The Class of 2020 participated in a Junior Focus Day on January 18, to learn more about the variety of post-secondary options once they graduate. The Student Services Department at Madison High School planned the event that offered 12 possible sessions the students could attend. The topics of the sessions included a wide-range of choices including employment skills, the gap year and the college application process. Professionals from within the local community, as well as out-of-state colleges and universities, presented during each of the four sessions the students chose to attend.

In one session, students were placed on a mock college admission panel. Representatives from Butler University and the University of Dayton facilitated this session where student groups participated in a mock admissions exercise in which they played the role of an admissions officer looking at potential applicants.  Also on hand to speak with the students were four Deans from a range of undergraduate programs: American University, Radford University, The University of Tennessee and The George Washington University. Collectively, they moderated a Q & A session with student groups allowing students to ask a broad range of questions including everything from financial aid to the purpose of early decision applications.

Multiple members of the Armed Forces presented to standing-room only crowds about the different military options available to a student upon high school graduation. Their presentation discussed the type of commitment required and what type of educational opportunities were available in each branch.

The idea of a student’s digital footprint was also a topic students could learn about on the Junior Focus Day. This session explained how colleges and employers look at a student’s online activity before admitting or hiring a student. It also helped students learn some basics about how to develop their digital identity in a positive, productive manner.

Within the next few months, juniors will begin to register for the classes they will take in their senior year at Madison. The Junior Focus Day helped inform students as to what type of schedule they should build for themselves in their last year of high school to best prepare them for their post-secondary options.