Supplies $1,300

Non-Resident Total Cost $34,776

   Out-of-State Tuition $18,192

   Other Fees $3,880

   Room and Board $11,404

   Books and Supplies $1,300

College Websites Cont’d…

Life at NIU-This area provides a variety of information on how to get involved, including available student organizations, sports, housing options, student services, and much more.

…While there is much more to be considered within a college website, this should help give you an introduction to some of the more common pages you’ll need to explore during your initial visit to a website.

Glossary of Terms Associate degree- a degree awarded to students who complete

two years of full time study at a college or university.   Bachelor’s degree- a degree awarded to students who complete 4

years of full time study at a college or university.   Certificate- an award given to students for completing a non-

degree program usually within one year or less and typically given by two year colleges or vocational schools.

College- a general term to describe an institution of higher learning

and can also be a division of a university that offers a specialized group of courses.

  Community college- a college that offers two-year programs that

lead to an associate degree.

Early action (non-binding)- students apply to a college early, usually in November, and receive a response from the college at an earlier time, usually in December.

Glossary of Terms Early decision (binding)- students apply to a college early,

usually in November, and receive a response from the college at an earlier time, usually in December. If admitted, they must attend that college and withdraw all other applications from other colleges. Students can only apply to one early decision college.

Financial aid- a scholarship, grant, or loan provided to assist a student’s college expenses.

FAFSA (free application for federal student aid)- an application that is used to determine the amount your family is expected to pay for college and whether you are eligible for financial aid.

Grant- money provided to help pay for college expenses that does not need to be repaid and is need-based.

  Major- an area of study that a student specializes in when

working to complete their degree.

Glossary of Terms Priority deadline- students that apply by this date have a greater

chance of being admitted and receiving a scholarship. (November 1st and 15th)

Regular decision- students apply to a college by a specified date, typically in January and receive notification around sometime in March or April.

  Resume- a written document that includes an individual’s education,

work experience, and accomplishments. This is submitted to employers in an effort to find a job.

Rolling admissions- colleges review student applications right away after they have been submitted and usually will notify the student of their decision within a few weeks.

  Scholarship- money provided to help pay for college expenses, which

is based on merit or academic achievement.

University- an institution of higher learning that houses several colleges.