Role of the College & Post Secondary Planning Office
The College Counselor’s role is to help students explore all options for education and employment after IACS. As part of our commitment to helping students find the right college fit, an individualized approach is used. Students and families will have individual meetings to discuss the student’s interests and help them navigate the college process. We can discuss not only the traditional college experience, but employment, gap years, training, and trade programs as well. These planning meetings begin in the winter of the junior year and continue through the senior year; however, students and parents are welcome to seek advice at any time during the student’s high school career.
In addition to providing one-on-one counseling, the College Counseling Office runs a series of informational evenings for students including a Parent Information Meeting, Financial Aid Night, and an Alumni Panel. Students also have the opportunity to visit college campuses through the school and attend in-school college counseling topic workshops.
Parents/guardians are seen as key contributors to this process and are encouraged to communicate with the Director of College Counseling to discuss any aspect of the college process.
Goals of College Counseling
The college counseling office seeks to equip students with the tools necessary to conduct a thorough college search. A key goal of the program is to empower students to take ownership of their college selections process through individual meetings with their counselor, completing self-reflection assignments, utilizing the resources in SCOIR, and visiting college campuses.
The college counseling staff hopes to support and guide students so they are able to create a well-balanced list of colleges and universities. The office works to support and guide students as they work to assemble a compelling application that accurately conveys their character, personality, and strengths. By creating a comprehensive and thorough application, the IACS college counseling office hopes to ensure that each student has the ability to achieve their goals toward college and beyond.
The College Counseling office is dedicated to working to ensure that the needs of all students are met. As a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the New England Association for College Admissions Counseling the college counseling office works to ensure that Innovation Academy is up to date on the latest trends and best practices in college admission as well as cultivating relationships with admission offices and officers.
College Visits
During the course of the fall, a number of colleges and universities will send admissions representatives to Innovation Academy to talk with students. On average, IACS hosts between 60-80 college representatives each fall.
Students must sign up via SCOIR to meet with these representatives. If they will be missing a class they must clear the absence with their teacher. An appointment pass will be created for students in e-hallpass for their teacher to approve.
College Visitors
IACS is pleased to welcome college visitors to our campus. We look forward to introducing you to our students and our high school program, and to helping our juniors and seniors learn more about the opportunities at a variety of colleges and universities.
To learn more about our school, please take a look at our school profile. You can also see a list of colleges our students have been accepted to.
College admission representatives can now go to SCOIR to schedule an appointment to meet with our students.
Contact
For Information on College Counseling at Innovation Academy you can contact:
Jillian Deknatel
Director of College Counseling
978-649-0432 x4141
jdeknatel@innovationcharter.org
