October is 'College Application' Month in Valley View

Both Bolingbrook and Romeoville high schools have been selected by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) as host schools for Illinois College Application Month in October.

“The whole idea is to get every senior at both high schools started on a post-secondary plan so that when spring comes, they don’t find themselves starting from square one,” said Dorletta Payton, Director of College and Career Readiness for Valley View School District 365U.

“ISAC wants to show students that college is accessible and affordable and there is a way for them to obtain a post-secondary education,” added Audrey Smith, an ISAC Outreach Corps member who will work with BHS and RHS students throughout the school year.

Some 1,300 VVSD high school students will participate in College Application Month. Each student will be asked to submit at least one application to a college (two or four year) or trade school. Students interested in the military will be asked to meet with a recruiter in October.

Signage at both high schools, as well as Phoenix Experience and VVSD’s S.T.E.P, will promote the month. Recruiters from a wide variety of institutions will visit all four schools in both September and October. Students will also be encouraged to ask teachers about their college experiences.

“Of course, this isn’t a one-shot deal,” Payton said. “Throughout the year, all of our middle schools and high schools will continue to be involved in a variety of ways including workshops for students and parents. It’s really our opportunity to shine a light on college and career readiness.”

Smith, a University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign grad who is pursuing a master’s degree in education, will be at BHS every Tuesday and RHS every Thursday. She will also work with students at Lukancic Middle School.

Among some of the workshops she and her team will conduct:

•The College Admissions Process (Sept. 10 at BHS and Sept. 23 at RHS, both starting at 6 p.m.)

•The College Admissions Process, Part 2 (application, interviews and scholarships) (6 p.m. Oct. 28 at RHS)

•The Financial Aid Process (Nov. 3 & 4 during Parent-Teacher Conferences at RHS and 6 p.m. Nov. 12 at BHS)

•FAFSA Completion Night (Jan. 27 & Feb. 24 at RHS, Feb. 11 at BHS, both starting at 6 p.m.)

•Starting the College Search (for junior parents) (6 p.m. March 11 at BHS)

•The Importance of Standardized Testing (tentatively 6 p.m. April 14 at RHS)

•Future Planning (summer school & career opportunities) (6 p.m. May 13 at BHS)

“We want parents and students to ask questions about the college-going process and feel comfortable in doing so,” Smith said. “There are lots of adults out there who wish they had an ISAC member helping them when they were going through their college search process.”