Postsecondary Counseling Newsletter

January 21st, 2025

Dear 10th Graders and Families,

I hope you all are well and settling in to 2nd semester. Elliot and I worked with the sophomores last week and discussed the value of service as we approach sophomore inspire week in March. Sophomore Inspire Week will take place the week of March 10th-14th. The purpose of sophomore inspire week is for students to engage in introspection and self-reflection about interests and aptitudes through college and career prep workshops on Monday and Tuesday, then students will apply their knowledge in an industry sponsored service project Wednesday-Friday of that week. Last week, students had the opportunity to brainstorm ideas for our 3-day service projects in an RFP of sorts. Elliot and I will review their ideas and reach out to community partners to begin planning our service projects.

Please read on for information about:

• Extracurricular Activities: Getting involved outside of class
• Summer Opportunities
• Upcoming Virtual College Fairs
• Animas High School Admissions case study
• College fly-in opportunities
• Employment opportunities

Extracurricular Activities: Get involved!

College admissions officers, scholarship committees, and potential employers want to know that you did something other than go to school and go home each day in high school. 

The way you choose to spend your time also plays a big role in shaping who you are.

Getting involved in an extracurricular activity will help you explore & demonstrate the following:

• Authentic Interests
• Leadership skills
• Commitment
• Character and Values

What are some ways you can get involved outside of school?

Volunteer

Paid Employment - get a job!

Clubs and Organizations - school sponsored, non-school sponsored

Sports - school sponsored, non-school sponsored

Home responsibilities

Summer Planning: DO Something with your summer!

Summer is a time to kick back and relax a little bit. Summer is also about 10 weeks long, which leaves plenty of time for kicking back AS WELL as doing something productive and enriching that will help you to:

• Gain independence and confidence
• Build skills outside of the classroom that are applicable to the world of work and the real world
• Expose yourself to new people, ideas, and possibly places so that you can expand your idea of what’s possible for your future!

Thoughtful Reflection: Whatever you do, the key is to be able to reflect on your experience and articulate how you grew, changed, were challenged, etc.

The time to plan and apply for a summer program is now! Here are some local/regional programs to look into:

• Southwest CO AHEC
• CAUSE (art, graphic design)
• CSU summer programs
• Trio Upward Bound 
• CO school of Mines
• Colorado College pre-college summer block

Check out these other, much longer lists:

College Outreach Summer opportunities lists - This is a well organized, very comprehensive list!

AHS College and Career counseling list (this list is less well-organized, but might have additional opportunities)

NACAC Virtual College Fairs

Free and open to the public, National College Fairs are the perfect place to kick off your college search.

Admission representatives from schools across the country are all gathered in one place. Their goal: To encourage you to learn more about their institutions, and help you sort through the qualities you’re looking for in a college.

Use a fair to:

Explore your options. Each fair draws representatives from 175 to 400 colleges. The schools are located throughout the US, and from around the globe.

Ask questions. What’s college life like? What majors are popular on campus? Chatting with representatives from a variety of colleges can help you cement your own preferences.

NACAC Virtual College Fair - February 16 More Info

NACAC Virtual College Fair - March 23 More Info

NACAC Virtual College Fair - April 27 More Info

What is a fly-in program?

Fly-in programs are an amazing resource that some colleges and universities offer their prospective students—particularly first-generation and/or low income students, students from under-served communities, and students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to visit schools without financial assistance of some sort.

(Speaking of, if any of the above categories might fit you, please check out and bookmark our FG/LI Resource Center, which offers guidance for students who may not have as much support/guidance as others in the application process.)

So, what exactly is a fly-in program?

Some schools cover the costs for prospective students to visit campus in person so they can actually experience what campus life is like before making a decision about where to attend.

Click here for the Guide to fly-in programs

Class of 2025 College Acceptances (as of 1/16):

Arapahoe Community College - Chapman University - Colorado College - Colorado Mesa University - Colorado School of Mines - Colorado State University (Fort Collins) - Colorado State University (Pueblo) - Chapman University - Fort Lewis College - Front Range Community College - Lewis & Clark College - Macalester College - Metropolitan State University of Denver - Montana State University - Nebraska Wesleyan University - Northern Arizona University - Pikes Peak State College - Portland State University - Reed College - Regis University - Saint Louis Community College - San Diego State University - Sarah Lawrence College - San Juan College - Smith College - Union College - University of Colorado (Colorado Springs) - University of Colorado Boulder - University of Colorado Denver - University of Denver - University of Hawaii at Manoa - University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy - University of Northern Colorado - Western Colorado University - Western Washington University - Willamette University