Deadline for Scholarship Apps Quickly Approaching

The deadline for all scholarship application is Friday at 3:30. All applications must be in to Mrs. Myers by the student before 3:30. Parents may not turn in applications. No late applications will be accepted.

Federal and State Aid Estimators - From ISAC

The Illinois Students Assistance Commission (ISAC) is pleased to announce the availability of two online aid estimators via ISAC's Student Portal.

These estimators - which currently use formulas for the upcoming 2015-16 academic year - may be used to help students get an idea of the types and amounts of federal and state financial assistance for which they may potentially qualify. Once the decision is made to apply for addmission and attend college, students must then submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to actually apply for most forms of federal, state and institutional assistance - including ISAC's Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant.

Accessing the Aid Estimators

CLEP Testing - Get a head start on college

We recently had a parent workshop on the advantages of CLEP testing.  CLEP tests are credit earning exams offered by the College Board.  They are somewhat similar to AP testing. Each college or university has their own set of rules as to what CLEP credits they accept. 

I have attached the presentation that was shared at the parent meeting. It has been changed a bit to give you the basic framework of the CLEP testing process.  It is definitely worth some investigation. It may save thousands of dollars.

Click here for presentation

2015 Grand Traverse Service Trip

For the past three years, a group of IVC students and faculty have traveled up to Kewadin, MI for a week-long service on the Grand Traverse Reservation. The trip is open to any sophomore, junior, or senior student.  Over the past three years, the people on the reservation have become an extended family.  Any interested student stop by the guidance office for more information.

The particulars of the trip are as follows:

Truitt Scholarship Workshop Rescheduled

The Truitt Scholarship workshop has been rescheduled for Thursday afternoon at 2:40 in the auditorium.  The workshop should last roughly 30 minutes.  All students who were invited to apply for the scholarship should make every effort to attend the workshop.  It is the only opportunity to get the inside tips for filling out the application.

Although it is short notice for the rescheduled workshop, it was important to do it as soon as possible so that the students had ample time to get the application completed.  Waiting until next week would have only given the students two weeks to finish application.

Peoria Area Regional College Fair

Bradley University is hosting the Peoria Area Regional College Fair on Thursday, March 5th from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at the Renaissance Coliseum. More than 80 college and university representatives will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about their respective schools.  The event is free and open to all high school students. Additional information can be found at:

  www.bradley.edu/sites/collegefair/ . 

U of I Engineering Open House

Coming up in a couple weeks is a great opportunity for those students interested in engineering. The University of Illinois is having their annual Engineering Open House (EOH) on March 13th &14th. It is a great way for students to get exposure to engineering careers, technology, college life, and resources at the University of Illinois.

I have attached a visitor's guide to the event. The guide is very extensive in its explanation of the event and does take a minute or two to download. To view the guide, click here.

SIUE Engineering Camp

What a fantastic opportunity to not only get some exposure to the engineering world but also get a taste of what it is like to be on a college campus.

SIUE Engineering Summer Camp is
designed to introduce high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors interested in science and technology to various areas of engineering, computer science, and construction. Campers design and program a video game, build robots, bridges, rockets, and hydropowered vehicles, and get to see environmental science in action.

Click here for more information.

Local Scholarship Applications Available

Seniors met in the auditorium this morning during HR period and were given a list of all the available local scholarships. Last year, over 40 scholarships were awarded totally over $160,000. Although we do not have exact figures for all of this year's scholarships, it is pretty fair to expect an amount very similar to last year.

To view scholarship list, click here.

All scholarships due March 27 at 3:30. No late applications will be accepted.

Grey Ghost Pride Night - Stop by Guidance Area

The Guidance Department will be hosting "The Bedroom" at Grey Ghost Pride Night on March 4th. "The Bedroom" is an interactive exhibit designed to increase parental awareness of potential drug and alcohol situations and open that line of communication with teens.  Please stop by and see the display. You will not be disappointed.

In addition to "The Bedroom", the Guidance Dept. will have computers available in the event that 8th grade students or parents want to adjust the class selection for next fall. This is the perfect evening to get all those questions answered and schedules adjusted.

MAP Grant Suspended This Weekend

-- This information was just released from ISAC --

The Illinois Student Assistant Commission (ISAC) is suspending the announcement of the 2015-2016 Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for students whose initial 2015-2016 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is received by the Central Processing System (CPS) on or after Sunday, February 22, 2015.

What this means... For a student to be included in consideration for a MAP grant, FAFSA must be entered by this Saturday. Even if you cannot complete the FAFSA, you must start the process and get the student's name into the system by tomorrow.

ICC Scholarship Information

Students planning on attending ICC next fall are encouraged to apply for scholarship assistance. The ICC Educational Foundation offers more than 600 scholarships in many different areas.

It is easy for students to seek assistance by competing just ONE online application. That's right...one application for all 600+ scholarships.

Apply at: www.icc.edu/scholarships

Applications must be submitted by April 1st.

Experience ICC Scholarships

This scholarship is designed for students who plan to take summer classes at ICC...

A How-to Guide for Completing the Freshman Registration Form

Planning a schedule for freshman year can be quite an intimidating process. Hopefully this blog post will help students and parents through the process. Registration sheets are due by Friday, February 13th to the student's grade school main office.

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.

College Loan Workshop

--Attention Seniors and Parents--

IVC Guidance will be offering an extremely informative workshop detailing how the college loan process works.  Kelly Woods from Discover will be conducting the workshop.  As many might remember, Discover sponsored a fantastic workshop in the fall on financial aid.  This is a follow-up to that workshop.  Included in the college loan workshop: types of loans, what works best for your situation, things to look at and be aware of, and when and if you get a loan.

Wednesday, March 25th

6:30 p.m.

IVC Library

ICC Placement Test

Any senior who plans to attend ICC in the fall should register for the upcoming placement exam.  The exam covers mathematics and reading.  Results from the exam will be given to each student by his or her counselor roughly a week after the exam.

Wednesday, March 3rd

8:30 a.m.

Please sign up in the Guidance Office as soon as possible.

ACT Prep Class

ACT TEST - March 3rd

Prep Class - Jan 26 - Feb 25

Registration for prep class ends Jan 23rd.

Cost - $50 (includes ACT Prep book)

Class takes place two or three times per week from 2:45-4:15. 

Every point matters on the ACT.  It can make the difference between a $2,500 scholarship and a $10,000 scholarship.  All students are encourages to take the ACT.

Continue reading for complete ACT Prep class schedule.

Local scholarship dates announced

Each year, over $160,000 is given out in local scholarships. These scholarships range from $250 to $75,000.  Last year, there were 45 different scholarships awarded to graduating seniors.  With the growing cost of college, every penny helps.

Here is a breakdown of the upcoming dates...

2015 FAFSA step-by-step walkthrough

For anyone who missed the FAFSA presentation at IVC last night, you might want to take a look at this 50 minute presentation that was offered by Zinch.com. There is even a Q&A with questions that were submitted during the webinar.

FAFSA Workshop

All parents and students are invited to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid workshop on Wednesday, January 14th at 6:30 pm in the IVC Library. Seniors and their parents are strongly encouraged to attend this workshop as financial aid as well as most scholarship opportunities require the completion of FAFSA.  Janet Ozuna from Midstate College will be present to walk students and parents through the FAFSA process.

Wednesday, January 14th

IVC High School Library

6:30 P.M.

Earning College Credit While at IVC

There are two different ways a student can earn college credits while still in high school.  It is a great way to save some money and get a jump start on a college career.  Dual credit classes and taking a part time schedule at ICC give students the opportunity to earn more than one semester of college credit.  Imagine starting college with one semester already completed.

Here is how it works...

Co-op and Work-Based Learning - What are they??

There are two programs available to the students which take them out of the building and give them some hand-on experience, co-op and work-based learning.  Both are extremely beneficial programs. Any interested student should see their counselor as soon as possible.

Co-op

What is Co-op?

Registration Process Begins

The counselors will be meeting with the student body during homeroom this week to distribute the registration materials.  Yes, we are starting a lot earlier than in past years.  It is our hope that we will have the master schedule and student schedules completed before the end of the school year.

How the process works...

Depression and Suicide Workshop

Approximately 1 in 10 adolescents have a depressive disorder by the time they are 18 years of age. Come join the IVC guidance department for an informational meeting about this issue.  

What is depression?

What are the causes of depression?

What are the symptoms of depression?

What should I do if I suspect suicide?

A list of resources will be provided

Wednesday, November 12th

IVC High School Library
6:30 P.M.

Fourth Day Retreat #19

Fourth Day #19

What an awesome and unique four days.  Senior retreat #19 was led by six amazing seniors: Zoe Hulet, Hannah Scherer, Cheyenne Carter, Bailey Ehringer, Dusty Langdom, and Nathan Shull.

Retreat #19 was the second biggest retreat with over 50 students attending.  What made it even more unique

Weekend Service Trip in Michigan

Finished Gaga Pit

What a great weekend!!!

I had the opportunity to spend the weekend with ten current and former Grey Ghosts up in northern Michigan. Along with Tim and Sherri Heth, we traveled to the Grand Traverse Reservation to help with the construction of a Gaga Pit right

Combating Text Anxiety

"I know the material but when the test arrives, I draw a blank."  We hear that quite frequently in the Guidance Department.  Test anxiety can most easily be described as the excessive worrying about performing well on a test.  Test anxiety can be very tough to overcome. With a little bit of work, though, it can be reduced.

• Preparing for the test is the best way to counter test anxiety.  The #1 reason for test anxiety is that the student is not confident that he or she truly knows the material. Confidence comes from preparation.

Bullying in Schools Workshop

Bullying is a problem facing every school and student in the country.  IVC District 321 will be offering a parent workshop this Thursday that addresses many of issues surrounding the topic.

• What should the student do?
• What should the parent do?
• What if my son or daughter is doing the bullying?
• What are the responsibilities of the school?

Come join us at the high school for this informative workshop.

Thursday, October 23rd

IVC High School Library

6:30 P.M.

Senior Retreat Coming Up!!

Group Picture from last spring's retreat

We are pretty excited about the upcoming senior retreat.  Over 50 students have picked up registration sheets. The retreat will take place Nov. 5-8 at Eagle Crest Camp in Washburn.

Parent Workshop Schedule for 2014-15

The Guidance Department and Administration at IVC will be sponsoring a number of workshops throughout this school year.  There are a variety of topics ranging from college planning to bullying to depression.  We have already completed two of the workshops for this year.  The next two workshops will take place the next two Thursday nights.

• Thursday, Oct 16th - Financial Aid Workshop

• Thursday, Oct 23rd - Bullying and Cyberbullying

Please click on the following link 2014 Parent Workshops to download this year's schedule.