As of Monday, February 17, seniors have only 58 days left at Morton East High School. 838 out of 1,045 seniors are on track for graduation. The last session of night school begins Monday, February 24. So, seniors should be checking in with their counselors to make sure there are no surprises and that everything that needs to be taken care of is accomplished.
Recently, we met with McDonald, a counselor here at Morton East, for a Q and A on “What Seniors Need to Know.”
Q: What can students do if they are behind in credits?
A: “Students who are behind can take online classes through subject, night school, or summer school to catch up on credits.”
Q: Where will graduation be held?
A: “Graduation will be held at Morton West football field during May 2025.”
Q: When is the deadline for FAFSA?
A: “May 1st is the deadline for FAFSA.”
Q: Why is FAFSA important for students?
A: “FAFSA is important for students planning…”
Meanwhile, some students haven’t completed their requirements for graduation.
“I have 16.5 credits to graduate. I have ordered my cap and gown. I haven’t done my FAFSA. I haven’t taken a single tour of a college,” said senior Fernando.
Still others haven’t planned for graduation or life after graduation.
“No, I haven’t ordered my cap and gown. No, I haven’t applied. I didn’t know I was supposed to apply for FAFSA. I have all my credits and a bit extra, and I haven’t taken a single visit to a college,” said senior Noemi Jurado.
While others have gone on tours and applied:
“I have all my credits. I haven’t ordered my cap and gown. I have already applied for FAFSA. Yesterday, I went to take a tour of UIC. I really liked their campus. I applied to five different colleges, one of which was UIC,” said senior Ousmane Sylla.
Some are going to trade school rather than college:
“I got 16 credits. I have not ordered my cap and gown. I have not applied for FAFSA. I’m going to apply soon. I’m in debt with the school payment. I haven’t taken a single tour of a college, and I’m thinking of attending a trade school for HVAC,” said senior Josue Cervantes.
Others are trying to get on track for graduation:
“I have not ordered my cap and gown. I didn’t know I was supposed to order it. I have already applied for FAFSA. I am in debt with the school for $1,200. I have taken tours to colleges like EU, Morton College, and Western University. I don’t have enough credits to graduate and am currently taking night school to get back on track,” said senior Keven Armas.
However, some seniors do have their cap and gown ordered already:
“I have enough credits to graduate. I have ordered my cap and gown. I have not yet applied for FAFSA. I don’t think I’m in debt with school payments. I have applied to Morton College, but I haven’t taken a single tour of a college,” said senior Andy Padilla.
While some still haven’t planned out their future:
“I haven’t ordered my cap and gown. I don’t know what FAFSA is. I didn’t even know I was supposed to apply for it. I think I am in debt with school payments. I have not applied to colleges and haven’t taken a single tour of a college,” said senior Angel Rodriguez.
However, some seniors have gone to colleges:
“I think I got 20.5 credits. I have ordered my cap and gown. I have already applied for FAFSA. I have taken tours to UIC, Lewis University, Dominican, Saint Xavier, and I have applied to five different colleges. I’m planning on attending college,” said senior Brian Fernandez.
In addition, some students are good to go and ready for graduation:
“I have 20.5 credits. I ordered my cap and gown a while back once they sent out a message on Skyward. I have not applied for FAFSA but will soon. I have applied to 15 different colleges, some of which are UIC, Valparaiso, DePaul, Dominican, etc. Some colleges I visited were UIC and North Central,” said senior Jackie Morales.
