Exploration News
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!
HalloweenParadeCollege 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!
Together Tuesdays
We love seeing the positive images submitted throughout LEAD Schools every week, joyful reminders that we are all in this together. Thank you to everyone who submitted this week! Click the image or link to view the video.
Together Tuesdays
It is time for another Together Tuesday update. This week we are including an extra video made by two of our very own creative learners, Bowie Bundlie, 2nd grade, and Bradley Bundlie, 5th grade. We hope that you enjoy it just as much as we did.
Share YOUR Together Tuesday images and stories with us by sending them to stories@ileadschools.org by midnight every Monday.
Together Tuesdays
We love seeing the positive images submitted throughout iLEAD every week, joyful reminders that we are all in this together. Thank you to everyone who submitted this week! Click the image or link to view the video.
Share YOUR Together Tuesday images and stories with us by sending them to stories@ileadschools.org by midnight every Monday.
Together Tuesdays
That’s right, it’s Together Tuesday! We love seeing the positive images submitted throughout iLEAD nation every week — joyful reminders that we are all in this together. Thank you to everyone who submitted this week! Click the image or link to view the video.
Share YOUR Together Tuesday images and stories with us by sending them to stories@ileadschools.org by midnight every Monday.
Summer Classes With iLEAD Online
Registration is open now for all families to enroll in iLEAD Online’s July 1 Track C Program. A few highlights about this year’s program:
- There is no cost, and any child in grades 2-12 living in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Kern counties may enroll. Special note: Because your child is enrolled in a different school (iLEAD Exploration is part of iLEAD Hybrid’s charter school), you would need to enroll your learner with iLEAD Online’s charter school for the summer.
- iLEAD Online courses begin on July 1. Learners complete courses at an accelerated rate. They have two cycles of accelerated learning from July 1 through August 14, at which point most Track C learners will withdraw from this program to return to the school they attend during the school year.
- Courses are all online and facilitated by a credentialed master of distance learning. Live office hours, extra tutoring and support, and customizable content make their program user-friendly.
- High school learners receive UC a-g, NCAA approved, and WASC accredited transfer grades.
- Grades 2-8 have some great project-based learning courses that you can find here. These courses touch on all four core disciplines in an engaging and fun way that builds skills through active, hands-on learning.
- Registration is open until June 1 this year. Families must submit an intent to enroll. Once this is submitted, the iLEAD Online office team will guide you through the rest.
Together Tuesdays
The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of our lives, and while the constant flow of serious news can feel overwhelming, we are setting aside time every Tuesday to focus on positive images from throughout iLEAD Schools. A reminder that we are all in this together. Thank you to everyone who submitted this week! Additionally, you can share YOUR Together Tuesday images and stories with us by sending them to stories@ileadschools.org by midnight every Monday. Our theme for next week is school spirit. How creative can you get? Just in case you missed last week’s video, you can view it here.
Additionally, the iLEAD family resource helpline is available to you toll free, M-F, 8am-8pm at 833-610-0700. Please do not hesitate to call if you are in need of support. You may also want to watch our webinar on anxiety and stress here.