Stand Out College Prep Step-by-Step Guides

To help you navigate the college application process smoothly, Stand Out College Prep has complied step-by-step guides on two frequently used websites: The Common Application and the FAFSA.

The Common App is a central platform used by many colleges and universities, allowing you to apply to multiple institutions with a single application. This link will break down the nuances of the Common App and help ensure your information is accurate and complete.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a critical form for securing financial aid for college. Completing the FAFSA accurately can significantly impact your eligibility for grants, loans, and work-study opportunities. This link is essential for navigating the often daunting task of applying for financial aid.

Discover Illinois Colleges with No Application Fee

Applying to college can be an exciting yet daunting process, especially when considering the costs involved. Fortunately, many colleges in Illinois are making it easier for prospective students by waiving application fees. Here is a list of Illinois colleges that do not charge an application fee, helping you save money while exploring your educational options. 

Augustana College
Aurora University
Bradley University
Eastern Illinois University
Elmhurst College
Eureka College

Discover Illinois Schools - Your Path to Excellence

Welcome to the vibrant world of the state universities in Illinois!  This comprehensive guide equips you with the latest insights, ensuring you’re well-prepared to choose the college that is right for you. From admission requirements to campus life, we’ve got you covered.

The 12 Reasons document is the brand new admissions guide that provides you with current information about each state university.

The 2022-23 At-A-Glance offer a look at all the college majors at the universities. Although the document is no longer published, this one from two years ago will still be mostly accurate. Definitely a great starting point when looking at college majors.

Click on the guide to access.

2024-25 Off to College Guide

Congratulations seniors. We're thrilled to announce the release of our brand-new Off to College Guide! 

Whether you're a student gearing up for your first semester next fall or a parent preparing to support your college-bound child, this guide is packed with essential tips, resources, and a sprinkle of inspiration to make the search smooth and successful. Get ready to embark on this exciting journey with confidence and ease. 

Let's make this college search experience unforgettable! Your future starts now!

Click here for the Guide

Agriculture, Diesel, and Horticulture Showcase

 
Students are invited to explore careers at the Illinois Central College Agriculture, Diesel, and Horticulture Showcase on Friday, September 13, 8:30 am – 2:00 pm on the ICC East Peoria Campus.

This FREE event is an opportunity for students to explore high-demand careers in the high-tech agriculture, diesel-powered equipment, and horticulture industries. They will participate in hands-on activities showcasing the latest innovations and technologies, browse equipment displays from industry partners, and have the opportunity to ask employers questions about careers in their industries. Lunch will be provided.

Sign up in the Counseling Office by August 30th. See the counselors with any questions.

Coming Soon - Shape Your Future Week

Seniors - Interested in the Navy?

The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Scholarship Program offers students the opportunity to earn their degree while receiving naval training and financial benefits. This program is a great choice for college bound students wishing to enlist in the Navy. Click the links below for more information.

NROTC Flyer 2025

NROTC Digital Brochure

Upcoming Parent Workshops

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.

Online Dual Credit ICC Class Help

Attention students taking an online ICC class:

This first link helps you find your ICC username, log into your ICC email, and log into your eServices (MyICC) account. There is a Help Desk phone number listed at the top if you have any issues or need a password reset.
This second link details answers to the frequently asked questions we get each semester.

Please note that ICC classes begin on August 19th. I would strongly encourage you to be sure you can access your classes before this date.

Do you know what IVC has to offer?

Getting Involved At IVC

IVC has dozens of sports, clubs, groups, and activities for students of all ages and interests. Check out the list to see many of the great options IVC has to offer!

If you have questions about any sport, club or activity, contact a counselor. We can point you in the right direction.

Welcome to the 2024-25 School Year!!

We are so glad to get back to school. There will 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.
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) - rwilliams@ivcschools.com

New CONSTRUCTION program begins this fall, for the Class of 2024, at Illinois Central College!

 

New CONSTRUCTION program begins this fall, for the Class of 2024, at Illinois Central College!

Please encourage all your students with an interest in construction to get registered now for a new Basic Construction certificate program. This first certificate can be completed in one semester (August-December).

Students can then go to work or continue to build their skills with the second certificate – Construction Management that includes an internship after only one more semester of school.

Finally, they can add one more year of school to what they’ve already learned and receive an Applied Science degree by completing Construction Management Technology which creates more job opportunities as well as the option of continuing their education at a university.

These certificates build on each other for a successful career. Please have them make an appointment with Nikisha Anderson to get enrolled before classes fill up.

Contact the Agricultural & Industrial Technologies (AIT) Dept. office at 309-694-5510 for more information.

Basic Construction Certificate

Construction Management Certificate

Construction Management Tech Degree

Juniors Interested in the Navy

The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Scholarship Program offers students the opportunity to earn their degree while receiving naval training and financial benefits. This program is a great choice for college bound students wishing to enlist in the Navy. Click the links below for more information.

NROTC Overview

NROTC Eligibility Requirements and Participating Schools

Local Scholarship List Released

The counselors met with the senior class this morning to present all of the local scholarships available to the students for the 2023-24 school year. All scholarship applications will be due on April 2nd. No late applications will be accepted.

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 pick up the scholarship list.

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. All scholarships must be filled out by the students using their email accounts.

A How-to Guide For Incoming Freshmen 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 purple registration sheets are due by Friday, Feb 23rd 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...

Insight to Occupations

As part of the Peoria Educational Region for Employment and Career Training (P.E.R.F.E.C.T.), student career exploration focus, we are offering an opportunity for students to explore careers in the Criminal Justice system. 

Insight to Occupations is set for Thursday, February 29, 2024. This 4-hour program (10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.) will expose students to various careers behind the scenes held at the Peoria County Jail. There will be interactive sessions covering: K9 Team; Crime Scene Unit; Investigative Division; Victim Services; and Search and Rescue. 

This program is available for 4 students per school. Please note the program is for juniors and seniors only. 

Registration deadline is Wednesday, February 14. 

Sign-up in the Counseling Office.

Rural Health Associate Degree Career Zoom Discussion

        

Click Here to Register

Construction WBL Application Available

Work-Based Learning (WBL) Construction applications are available here

Students in the 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...

First semester:

• Students participate in WBL in either the morning or afternoon. They are expected to be at IVC the other half of the day.
• Students will spend a week or so at each of the different trades, learning that trade in a hands-on atmosphere.
• Students will also spend time covering all of the OSHA Guidelines for the workplace.

Second semester:

• Students choose one of the trades and spend a semester at an actual job site.

Applications are available in the Counseling Office. Applications are due March 1st.

College Applications - Check Those Deadlines!

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.

ICC EMS and CNA Applications Released

Applications are available for the 2024-25 school year.

• EMS and Fire Safety Program - Open to Seniors - Click here for more info
• CNA Program - Open to Juniors and Seniors - Click here for more info

How to negotiate a financial aid package!!

Great video from IVC graduate Micah Schultz '20 about how to get the most out of your financial aid package. Well done Micah!

Senior Retreat Is Right Around the Corner

We are very excited about the upcoming senior retreat. We will be at a new location for the first time. The retreat will take place Nov. 1-4 at LOMC in Oregon, IL.

Some info about the retreat...

-- The retreat is four days in length and nearly 100% led by a group of five seniors.

-- This is the 35th retreat. Over 1,000 students have attended the retreat over the past eighteen years.

-- Since we are at a new retreat center, there is limited space for this first retreat. We will only be allowed to take 15 guys and 15 girls on the retreat.

-- If a student would like to attend but cannot afford the retreat ($90), there are some partial and full scholarships available if the student comes to see one of the counselors.

Please see one of the counselors for a registration sheet. The sheets are due by October 20th but space will fill up before that. See any Mr. Kosinski with questions. 

Questions to Ask While on a College Visit

One of the best ways to learn more about a college is to visit their campus. When you're visiting, it is to your advantage to slow down and ask several questions. While it is helpful to talk to the admission staff (individuals who are paid to talk up a school), it also very insightful to talk to students about what they like and don't like about their school (individuals who will give their honest opinion).

Here is a list of questions to ask while on a campus visit:

Juniors - PSAT Test Next Week - Sign up now

What: PSAT/NMSQT Test
Who: Open to any junior
When: October 13th

The PSAT/NMSQT is a great way to preview and practice for the SAT. It will test the same skills and knowledge as the SAT. When you get your test results, connect your College Board and Khan Academy® accounts to get free personalized SAT study recommendations.

In addition, when you take the PSAT/NMSQT, you’re automatically screened for the National Merit® Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships.

There are only 35 spots available. You can sign up with Mrs. Placher in the counseling office. The test will cost $17.00. Checks can be made out to IVC. Payment must be received before test day. We will test on October 13th, 2023 at 8:00 am.

Important Information from UIUC

 The University of Illinois has just released information from all of the undergraduate colleges within the university. This is an important read for any student planning on attending UIUC.

Please click below for info...

Great Chance to Get Involved

We had our first meeting of IMPACT this morning. IMPACT is a club at the high school for students with a passion for making a difference.

The club is open to ALL students. 

Some activities we have done in the past...

• Trick or Treat for UNICEF
• Operation Christmas Child
• Gnomes for the Elderly
• Easter Seals Week
• Tie Blankets for residents at Evergreen

Click here or on picture for all the details

Illinois Colleges with NO Application Fee

Some colleges are offering no application fees. That means it will cost you $0 to apply to these colleges. You can't beat that deal!

Augustana College                        Aurora University

Bradley University                         Eastern Illinois University

Elmhurst University                       Illinois College                  

Illinois Wesleyan University           Lewis University             

Loyola University Chicago             McKendree University      

Monmouth College                        University of Illinois Springfield

ISAC Guide to Programs

This handy guide explains many of the available programs and grants available through ISAC (IL Student Assistance Commission). Explanation of the following programs includes:

• 
  MAP Grant
• IL Veteran Grant
• IL National Guard Grant
• Minority Teacher Scholarship
• Special Ed. Tuition Waiver
• IL Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program
• Nurse Educator Loan Forgiveness Program
• …and more.

Click here for more info

The College Tour App

The College Tour is a TV series brought to you by Emmy-nominated and multi-award-winning producers. The series tells the story of colleges and universities around the world.​

Each episode of The College Tour will focus on a single college or university.
​
From campus life, academics, housing, sports, activities, and much more… each student driven segment will give young people an inside look at what it’s truly like being a student at the featured college or university.

Download the app for a truly one-of-a-kind series featuring colleges and universities in a way they have never been seen before!


Area schools featured so far include:
-- University of Illinois-Champaign

-- University of Illinois-Chicago

-- University of Missouri
-- Iowa State University
-- Illinois State University
-- Illinois Wesleyan University

You may also click this link to explore schools.