Exploration News
Scoir and YouScience
Through Scoir, all iLEAD high school learners have access to YouScience. YouScience is a comprehensive career assessment program that combines aptitudes, interests, and 21st century careers to make career and educational recommendations. Through the use of 5-8 minute performance-based exercises, YouScience captures a learner’s true areas of highest potential. Once logged into Scoir, you will click on “My Profile”, then “Career Profile” on the left side bar. Then select “YouScience” to get started. It will redirect you to their outside website, but saved careers will sync back to your Scoir account.
If you need access to your Scoir/YouScience account, reach out to your EF for the necessary steps to activate.
Upcoming College Fairs and Events
On May 12, iLEAD and fellow California independent study charter schools will be hosting our own virtual event, so be sure to save the date!
WACAC and NACAC fairs feature a full array of international and national colleges. These events include both college presentations as well as subject information sessions on specialty topics. National Portfolio Day offers you the opportunity to upload your art portfolio and receive advice from a variety of art schools and art departments.
More fairs will be added as we move into the spring and summer. Scoir, iLEAD’s college planning tool, gives up-to-date information on college fairs.
Below you will find a list of virtual college fairs:
February
- February 27 National Portfolio Day
- Feb 28th College Fair: US Focus
March
- March 3rd WACAC College Fair and Information Sessions
- Mar 7th NACAC College Fair: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) focus
- March 14th WACAC College Fair and Information Sessions
- Mar 16th NACAC Visual and Performing Arts Focus
- March 19th National Portfolio Day
April
- April 10th NACAC College Fair: Western US Focus
- April 10th National Portfolio Day
- April 15th-16th College and Career Fairs–Save the Date – Registration opens March 22nd
- April 19th WACAC College Fair and Information Sessions
- April 20th NACAC College Fair: Southeastern US Focus
May
- May 2nd NACAC College Fair: US Focus
- May 7th National Portfolio Day National Portfolio Day
- May 12 Save the date for a multi charter virtual fair!!!
2021 Virtual Talent Showcase
Each year, we celebrate our skillful learners at the iLEAD Exploration talent show. This year, we are excited to bring you our presentation virtually through the 2021 Virtual Talent Showcase. We invite all learners to participate and submit original work based on the theme “Together We Can,” in one of six areas: dance choreography, literature, photography, film production, music composition, and visual arts.
together we can - talent show 2021Learner University
Learner University is excited to share their new and updated schedule for the spring semester. They are offering small group lessons to learners struggling in language arts and math. They will provide everything learners need during the sessions. Each session will have two parts to support the learner:
Part 1: Learners will be taught a specific concept from one of our wonderful educational facilitators. Homework will be emailed after the session.
Part 2: Learners bring completed homework to review with the educational facilitator along with additional practice, if needed.
Please see the fliers below for specific topics and details on how to register.
Learner University
Learner University is excited to share their new and updated schedule for the spring semester. They are offering small group lessons to our learners struggling in language arts and math. They will provide everything learners need during the sessions. Each session will have two parts to support the learner:
Part 1: Learners will be taught a specific concept from one of our wonderful educational facilitators. Homework will be emailed after the session.
Part 2: Learners bring completed homework to review with the educational facilitator along with additional practice, if needed.
Please see the fliers below for specific topics and details on how to register.
ASB Clubs
Your ASB is excited to announce the launch of two high school clubs that are open to all iLEAD high school learners: The Gaming Club and a Creative Writing Club. By joining one of these clubs, you will have the opportunity to meet other iLEAD learners, have a great time, and build long-lasting friendships. To join one or both clubs, RSVP here.
If you have any questions, please email our ASB Coordinator at: karen.askenaze@
Giant Stuffed Animal Club
Do you have a GIANT stuffed animal that you’d like to share with other iLEAD learners? Join the club! Share your giant stuffed friend, and see the giant stuffed friends of other learners during this fun virtual meet up!
LINKED Stuffed_animal (1)College Deadlines
College application season is upon us, and learners are hard at work filling out applications. Each college will have its own decision dates and rules. Here is an overview of the different types of applications.
Early Deadlines: Learners apply early and receive an early admission and financial aid response. Early option deadlines are often in November and December. There may be more than one early option:
- Early Decision (ED) is a binding decision and cannot be broken. The parents, learner, and the high school counselor will sign a contract stating that if the learner is accepted, they will withdraw all other college applications and commit to the college. You should only use this option if you know you can afford and are willing to attend this college. Students can only apply to one college using early decision.
- Early Action (EA) is a non-binding decision. While the college’s admission and financial aid offers come early, an admitted student has until May 1 to make a decision. A student can apply to as many early-action colleges as they wish. EA can be advantageous because it shows learner interest and could result in special scholarships. Important note: Early decision overrides early action admission offers.
- Restricted Early-Action (REA) or Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) is a non-binding decision; however, often the college adds restrictions. Most often a learner who applies under REA/SCEA may not apply using early decision to any college and may also not be allowed to apply early action. REA/SCEA does not restrict regular decision applications. Only a handful of very selective colleges use REA/SCEA.
Regular Decision (RD): Most colleges have a regular-decision deadline in January or early February. The deadline allows students to take the time they need to complete a strong application and apply to numerous colleges. All colleges must provide an admission response by April 1, and the student has until May 1 to accept an offer and submit a deposit.
Surprise Deadlines: Students who are applying to majors such as music, dance, theater, film, business, or other programs may have an earlier deadline. This is especially true for majors that require auditions, creative supplements, or an extended interview process. Some colleges may also require an earlier application if the student would like to be considered for scholarships. Check the website of each college for financial aid deadlines.
Rolling Decisions: Many colleges have a rolling application process. This allows the student to apply anytime in the fall and receive an admission and financial aid offer quickly, sometimes as early as two weeks. Some colleges with rolling decisions do not stop taking applications until they are full and applications may continue to be accepted into the spring. Other colleges may have a final application deadline.
Virtual Halloween Parade
It’s not too late to join the fun! The deadline has been extended to October 23!
HalloweenParade
College Testing Update
Due to COVID-19, PSAT/NMSQT has been canceled for fall 2020. We will keep families updated if alternative testing options become available. It is important to note that UC/CSU schools will not be requiring SAT/ACT test scores to be submitted for fall 2021 applicants. Many more colleges across the country are becoming test-optional as well. Please set up a Calendly appointment with our college advisor, Laura Kazan, if you have questions about your college path!
Fall 2020 Virtual Events
This year we are excited to announce a whole new approach to field studies. Each month, we will offer learners unique virtual opportunities and experiences.
We hope that you are able to check out our first event, “Where Am I? Guessing Game”, taking place on Monday, September 14.
VirtualEvents_Fall2020
Upcoming High School Events
We hope you are all settling into the new school year. If you have a high school learner, please take a look at the exciting opportunities below, as deadlines are quickly approaching.
NHS
The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. NHS serves to recognize students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. iLEAD Exploration is excited to invite all iLEAD Exploration learners who are currently in 10th-12th grade and who have been enrolled with iLEAD a minimum of one full semester and have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to apply. The application period is open from now until September 30 at midnight. If you have a learner who applied last fall and received an acceptance letter, they do not need to apply again. Meetings will begin in October. Please share with your 10th, 11th, and 12th grade learners who qualify. Please click HERE to apply.
ASB
ASB (Associated Student Body) is a leadership team comprised of learners who will represent the entire student body of high schoolers. The main objective of ASB is to help learners feel more connected to school and each other through involvement in ASB-organized activities. This year, we plan to launch virtual clubs as well as several fun virtual events! Click HERE to apply!
Virtual Field Trip
Meet and Greet
Don’t miss our online Meet & Greet, where we will introduce our high school team. We will break out into smaller groups to explain our high school program and answer your questions directly. We have added a second session in the afternoon to accommodate more families. Please select the session that works best for you.
- Session 1: September 11, 10:00 a.m. High School Team Meet and Greet #1
- Session 2: September 11, 1:00 p.m. High School Team Meet and Greet #2
Meet and Greet
Don’t miss our online Meet & Greet where we will introduce our team and break into smaller groups to explain our high school program and answer your questions directly. We’ve added a second session in the afternoon to accommodate more families. Please select the session that works best for you.
Session 1: September 11, 10:00 a.m. High School Team Meet and Greet #1
Session 2: September 11, 1:00 p.m. High School Team Meet and Greet #2
College Update
Due to COVID-19, PSAT/NMSQT has been canceled for fall 2020. We will keep families updated if alternative testing options become available. It is important to note that UC/CSU schools will not be requiring SAT/ACT test scores to be submitted for fall 2021 applicants and many more colleges across the country are becoming test optional. Please set up a Calendly appointment with our College Advisor, Laura Kazan, if you have questions about your college path!
2020-21 ASB
We have reopened Associated Student Body (ASB) applications for the 2020-21 school year. ASB is a leadership team comprised of learners who will represent the entire student body of high schoolers. The main objective of ASB is to help learners feel more connected to school and each other through involvement in ASB-organized activities. If you have a high school learner who would be a good candidate for ASB, please encourage them to apply! This year, we are planning on launching new virtual clubs as well as planning several fun virtual events! Please apply HERE by September 30 if you are interested.
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. iLEAD Exploration is excited to invite all iLEAD Exploration learners who are currently in 10-12th grade and who have been enrolled with iLEAD a minimum of one full semester and have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to apply. The application period is open from now until September 30th at midnight. If you applied last fall and received an acceptance letter, there is no need to apply again. Meetings will begin in October. Click HERE to apply.
Congratulations, 2020 Graduates!
We are so proud of our 2020 graduates. During a time of uncertainty, these learners persevered and were able to complete their high school journey. They embody all that is iLEAD, and we would like to recognize each and every one of them. As C.S. Lewis said, “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” From all of us here at iLEAD, we wish them luck in their future endeavors. Congratulations!
2020GraduationProgramTogether Tuesdays
We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing our Together Tuesdays. We are so proud of all our learners and the work they have completed this year!