College & Career Counseling

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Coaching for the Transition

College counseling at St. John’s Northwestern guides students through one of life’s most important transitions, as students navigate their way towards their academic and professional path after high school. We help students explore potential paths and make the choices now that support their dreams for the future. No matter if they choose to further their career as a student or enter the workforce, our graduates are prepared to learn, lead and excel.

A Personal & Proven Approach to Success

Our professionals provide one-on-one college counseling to every student, helping them establish an individual understanding of which scholastic and working environments are right for them. At SJNA, we believe it is never too early to start helping our students plan for a successful future and mapping the course to help ensure continued growth, lifelong learning, and personal excellence. Starting in Middle School, we help our students select courses to match interests, all while thinking about college prospects and career possibilities. While our entire curriculum emphasizes preparation for college and life after high school, we help students and families formally start the college search process in the 11th grade. View our full College and Career Readiness Plan HERE.

During junior year, our high school students take a one-semester College and Career Planning course to explore and develop post-graduation plans, write application essays, and receive further standardized test preparation. Students continue to work closely with the College Counselor to complete applications and manage decision-making. Our goal is to ensure students advance to the educational institution and career field most appropriate for their preparation, talents, interests, and potential. View our full College and Career Planning Syllabus HERE.

Students in College and Career planning meet with a different college and university admissions counselor once every two weeks and attend admission presentations and virtual college tours. They will also meet with recruiters from the armed forces and local employers to learn about different career and benefit options that may be available to them. The picture to the left shows Hillsdale College (Michigan) admissions officer visiting SJNA.

“Throughout the semester, in College and Career Planning, we went over many subjects regarding both college and the application process, and researching schools as well as the career side and discovering what we would be interested in majoring in. Not only did this class help me figure out that I was very interested in the marketing/ business side of the world, it also helped me understand how many different options there are!” – Daltin P., Class of 2023 and Head Prefect

An average of 30 college representatives visit St. John’s Northwestern each year. We enjoy a 100% college acceptance rate: all graduating seniors who choose to pursue post-secondary education are accepted to a college or university. Our students have gone on to some of the most selective institutions in the world, including (updated 2022):

 

Make Your Dream School A Reality

Where Our Graduates Have Attended

College & Career Visits

2024-25 School Year

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Scheduled Visits

United States Naval Academy and Navy ROTC - September 7
Hult International Business School - September 17
UW Whitewater - September 23
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology - October 8
Grand Canyon University - October 22
Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech) - October 22
Green River College, Washington - October 22
Marquette Army ROTC - October 23
Milwaukee School of Engineering - October 28
Lewis University - November 5

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Monthly College Tours

Service Academy Days - September
Carthage College - October
Marian University - November
Marquette University - December
Beloit College - February
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater - March
Ripon College - April

Students are invited to sign up for each event on a first-come, first-serve basis. To requests or suggestion a specific school visit, employer visit, and campus tour, please reach out to Ms. Lewis, the College and Career Counselor, via email at clewis@sjnacademies.org

Cat Chats

This week’s episode highlights a superb early milestone in college scholarships for our senior class.

In Season 2 Episode 2, Cat takes “A Leap of Faith” and encourages our students to do the same and submit those applications.

Our college and career counselor Cat Lewis dives into the world of college applications and how important it is to start the process early.

Welcome back to Cat Chat! This special summer episode details a few things that students should keep an eye on this summer.

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