From writing essays and filling out applications to building a college list, fall can be a stressful time for seniors going through the college application process. This month, SJHHS and Futureology are teaming up to provide students with numerous resources and events to support them through the process. 

The college application process itself can seem intimidating, especially for students who don’t have parents or siblings who have been through it and can offer advice. Futureology, a free college and career counseling program offers accessible and personalized guidance to support all CUSD students and help their families make informed choices. Futureology offers one-on-one counseling appointments and online webinars that can be accessed and pre-registered for online. All Futureology services are available at no cost to CUSD students.

On October 3, CUSD, the PTSA, and Futureology hosted the annual CUSD College Fair, which brought over 100 colleges to the SJHHS campus. The College Fair also included online “breakout sessions” available to students and parents, covering topics like financial aid, career education, and even understanding the NCAA for student-athletes.

“The college fair was a great experience to meet my college admissions counselors. I got the opportunity to ask questions about my major that they could specifically answer to me. I gave them my information and they are now looking out for my application, so, fortunately, the College Fair gave me the opportunity to show that I have a lot of interest in their college,” said senior Kira Burke who attended the fair.

Students and parents who missed both the in-person and virtual breakout sessions can visit Futureology’s playlist of the various showcases from last year’s virtual College Fair. The channel also has basic videos such as guides to the Common and UC Applications and how to write college essays.

Futureology will also be hosting “Ride For Your Future” on October 11 and 12, which will be two days of college and career application workshops. Seniors will choose to attend one workshop during their Government class. Workshops include UC/CSU Application Workshop, Common App & Private School Application Workshop, Financial Aid Support, Saddleback College & California Promise Program Information, and Trade Schools & Military Information.

To offer another opportunity to attend a college fair, JSerra High School will be hosting its 12th Annual College Fair on October 11 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Over 175 colleges and universities from around the world will be present at the fair to speak one-on-one with students and parents. All people attending are required to set up accounts before the event to help streamline the process of connecting students to different colleges.  

Throughout the fall, representatives from universities and colleges across the country will also be visiting campus in person and virtually to host “college visits” for senior students. In the visits, college admissions representatives will give students an overview of their university, majors and programs offered, and information about scholarships and financial aid. Students are encouraged to attend the “visits” for their schools of interest in order to talk one-on-one with the schools’ admissions representatives and learn more about their programs.

Listed below are the in-person and virtual college visits happening next week:

10/10 – Macquarie University Sydney, Australia – Guidance Office during lunch

10/10 – Boston University @ 4:00 PM – Virtual visit

10/11 – Southern Oregon University – Guidance Office during lunch

10/12 – American University Paris – Guidance Office during lunch

10/13 – University of Illinois – Guidance Office during lunch

10/13 – Princeton University – Guidance Office after school

For the full schedule and any updates, visit the 2022 Fall College Visits schedule on the school website.