With the college application process  beginning as early as December of Junior year, South provides  students and their families with various resources and aid to assist in preparation for submitting applications, College Counselor John Klasen said. 

Resources such as college counseling, in-school college visits, the College Colloquium, and essay tutors give students at South the help they need for applications, Klasen explained.

One of the earliest available resources to students is college counseling, Klasen said. College counselors hold individual appointments from January to June of junior year, he added. These meetings help students keep track of their Common Application process, Klasen explained.

The College Colloquium, a notable resource for students about to begin their college applications, provides both students and parents from Glenbrook North and South information about the application process, Jennifer Swanson, Executive Assistant in the College and Career Center, said. The colloquium will occur Saturday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Swanson added.

While attending the colloquium, visitors are able to interact with college speakers who share their expertise,  Swanson explained. The colloquium also offers various breakout rooms that discuss topics such as campus visits, writing application essays, school sizes, honor programs, and financial aid, she explained..

 “One of the most attended events is the College Colloquium for juniors in the winter,” Swanson said. “Parents are invited and there are a lot of breakout sessions. It really helps prepare [students for application].”

Another resource attended by both North and South is the college fair hosted by North in April, Swanson said. The fair follows the colloquium and is very well attended, she added.

South also hosts in-school college visits for students to attend, senior Naomi Vazquez said. At college meeting representatives answer all student questions, Vasquez explained, which helps students get a feel for how they like a certain school.

“I find [college visits] useful because you can feel the vibe, and I really like the pamphlets,” Vazquez said.

The Titan Learning Center (TLC) is a useful resource for seniors in the midst of writing their application essays because they can get assistance with college essay writing process, William McInerney, full-time TLC writing tutor, said. The TLC is tailored to every student’s needs, part-time TLC tutor Judith Elman, said. 

“I love everything about my job,” Elman said. “I love the opportunity to work one on one with students, because able to help that particular student.” 

The college process comes with many stressors, but school-provided resources have been helpful in relieving some issues and challenges students have come across, Vazquez said.

“I like to think positively about my future because while this is stressful at the moment, it is going to be worth it later on [because] I am going to have a career that I love,” Vasquez said.

The abundance of resources at South are fit for any aspect of the application process, Swanson said. It is critical for junior and seniors applying to college to utilize those sources, Swanson emphasized.

“Take advantage of all the resources we have at South,” Swanson said. “We have amazing opportunities [to help students] figure out what they want to do. They can get the best knowledge from counselors and [writing assistance from] the TLC. We have good resources for everybody.”