College Information

Campus Visits

A campus visit is a great opportunity to students to get a firsthand view of a college. Students will be able to get a feel for the campus by doing thing such as walking around the quad, sitting in on a class and visiting the dorms. A campus visit also allows for the opportunity to talk to students, faculty, and financial aid and admission officers.

The College & Career Center coordinates several campus visit trips throughout the school year. Interested students can view the campus visit schedule and sign up to attend through SchooLinks by clicking on School Events. Students must be passing all classes and have a parent/guardian sign a permission slip to attend. Priority is given to seniors in the fall and sophomores and juniors in the spring.

Students are also encouraged to visit college campuses on their own. Most colleges offer both in-person and virtual visit opportunities that students can register for in advance. Visit information can typically be found on the home page or admissions section of a college's website.

College Fairs

College fairs are events that bring admissions officers from various colleges and universities to high schools, convention centers, and community spaces to meet with and answer questions from students and parents. In a single evening, high school students can get face time with colleges from around the country and those colleges can reach a cross-section of students from a local area. Below is information on several local college fairs hosted in the Chiagoland area.

College Majors

Selecting a major is a big decision. Students should consider things like earning potential, industry, student debt, job growth, etc. See below for some helpful resources to help students investigate different college majors and programs.

College Research

College is one of the most important investments you will make in your future. The college search process can be both exciting and overwhelming to students, but breaking it down into steps or comparing it to a relatable process you have tackled before can make it seem manageable. Students can research college information in SchooLinks by clicking on Colleges, then School Search. Below is a list of additional popular college search websites:

College Visits

The College & Career Center hosts several college visits throughout the school year, which are held during Ram Advisory periods. Students can locate the college visit calendar in SchooLinks by clicking on School Events. Students must register to attend through the Adaptive Scheduler portal.

College admission representatives lookng to schedule a visit can click here for a brief video tutorial of how to create an account and schedule a visit in SchooLinks.

For-Profit Colleges and Programs

Senator Dick Durban For-Profit Warning Letter

Durbin For Profit Warning Letter.pdf

Pre-College Programs

Pre-college programs give students a chance to experience life on a college campus, live in a dorm, check out a specific school and to learn some of the independence that will be required once they attend college. Some pre-college programs offer college credit and/or community service.

Undocumented Students

According to the non-profit organization Immigrants Rising, an undocumented student is a foreign national who meets one of the following criteria:

Entered the United States without inspection or with fraudulent documents
Entered legally as a nonimmigrant but then violated the terms of his or her status and remained in the United States without authorization
Has or previously had Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (“DACA”) status
Is otherwise currently in the process of legalizing

Most undocumented students have lived in the United States most of their lives, have learned English, have attended elementary, middle, and high school in the United States, have completed high school and want to pursue a college education, and currently lack a way to become legal residents or citizens of the United States.