Important Dates for Seniors and Parents

Below is a list of important dates this year with a short description of each. We encourage seniors and parents to attend as many of these programs as possible. For more info on any of them, please call (309) 274-5481 x2.

Financial Aid/Scholarship Night
Thursday, Sept 9th
6:00 p.m. - IVC Library

A representative from the IL Student Assistance Commission will be at IVC to present a program on financial aid and scholarships. This program is very informative, especially for those parents who are new to the college application process. FAFSA will also be introduced.

Off to College/FAFSA Intro Breakfast
Friday, Sept 17th
8:30-9:30 a.m. - Chillicothe Library

This is our 12th year offering an Off to College Breakfast at the Chilli library. The breakfast will cover the application process, some of the ins and outs of college, tips for parents, and more. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be

SAT TEST - October Test Deadline Approaches

The deadline for the October 2nd SAT is coming up. Registration deadline is Spetember 3rd. Any senior who plans to retake the SAT should sign up ASAP.  To register, students should go to www.collegeboard.org. The test is not given at IVC but there are nearby testing centers.

Sidenote: All juniors will be taking the test in April. The school takes care of that registration.

SENIORS - What is Parchment?

Parchment is the electronic transcript site that makes sending transcripts simple. It is completely free for all students currently in high school. The best part...it takes about 2 minutes to go on the site and request a transcript. The counselors then click an approve button and the colleges have the transcript. It is the only way that transcripts will be sent to colleges, universities, NCAA, etc.

Reminder to seniors: You must register using the email that was sent to your school email from Parchment. Registration takes about 5-10 minutes but will only need to be done once. After you are registered, ordering transcripts couldn't be simpler.

Note to Parents: The student must sign up for Parchment using the link to his/her school email address. Any accounts using other email addresses will not work because the account will not be properly linked to our school. Please encourage the students to set up the account as soon as possible. It is the only way transcripts will be sent.

Welcome to the New School Year!!!

We are so glad to get back to school. With the exception of masks, this school year will hopefully look a lot more "normal" than last year did. There will definitely be a blend of in-person and virtual events hosted by the counseling department throughout the year. We look forward to staying in touch with all parents and students.

New to the Counseling Department:
Mrs. Rachel Williams - Mrs. Williams comes to us from Midland High School. She will be taking over the caseload that Ms. Lee had in past years.  We are super excited to have Mrs. Williams aboard. 

Please reach out to any of the counselors with any questions you may have:

Mr. Mark Kosinski (students last name A-K) - mkosinski@ivcschools.com

Mrs. Laura Davis (students last name L-Z) - ldavis@ivcschools.com

Mrs. Rachel Williams (students with IEPs and 504s) - rwilliams@ivcschools.com

Seniors Going to ICC in the Fall

ICC’s Smart Start Boot Camp

July 12 - August 6 (Monday- Friday)

8:00 am – 3:00 pm

ICC East Peoria or Peoria Campus

(in-person with adherence to COVID-19 guidelines)

Smart Start is a four-week summer program designed to strengthen your math and English skills and develop college success strategies to prepare you for the transition to academic life at Illinois Central College.

As a student in the Smart Start program, you will:

• Develop skills to be successful in college
• Gain a greater understanding of ICC resources
• Establish a support system of fellow students & college personnel

$25 one-time fee, which students receive back as bookstore credit upon successful completion.

REGISTER now. Enrollment is limited.

icc.edu/smartstart

Questions? Contact ashaw@icc.edu or earlycollege@icc.edu

Need a summer job - How about detasseling??

Team Corn is hiring for Summer Jobs

• Great Wages & Hourly Incentive Pay
• Free Transportation
• Flexibility with your schedule
• Leadership Opportunities

You can apply online at:   www.teamcorn.com

ICC OPEN HOUSE

 ICC would like to announce that in-person Open House is back. Students and families can explore the 150+ programs of study at ICC, meet in-person* with faculty and staff, discover student activities, and begin the steps to enrollment.

ICC Open Houses:
Thursday, April 22 from 3-7 pm (East Peoria Campus)
Tuesday, April 27 from 3-7 pm (Peoria Campus)

Advance registration is required to ensure social distancing and capacity limits.
Register at icc.edu/openhouse.

*Face masks are required and all COVID guidelines will be followed for safety measures.

Can't make an Open House event? The ICC Admissions team is now meeting in-person* with potential students. Visit icc.edu/visit to schedule an individual visit to the ICC campus.

SENIORS: Which Scholarships Need Recommendations

Local Scholarships are due in a few weeks.  Just to clear up some confusion, recommendations are only needed for a number of the scholarships. Please ask the people as soon as possible.

Below is a list of the scholarships requiring a recommendation.

• Chet Coffey Scholarship
• Cusac Scholarship
• Fraternal Order of Police Scholarship
• Jane Harms Scholarship
• Leighton Scholarship
• Noah Ordaz Heart of Gold Scholarship
• Path to Gold Scholarship
• Pilger Scholarship
• Truitt Scholarship

A How-to-Guide to Freshman Registration

Planning a schedule for freshman year can be quite an intimidating process. Hopefully this blog post will help students and parents through the process. The lime green registration sheets are due by Thursday, March 25th to the student's grade school main office. Class selection should also be inputted into TeacherEase before returning the sheets (for those students with access to TeacherEase.)

The front side of the registration sheet is the demographic portion. It is important that it be filled out completely since the information will be entered into the computer system.

Please click below for further instructions...

Pearce Hiring Swim Instructors

Pearce is looking for Swim Lessons Instructors to help out with youth swim lessons. It’s a good way to get a head start on your Spring Break or Summer job and help teach valuable skills to kids in the community. A great, and fun, job for lifeguards or anyone with swimming experience. Fill out an application at pearcecc.com or come in a fill out an application. Any questions call Pearce and ask for Andrew.

Scholarship Presentation

The counselors met with the senior class this morning to present all of the local scholarships available to the students for the 2021-22 school year.

Any student who was not in attendance is encouraged to take a look at the presentation by clicking here and stopping by the counseling office to chat with the counselors about any other tips that may have come up during the presentation.

All scholarships must be accessed through Naviance. Students can log in to Naviance using Clever.  The list of scholarships can be found by clicking here or the link in the Local Scholarships Section to the right.

ICC Scholarship Deadline Approaches

 Just a reminder to all students who plan to attend next fall, the scholarship application is due Mar 1st. There are scholarships exclusively for IVC students so this is definitely something that all prospective ICC students should be applying.  

To apply for scholarships, go to  https://icc.edu/students/scholarships/

Local Scholarship Dates Approach!!

Each year, over $125,000 is given out in local scholarships. These scholarships range from $250 to $40,000. Last year, there were nearly 50 different scholarships awarded to graduating seniors. With the growing cost of college, every penny helps.

Here is a breakdown of the upcoming dates...

Wednesday, February 24th - Local Scholarship Meeting - Extended HR (7:40-8:45)

Students will see a presentation on all of the available scholarships. They will also receive a handout which lists each scholarship. That sheet will be posted on this blog for all students and parents to view. Students will be able to access all scholarships through Naviance. For the first year ever, all scholarships will be done electronically.

Tuesday, April 6th - DUE DATE FOR ALL LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS - 3:00 

(Click below for information about the Truitt Scholarship and Workshops)

Congratulations to Reese Hankins!!!

We would like to take a moment to congratulate Reese Hankins on her 5th Place finish at the State Competition for this year's Voice of Democracy Contest.  This is Reese's second time placing at the State Competition.

Class Registration Info for Seniors Attending ICC

For all seniors attending ICC in the fall, class registration is pushed back about a month from previous years. For Fall '21, here are the NEW DATES:

• ICC Fall '21 class schedule available to view online approximately April 12.

• ICC Fall '21 enrollment opens on or about May 3rd.

• ICC Summer schedule available to view by March 12 - enrollment opens March 22.

Please keep these dates in mind as you are registering for classes for next year.

MTI - Explore Your Career Night!

 

Midwest Technical Institute is hosting a Career Night for all students interested in finding out more information about all that MTI has to offer on Thursday, February 11th from 5:30-7:30 PM. Learn more about their programs and how to be career ready and in the workforce in less than an a year! During this event, you can tour the campus, get a hand-on exercise, meet with Financial Aid, and more! Click here for more information.

Seniors - ICC Tuition Waiver

High school seniors with a cumulative ACT score of 25 or above, or a cumulative SAT score of 1200 or above, may be eligible to compete for an ICC Honors Program full-tuition waiver for up 64 credit hours at ICC.

The application deadline for entrance in Fall 2021 is February 15th. This includes the completed application form, a personal statement, recommendations, and official transcripts and test scores.

More information and further instructions can be found at ICC.edu/Honors - scroll down to the section Honors Program Full-Tuition Waiver

Material Engineering Camp

Attention all students entering their Junior or Senior year! The Peoria chapter of ASM Materials is hosting their 16th annual week long summer camp for students who are interested in Engineering. This camp is FREE to all selected participants. Camp runs from July 19 - July 22 from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM virtually for 2021. More information can be found here. Applications are due May 3rd and can be found here.

2021-22 Course Description Book

 Here is the link to the brand new 2021-22 Course Description Book. The Course Description book contains every course taught at IVC and with a Course Sequence Chart for each department. Students are encouraged to look at the Course Description for a listing of all pre-requisites also.

Registration Presentations are Ready!!

This week, the IVC Guidance counselors met with students to talk about registration for next year, and a Screen Castify presentation is up and ready for your viewing pleasure! We understand that some students are remote, some are in quarantine, and some were absent for other reasons, and we tried to cover all scenarios in our recording. Please click on the correct video link below to watch the registration presentation of your class. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Guidance department at 274-5481 x2.

Senior Registration Presentation (current Juniors)

Junior Registration Presentation (current Sophomores)

Sophomore Registration Presentation (current Freshmen)

Great Opportunity - Work-based Learning Construction

Spend a year learning about the construction industry and gain credit doing it.  Students in the Work-based Learning (WBL) Construction class will get a hands-on chance to learn about all of the different trades. Some of the trades the students will learn about include Plumbers, Sheet Metal Workers, Carpenters, Cement Masons, Iron Workers, Steamfitters, Electricians, and Operating Engineers.

Here is how the program works...

Great Opportunity for Students Interested in Nursing

 

The ICC Nursing Assistant (CNA) program application deadline is Monday, February 1st! Any current sophomore or junior interested in a medical field after high school is strongly encouraged to apply to this one semester program. Upon successful completion of these courses, students are eligible to apply to take the Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation Program (NACEP) and become certified in the State of Illinois. See your counselor for the application and with questions. You can also click here for the application and more information.

VOD Contest - Congratulations

A big congratulations goes out to our two VFW Voice of Democracy winners this year.  We had 14 submissions this year for the contest.  Our First Place winner this year ($500) was Reese Hankins. Our Second Place winner ($200) was Zoe Anderson.  Reese's oral essay will now move on to the State Competition which will be judged next week.

Congratulations to Reese and Zoe!!    

Seniors Going to College - How Far Along Are You?

We are now into November.  Any senior planning on going to college should be started with the process. If not, TODAY is the day to get started.  Below is a checklist of things that should be done or at least underway by now.

• Investigate colleges and possible majors to find a good fit. (See your counselor if you are struggling with this step.)
• Visit colleges (It is important to see if a specific college is a good fit for you.)
• Apply to colleges (All applications can be found on the colleges' websites.)
• Complete FAFSA (Please complete ASAP. You do not want to lose out on money that will be gone if you wait. FAFSA is mandatory this year for graduation.)
• Look for scholarship (Check out Scholarship link to the right and the Off to College Guide for more links to great scholarship websites.)

Check out your account on Naviance.com to update your college page. This will help your counselor send out materials in a timely fashion.

Transferology - How Will Your Classes Transfer?

Are you taking college classes this year? Curious as to how they will transfer to your prospective schools? Check out transferology.com! You will need to create an account consisting of your name, email address, and password, but you will then be able to enter your current school and classes to compare them to credits you will earn at your next school. This is a great way to check out how your credits can check off graduation requirements before entering your four year university.

College Applications - Hurry Hurry Hurry

The College Application process is underway and seniors should be applying. There are a lot of steps to navigate so it is important that the process get started.  

Each school has different deadlines and requirements for needed items. Be sure to check with each school to verify that you have the correct information. November 1st is a deadline for several schools, so check these out soon!

If you have any questions or need to clear any confusion, please see your counselor as soon as possible.  We will try our best to help with any questions regarding applications, common app, Naviance, or even FAFSA.

IVC Spring Dual Credit Classes

 

IVC is partnering with ICC to give our juniors and seniors a chance at earning college credit at a discounted price. Classes available are:

-- ART 110 Art Appreication
-- ENGL 110 Composition I
-- ENGL 111 Composition II
-- MATH 110 Concepts of Mathematics
-- MATH 111 General Statistics
-- PSY 110 Introduction to Psychology
-- SOC 110 An Introduction to Sociology
-- BUS 110 Introduction to Business
                                                             -- HLTH 121 Medical Terminology

If you have any interest in taking any of these classes, all of which are held virtually, please contact your counselor ASAP or call IVC Guidance and 274-5481 x2. The deadline to enroll is Friday, October 30th.

How To Write a Personal Statement

On October 14th at 2 pm, the admissions rep from U of I - Springfield is conducting a How to Write an Outstanding Personal Statement webinar. With so many schools going test-optional this year the personal statement is more important than ever before. This is geared toward any student who is thinking about going to college, not just students looking to attend University of Illinois Springfield.

There are limited spots available for this webinar. It is only being offered to students from the Peoria area at this time. Students can sign up to participate with the link below:

https://apply.uis.edu/register/?id=e84aba92-3033-403d-b113-e0a196f128b5

Virtual College Week - Up and Going

Virtual college week has begun. There is still time to sign up.  Scroll down this blog for a complete line-up of schools attending. There has been a great turnout from the students. University of IL - Champaign, for example, had 16 seniors attend their virtual visit today.

$500 Up for Grabs to an IVC Student

One IVC student will walk away with $500 in this year's Voice of Democracy Contest sponsored by our local VFW. Students need to create a 3-5 minute oral essay. The competition is open to all IVC students. The winning submission from IVC will move on to the state competition. Last year's winner Reese Hankins finished 10th in State.

Topic: Is This the Country the Founders Envisioned?
Grades: 9-12
Top Prize: $500
Second Prize: $200
Due Date: October 30th
For more details: Entry forms may be picked up from any counselor, English teacher or social studies teacher.

Basically students will need to write an essay and then turn it to an audio file. It is actually quite simple. The teachers at the high school use many different programs to save audio. Students should ask their English teacher if they are unsure what program to use.

Link to Rules/Application