Willowbrook Guidance Department provides seminars and tips to help prepare seniors for life after high school

The Willowbrook Guidance Department is committed to assisting students in preparing for their post-secondary-education goals. As part of that focus, the department will host several events to guide seniors through the college application process.

  • On Aug. 22, the Guidance Department will meet with seniors to discuss the college application process. Seniors will meet individually with their counselor in September or October to complete a Senior Interview. During that meeting, counselors will review each student’s progress toward graduation, as well as post-high school plans.
  • On Aug. 23, counselors will meet with senior parents/guardians at 6 p.m. to review that process and to discuss post-high school options.
  • On Sept. 27, a financial aid representative from a local college will present at 6 p.m. on the college financial aid process.
  • FAFSA Completion Workshops will take place on Oct. 11 and Nov. 9.

A mailing will be sent home with more details regarding these events.

To further assist students with completing college applications, counselors will host the following seminars during Warrior Time:

  • Aug. 29: Selective Colleges/Universities
  • Aug. 30: Common Application
  • Sept. 4: College of DuPage (COD)
  • Drop-in Assistance: Every Wednesday from Sept. 5 to Nov. 14, counselors will be available during Warrior Time in the College and Career Center to assist students with completing their applications, to provide Naviance assistance, to offer help with searching for financial aid and scholarships and to answer questions.

Students also can find more information about colleges of interest through:

  • Meeting with college representatives: Students can view the list of representatives who will visit Willowbrook and sign up in Naviance.
  • College field trips and visiting college campuses: College field trips will be announced in the daily bulletin. Seniors who have applied to the college we are visiting will receive priority to attend. Students are signed up on a first-come, first-served basis and must be in good academic standing to attend. Seniors are allowed two excused college-visit days, and they can set those up individually with their colleges of interest.
  • Attending college fairs:
    • Sept. 29: National College Fair – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at McCormick Place in Chicago (For more information, and to register, go to http://tinyurl.com/zreu4a4.)
    • Oct. 16: COD College Fair – 6 to 8 p.m. at COD (For more information, and to register, go to https://tinyurl.com/yba2fqlm.)

Below are a few tips as students begin the college application process:
Start early. Set deadlines for completing essays, collecting recommendations and filling out forms a few weeks before they’re actually required. Mark these earlier deadlines on your calendar, and don’t miss them. College websites are the best place to find accurate deadline information.

Be consistent. Using the exact same name on all your forms makes things easier for admission officers. Decide whether you want to use a shortened version of your legal name or your middle name, and then always use the same version. Switching names increases the odds your materials will get misfiled.

Be careful. Careless mistakes on your application can hurt your chances of getting accepted. After you finish an application, put it aside for a day and then check it over for errors. If you can, have a teacher or a parent proofread it as well. Save and review online applications before you submit them.

Submit once. When you apply online, you’ll usually get an automated response saying your materials have been received. If you don’t, contact the college’s admission office. Don’t apply online again or mail in another application.

Keep copies. Make a copy of each piece of each application. Save personal identification numbers, passwords, canceled checks and notes or e-mails from admission officers. This documentation can save you if a problem arises.

Get confirmation. If you mail applications, put a stamped postcard addressed to your house in each package, so admission officers can let you know your materials arrived. The U.S. Postal Service also offers a similar “return receipt” service. It might take a few weeks for confirmation cards to reach you.

If you get a notice saying something is missing, don’t panic. Just call the admission office and calmly ask what steps you can take.

Stay in touch with the Willowbrook Guidance Department
The Guidance Department encourages parents/guardians and students of the class of 2019 to join the department’s Remind account to receive updates and notifications of deadlines, scholarship information and more. To join, text @e3gb9 to 81010.