CLASS OF

2027

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OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD YOUR RESUME:

Texas Bank & Trust Student Board of Directors:

The Student Board program is designed to introduce students to banking and money management at a critical point in their lives, while providing them with essential building blocks to earning, spending, saving, and investing money. This is a competitive and selective program. Applications are due online by March 1.
Christus STARS Job Shadow Program:
Interested in the medical field? STARS (Students Taking Action to Reach Success) is a premier education opportunity that allows students aged 15-18 an introduction to healthcare careers and increases healthcare awareness through job shadowing. Applications are linked above and also available in the Upper School Office. Applications are due March 1.
Northwestern START-UP Program:START-UP participants will explore cutting-edge technologies and strategies for building a business or product in Northwestern’s entrepreneurship facilities. During breaks, students will explore Northwestern’s local communities in Evanston and Chicago for food and further learning. Since Brook Hill is located in a rural area, Northwestern will cover all travel, lodging, and food costs. Deadline to apply is March 10.
East Texas Rural Electric Youth Seminar:

ETREYS (East Texas Rural Electric Youth Seminar) is an all-expenses-paid leadership conference (June 8-12) for selected sophomores and juniors in the RCEC service area. Students participate in workshops and peer activities focused on leadership, problem-solving, and positive decision-making, while hearing from college professors and community leaders. Participants also have opportunities to compete for college scholarships and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. This program is designed to help students grow in confidence, leadership, and life skills. Deadline to apply is April 30, 2026.
West Point Summer Leaders Academy: Rising seniors are invited to apply for the Summer Leaders Experience (SLE) at United States Military Academy at West Point—a rigorous five-day, overnight program led by current cadets that offers an authentic glimpse into cadet life through hands-on academics, physical and military training, and leadership development. Students participate in faculty-led workshops, Army PT and fitness challenges, team-building exercises, and character education while exploring whether West Point may be the right fit. Applications open February 15 (with rolling decisions beginning March 15), and financial aid is available for qualifying students.

COUNTDOWN TO COLLEGE TO-DO LIST:

Research colleges – Included in Scoir is a fantastic college search tool. There are pictures, videos, average SAT/ACT scores, average GPA, acceptance rate, and more for each school.
Begin your college list with at least three different types of schools:
- LIKELY: schools you are very likely to get into, you already exceed all the requirements.
- LEVEL: your GPA and/or test scores “match” with the college’s
- REACH: schools that are more selective or have higher standards than what you currently offer.
Complete Brag Sheet in SCOIR for your recommendation letters
Ask at least 2 teachers to write a recommendation letter
Sign up for SAT or ACT (see dates and registration links below) and spend time practicing for the tests! We will offer an SAT on our campus April 9 (register by Feb.20).
Begin drafting your main application essay (see details in the Essay section below)
Begin working on your resume/activities list for your applications (The College Essay Guy has a great guide on this!)

HELPFUL LINKS

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CAREER EXPLORATION

Take the Career Interest Survey linked above to begin exploring careers tailored to your interests.

There is also Career Discovery attached to your SCOIR account that you can complete.

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HOW TO CHOOSE A SCHOOL

Watch this video explaining how to choose the right college or university for you.

SCOIR

Your College Search Starts Here

We will use SCOIR extensively over the next year. Make sure your account is set up (you should have received an email from Mrs. Travis). As you add colleges to your “My Colleges” tab your counselor can see these and also suggest other schools that might be a good fit.

RESUME

Begin entering all of your extracurricular activities, honors/awards, work experience, and community service into your profile. This will ensure you have all of your information in one place and SCOIR has an export tool that will take all of your information and build your resume.

ESSAYS

Check the essay topics on Apply Texas, Common App, and Coalition App. (The application you choose will depend on the colleges you will be applying to – most Texas schools are on Apply Texas, while Common App and Coalition have schools from across the United States.)

Narrow down your topic and begin writing a first draft. Having your essay already started by August will be a huge time saver for you upon starting senior year and then Mr. Travis can help you edit as needed.

Many colleges also require supplemental essay questions which are shorter and are designed to give the college greater insight into you, the applicant. See the guide below for more information on writing supplemental essays.

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SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAY QUESTION GUIDE

* STARS*

SELF-REPORTED

TRANSCRIPT & ACADEMIC RECORD SYSTEM

Many colleges are now requiring students to complete the STARS and then link their STARS to each college application. You can create an account now and start entering your high school grades. This will save you valuable time next fall as a senior!

Texas A&M, Baylor, Clemson, LSU, Penn State, UTSA, and many other schools are already requiring the STARS and we expect more schools to join them.