November 5, 2020
College Planning Updates
Please review the important information below to assist in your college planning.
Dear Parents,

The Class of 2021 is certainly on their way! This fall has been a flurry of activity, and student, teachers, and counselors alike have been negotiating the college admissions process in new ways. Despite ever-changing circumstances, our senior class has been doing a tremendous job completing their applications with diligence and fidelity.

Earlier this week, I shared some impressive metrics with our faculty, and thought that you might also be interested in the progress of your students:

  • As of November 1st, 684 transcripts (and 1985 total documents) have been to 224 different colleges and universities around the country and abroad. 
  • Trinity faculty have written 208 letters of recommendation! 
  • 84% of seniors have applied to at least one college. 
  • 43 colleges and universities have virtually visited with our students, with eight more visits scheduled for this week and next. 
  • Amongst the seniors, we have one QuestBridge College Match finalist, six Posse Scholarship semi-finalists, and three Chick Evans Scholarship nominees! 

Students will continue to progress in the college application process over the next two months. Application deadlines span through January, and seniors are asked to plan ahead. Transcript Requests for applications with late December or early January deadlines must be submitted by December 7th to account for the Christmas holiday and winter break.

As you student is notified of college admission, please remind them to bring colleage acceptance and scholarship letters to me. I will make a copy of this documentation and the information will be used at the end of the year to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2021.

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. It's a pleasure to assist our Blazers in reaching their goals!

Many thanks,

Ms. Granholm
College Counselor
Complete the FAFSA by mid-November
In order to be eligible for need-based college financial aid consideration, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA opened on October 1st and families are encouraged to submit the application by mid-November for full aid consideration. Both the student and a parent need to complete parts of the application.

Did you miss last week’s FAFSA Completion Workshop on October 19th? Check out these other upcoming free workshops facilitated by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC): https://studentportal.isac.org/events

On Monday, November 9th, Congressman Dan Lipinski's office is hosting a Virtual Information Session on Financing College: Federal and State Financial Aid Resources for Students and Families. This program will provide information for students and families to help prepare them financially for college, university, or community college. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Education, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and the University of Illinois will be presenting. This event will be virtual on Zoom and those interested in attending can register online here.

Here are some other financial aid resources that may be helpful:
The Scholarship Search
After submission of college applications, seniors are encouraged to pat themselves on the back, take a deep breath, and relax for a bit... but then begin their scholarship search.

While the majority of scholarships are awared by colleges and universities, many foundations, businesses, churches, and community organizations also award funds to graduating seniors to help pay for college. Parents are encouraged to check with their employers about scholarship opportunities too.

At Trinity, we maintain a scholarship listing of over 100 scholarships. The list can be found on Naviance under Colleges> Scholarships & Money> Scholarship List. The posting are updated on a regular basis and can be sorted by due date.

More information on the scholarship search can be found here.
Questions?
Contact the College Counselor
Ms. Katie Granholm
College Counselor
Trinity High School
Phone: 708-771-8383 x241
Email: kgranholm@trinityhs.org