Addison Trail sophomore class visits Illinois State University as part of College and Career Readiness Plan

As part of an ongoing effort to help sophomores prepare for life beyond high school, Addison Trail took the class of 2016 to Illinois State University (ISU) in Normal from Sept. 10 to 12 as part of the school’s College and Career Readiness Plan.

“During the course of three days, we took all sophomore students for the visit,” said Doug Wildes, Addison Trail Assistant Principal. “Our goal and mission for the trip was to prepare every student to be college and career ready by the end of high school.”

Wildes added Addison Trail’s focus is the college process begins from the moment a freshman walks into Addison Trail.

“We want to start with the end in mind,” Wildes said. “Completing high school is not the goal. The goal is for students to be college and career ready by the time they graduate.”

Last year, Addison Trail took the freshmen class to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the sophomore class to Illinois State University. Junior and senior students are encouraged to go on college visits of their choice, so they are aware of the opportunities available to them after high school.

While visiting ISU, students took a guided tour of the campus and were treated as if they were perspective students looking to enroll at the university. Many of the students took advantage of the useful resources and asked questions.

“We believe these college visits give the students exposure to what types of colleges are available to them early on in high school and will help motivate them to work hard, be successful and accomplish their goals,” Wildes said. “By the time students become seniors, they have already had the opportunity to take a variety of college-prep and college courses, take their standardized tests and get involved in various extracurricular activities.”

Addison Trail’s College and Career Readiness Plan has three main goals:

1) Expose high school students to a rigorous curriculum

2) Help students achieve high grades and test scores

3) Encourage students to get involved in extracurricular activities

For more information about the sophomore ISU trip or the College and Career Readiness Plan, contact Wildes at dwildes@dupage88.net or 630-628-3308.