College outlook for our seniors

As we write this newsletter, the seniors are taking their last winter finals. There's only one more semester to go for them here at St. Bede. It's an exciting time, but there is still lots to do before they are ready to take the next step on to college.

It’s a busy season for Academic Counselor Theresa Bernabei who works one-on-one with students offering guidance while mapping out degree objectives and requirements for college.

Approximately half of this year’s senior class plans to attend a four-year college. Between 25-30% of seniors have plans to attend Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby and about 10% have plans of going into a union trade.

Of those students going on to college, about 65% have reported they would like to go into a STEM-related field, 10% have reported they would like to go into business, criminal justice, social work, education, the arts or other and 15% are still undecided.

Most seniors who plan to go to college completed their applications before November 1 – we have many students who have already been accepted to 4-year colleges, including Youngstown State University in Ohio, Illinois State University, Iowa State University, University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Iowa, Augustana College, University of St. Francis, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and others.

Many students are now busily searching for scholarships to help offset tuition. Some students are still visiting colleges and comparing programs. In January, students will begin filling out the FAFSA for federal student aid, student loans and grants. Bernabei plans to host a FAFSA workshop on January 24th to assist students and parents.

After the FAFSA is submitted, in mid-late January, students will begin receiving financial aid packets and scholarship information from their colleges. Offers will then be compared, maybe a second visit to the college is made, before a final decision is given.

Students have until May 1 to accept a college offer and only one offer can be accepted.

Our students have applied to colleges all over the country. Here are just to name a few: Loyola University in Chicago, Boston University, Yale University, Michigan State University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Chicago, Bradley University in Peoria, Saint Mary’s, Norte Dame, IN, University of Syracuse, NY, Rochester Institute of Technology, NY and Stanford University.

St. Bede’s Academic Counselor Theresa Bernabei