[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6410618,"mediaKeyId","2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816","parentId",2647361,"title","Counselors emphasize college fit, co‑curricular depth over breadth","audioSeconds",785,"startMs",2345000,"endMs",3130000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816&start=2345&end=3130","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816/thumbnail_2345000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6410618/Illinois/Counselors-emphasize-college-fit-cocurricular-depth-over-breadth","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6410618-edd69be16751be38981dd97cfc7f69d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770933202&Signature=QDCOjewj~NBoEeCjK080PAyaPnJbhfR~Wf2g92rSHuxRZWG2G6ESKuv2n7THw3a-wiCqX6za9v0MlYou6UijlmkjBOQy7O6SEY~NV3ZlFBBbXKVO~yRpyIdPEPqYfrveaClK6skQT3T5KZkUeVuZACP8R7p~q9JCnstNvQSD7P9ANN2s16ZsLpcpqVW9J2z5077y5E4P~D770txroTEAwly7G4VISvrxlddzr5X1GSMBk6DHYdsY7evg8GnDuUxrNxTaXv~3SZx8Qeo7vY9aGKokvqjhm8QKYyO2RVP54MGzMP7ltkt7HNP~av11VyxiPxVBPlbozrvYrXEH4kWd6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Adlai E Stevenson HSD 125","date","2025-03-13T16:17:23Z","article","Counselors at Stevenson High School urged sophomores and families to focus on college fit — academic offerings, campus environment and financial considerations — and to favor a few meaningful co‑curricular commitments over a long laundry list of activities.

Sarah Hansen and Dan Miller told families that fit is threefold: academic fit (majors and outcomes), social/emotional fit (campus culture and setting) and financial fit. \"Is this a good school for Johnny?\" Hansen said, encouraging families to evaluate colleges based on the student’s needs rather than rankings.

The counselors described how campus visits and information sessions can reveal social and emotional fit and recommended using those visits to assess size, location, distance from home, and student supports such as disability services or religious/cultural communities. On extracurriculars, Miller said colleges generally seek a few areas of deep, sustained commitment outside the school day rather than a long list; he advised students to continue activities they find meaningful and to reflect on experiences they try but do not keep.

The counselors reiterated that day-to-day academic performance and transcript strength remain the central element of college applications and recommended that students and families plan course selections and senior-year schedules with academic challenge and fit in mind.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025 Sophomore Family College and Career Night | College Career Center | Stevenson High School","oneSentenceSummary","Stevenson counselors urged students to focus on academic rigor, campus fit and meaningful co‑curricular commitments rather than a long list of activities, and offered guidance on campus visits and personal factors.","taxTitle","Events, Illinois","taxId",29116,"location","Illinois","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6410639,"Stevenson counselors review military pathways and testing changes for sophomores",2838,369000,3207000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816&start=369&end=3207","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816/thumbnail_369000.jpg","/articles/6410639/Illinois/Stevenson-counselors-review-military-pathways-and-testing-changes-for-sophomores","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6410639-ed9c029858ee95afe4b0644152298459/orig.mp4?Expires=1770933202&Signature=PqtXjrUnpLuBeX4658jOLEZDxA8ThIzVVM6oL1CYJNmo7cOk1teKlN4lD3FxgA2WYzpzh7eaBRaNMhW8DrFdjMFxmNZb2-3spjEoVQUlIFqfJiD01hq4wxCQWVk8239FMXmorjl206fOQQ0zgfgaHe1LIaA4u8O2R5Sbtch3xO64Tu34PF6~FPKuF-r2fsVhVmeofntSw689UCZHn2w47LrnO7dCXxrDzLj5U-5u3Q~5X3SKtbgHfh1AhHpsytdSItyJDNx859~SkwTtrIVD1cBVh6ReOyNnhNbLHvjNQOpM3mlS0pK8Sb8~rS7mhHfbXOR-GiWdDQa6ZBjhYD2hOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Stevenson counselors described military service options and upcoming standardized‑testing changes as part of a presentation for sophomores and their families.

Dan Miller summarized four routes into the armed forces: direct enlistment, ROTC (with scholarship possibilities and service commitments after graduation), the reserves, and service academies such as the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy. Miller said the school offers the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) annually; this year the ASVAB was hosted at Stevenson on March 6 and is open to sophomores through seniors.

On testing, counselors said juniors will be offered, but not automatically enrolled in, the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall and that an opt‑in process will be used. Miller and Hansen explained that all Stevenson students will take the digital ACT in April (the administration colleges accept), and reported that ACT is rolling out a revised test that shortens timing, increases time per question and moves to a composite scored from English, math and reading (with science becoming optional on the new composite). They noted paper testing remains an option and described a free Saturday practice ACT (through Revolution Prep) offered in February with limited seats.

Counselors reiterated that transcript and course rigor remain the primary focus and cautioned against excessive repeated testing. They also noted the landscape remains fluid: some colleges have shifted between test-optional and test-required policies in recent months.","Counselors explained direct enlistment, ROTC, service academies and the ASVAB, and summarized changes to PSAT/ACT testing, including opt-in PSAT NMSQT and the roll‑out of a new digital ACT.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6410661,"Stevenson highlights career pathways, internships, shadowing and summer programs",436,1132000,1568000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816&start=1132&end=1568","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816/thumbnail_1132000.jpg","/articles/6410661/Illinois/Stevenson-highlights-career-pathways-internships-shadowing-and-summer-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6410661-95e52c11225f8472c6791fcd914ede35/orig.mp4?Expires=1770933202&Signature=CP4WRcn1YkrGSoXzWUcqGzWLxtwmp5mZ5SLXo5RKOoGvLbL8446RTT9qE6Zvd-0RvIXIa9TL-N~kBE2r2vKXhR0iVKtCVIl8ja9DH-yWS02boQK3WfxnpEQjUyoNtXaDKBPCEMTxt1R6xy1Epc1WwJJcsyIor2Um7PxN70IgA8x1VVDXXGrNCfILHjR3gfIjlSyoZdlo9qUrYsWcWTs8dAUwPgHU8aMFaeWsQP6dHdZmjiV6dGDr6h64EvlNaixAOR0g~NtThxQcTe~ksiR1HsWu4GKDN4R21AW-vML8WgRhLAJeBthAKx2iICYkTVgWPRoCWsOQ1~C-dMmaPb4d4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jamie Travis, Stevenson’s career resource specialist, detailed career-exploration tools and local opportunities for students who may not be planning a four‑year degree.

Travis recommended two external resources — the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook for occupation overviews and the Illinois Pathways site for Illinois‑specific wages and county‑level data — and demonstrated how Naviance links careers to related college majors. \"Some students really wanna see the scattergrams,\" she said when describing how career and admissions data interact in the platform.

She described the Student Career Connection site maintained by the school, which functions as a job board for part‑time work and posts summer job fair participants with QR codes linking to applications. Travis said shadowing opportunities can be arranged through the College & Career Center as one‑time, in‑person visits or virtual meetings when in‑person visits are not available. The internship and research pages list current and recurring (inactive) opportunities; recurring items appear under an inactive tab so students can set reminders to apply when they open again.

Travis also described summer career classes — two‑week courses in health care, business, STEM and law that combine speakers and field trips — and urged families to allow at least three weeks for teachers to prepare letters of recommendation when applying to enrichment programs.","Career resource specialist Jamie Travis outlined local and national career resources — Occupational Outlook Handbook, Illinois Pathways, Student Career Connection — plus shadowing, internships, summer career classes and the school’s summer job fair.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6410675,"Counselors demonstrate Naviance features for college research and rep visit notes",115,631000,746000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816&start=631&end=746","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816/thumbnail_631000.jpg","/articles/6410675/Illinois/Counselors-demonstrate-Naviance-features-for-college-research-and-rep-visit-notes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6410675-8ce76f6ad22b2fc7e43f3c8240abd62e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770933202&Signature=o-d3eYmoMZwlUJSPXnNYte2Uytd4-HtYZOLifAJciocOygJ2mgiSluISH1RbRSK4VPUPmQ~L0En7nvZUtfEfbsEdB4oXjRcSbvaHPl0vP~04M9YQbavJ3SPgis6UuFaf-HmW9tp19Sd6osZ6h0xjfE~-Tg5Vn2wD-9Cuw072lHnT1SnmQ3qKz4nAQ4SOfAElyUyHhRFVBpRZ~8ucK89hxSa8o7QK6uxEMN5SofB6oHttiL~ufajZqZ9ROJbCIkbZTdgQ5K7d5vZDhlcYiZsXl4mTOYzjrOoOa9vF1j~HfIWU3ZmBeP0OvCJoM4V69H5SXzLikkdcEFYhPkmQf8Fp0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Stevenson High School counselors gave a step‑by‑step demonstration of Naviance, the college- and career‑planning platform, advising students and families on features they use to research colleges, scholarships and admissions trends.

Dan Miller and Sarah Hansen showed families how to access Naviance through the district website and advised that students should share their Stevenson email and network password with parents for family viewing. \"The parent or guardian is actually pretty limited and not so helpful, so we just encourage all families to share the login with the student,\" Hansen said.

Counselors highlighted how to use college pages to view campus photos and admissions materials, where they store notes from on‑campus rep visits, and how the system notifies students when a college representative schedules a visit at Stevenson. Miller and Hansen explained scattergrams that show historical Stevenson applicant outcomes (admitted, denied, deferred) and recommended toggling to SAT data for more current trends. They also demonstrated a special University of Illinois admissions view that separates data by college within the university.

Staff emphasized that counselors publish rep-visit notes and other materials to Naviance so students who miss visits can still access information. The presentation pointed families toward the district College & Career Center page where a Naviance walkthrough video and the login link are posted.","Stevenson counselors walked families through Naviance — how to log in, view college pages, scattergrams, admissions data, rep visit notes and scholarship listings — and encouraged shared family use of student logins.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6410694,"Stevenson counselors outline postsecondary timeline, resources for sophomores",4092,9000,4101000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816&start=9&end=4101","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2647361-3d4bfdcfd3d275be06430854f61b7816/thumbnail_9000.jpg","/articles/6410694/Illinois/Stevenson-counselors-outline-postsecondary-timeline-resources-for-sophomores","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6410694-02bdcc127d8638a8da12b448b4a37422/orig.mp4?Expires=1770933202&Signature=hwO2Gagg7Zwg0dYNZ~h7IW0dA9OvlyTJNdhQabu4ttI56awyOiB1Qrrv9WnrrfO07chy2VaLVovILRPERjYOwT-ma010I02NpTUAXYK~16QB3OShdeYGb~MXMW14dyVGeDk7SiXsyJxvsbtM7di2hpwXWtxr98a-g9G-66IE68XkSE1oG-ihiC~Yta64v8xyccIDJ~AfTJcTMkYqeBx7Vr5TEFjakEBFviILdEa3wWAa1PEkYrSkoxWIs3g3Xgvy54lYavVO9YDoL2gi2KlM6m-uGn5XAApZvS7dO9JprQf2G-L--5CsQds9rxa0nkhVaHrVjB6unpQQDQdzQT39Rw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Stevenson High School’s college and career counselors laid out a multi-year roadmap for sophomores at a school presentation, covering timelines, campus visits, application planning and counseling services.

The counselors — Dan Miller, postsecondary counselor; Jamie Travis, career resource specialist; and Sarah Hansen, postsecondary counselor — told students and families that sophomore year is a time to begin research and build a working list of colleges while using school resources like the College & Career Center and Naviance. \"We want the student forefront,\" Hansen said, stressing student ownership of the process.

The presentation explained why fit matters — academically, socially and financially — and encouraged students to begin a broad list of schools (roughly a dozen to 20) and narrow it over time. Counselors urged families to use official college websites for up‑to‑date admission and cost information and to treat Naviance and other tools as research aids. Miller noted that the college website remains “the gold standard” for accurate information.

Counselors previewed events and touchpoints for rising juniors: college-rep visits beginning around Labor Day and concentrated in September and October; a junior-focused college night set for Nov. 10; a financial aid night on Sept. 25 featuring a guest from Lake Forest College; Choices College Fair for students with IEP or 504 plans on Oct. 7; and local and national college fairs. They also described 45‑minute individualized postsecondary scope meetings (scheduled late 2025 through the following June) where counselors will review transcripts and recommend a working list of schools.

On academic preparation, counselors recommended maintaining strong grade trends, said transcripts are the most important part of an application, and advised taking standardized tests only a few times rather than repeatedly. They described support such as college rep visit notes that the counselors publish in Naviance and the school’s ongoing updates to the College & Career Center website and YouTube resources.

The presentation closed with logistical tips — sharing student Naviance logins with families, using the College & Career Center website for links and recordings, and contacting counselors for individual appointments — and with an invitation to follow the center’s social channels for event updates.","Stevenson High School counselors walked sophomores and families through college and career planning timelines, available resources (including Naviance), upcoming college-rep visits and individualized postsecondary scope meetings.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Counselors emphasize college fit, co‑curricular depth over breadth

Stevenson counselors review military pathways and testing changes for sophomores

Stevenson highlights career pathways, internships, shadowing and summer programs

Counselors demonstrate Naviance features for college research and rep visit notes

Stevenson counselors outline postsecondary timeline, resources for sophomores