January Action Items & Important Information

Contact the college office with questions after reviewing the information below.

ACTION ITEMS

Bookmark the Resources Page. You'll use it frequently. Watch this 8-minute video introduction to how to use the Resources Page.

Sign in to activate and explore SCOIR.
- Students will receive a link to sign in and activate SCOIR within the next hour and parents/guardians will receive a link on Monday, January 12.
  - Students must activate their account first and then parents/guardians.
  - The activation links are valid for up to ten days.
- Parents/guardians with existing accounts (i.e., who had older students who used SCOIR) will simply sign into those accounts beginning Monday afternoon.
- To see your counselor assignment after signing in, Click on “Me” in the upper right and then “ View Profile.” Next Thursday, January 15, you’ll receive instructions to sign up for your first meeting.
- Watch the appropriate video: How to Use Scoir (for Students) or How to Suggest School in Scoir (for Parents/Guardians).

Sign-up for the School Day SAT and/or ACT by 3pm, February 13, if applicable. There is no advantage to signing up sooner. If you want to discuss first with your counselor, you can sign-up after your first meeting. This is a hard deadline, as we need to send registration information to CollegeBoard and ACT.

Look Ahead & Mark your calendar with important dates.
- See the Junior Timeline & Important Dates on the Resources Page.
- Mark your calendar for our Deans & Directors Program on May 7 (for parents/guardians only: 6:30-9pm) and May 8 (for students during the school day).

Reflect on Senior Year Classes: Before your 1st meeting with your college counselor, reflect on what classes you may want to take in senior year. After February 2, the 2026-27 course catalog will be updated here. Even if students schedule their first college counseling meeting before February 2, we are confident we can still have helpful conversations about course registration. The college counselors will also be available for drop-in hours on February 25 (B Day) and 26 (A Day) for any last minute questions regarding course registration.
Discuss whether affordability will be a consideration. If it is, we suggest scheduling an hour-long meeting with Paul Martin from College Money Method. The fee is $150 (reduced for families on financial aid); the cost will be charged to your monthly statement from Lakeside. We recommend meeting with Paul before February 26.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

In assigning counselors, the office tried to honor as many requests as possible. While we were able to accommodate many, we couldn’t grant all requests. We’re confident that all the counselors provide top-notch support to all students.
Early next week, students will receive a survey by email to provide feedback on their Addie experience. While the survey isn’t required, the office would be grateful if as many students as possible complete it. Student feedback is crucial in determining how to improve the Addie experience–and long term, to determine whether Addie is the right fit for Lakeside.
As you explore scattergrams in SCOIR, note that a singular datapoint similar to your own is insufficient in determining admissibility. Focus instead on the general GPA and testing ranges in which you see students admitted, waitlisted, and denied, and bring questions to your counselor about where you fit in. Using years of data and anecdotal experience, the counselors will help you determine, over time, which colleges are Foundations, Reaches, Unlikelies, and Highly Unlikelies.
You may also converse with Addie to continue reflecting on your strengths and goals. Some questions you might consider: What do my teachers see as my three most common strengths? What majors would you suggest I explore beyond those I discussed in our conversations? What careers might be good fits for me? None of Addie’s answers should be regarded as the “correct path or answer.” Rather, they are intended to be another perspective to consider. Finally, Addie has info on hundreds of colleges from IPEDS, a government database. You can also ask what colleges it might suggest for you and why? (Note: Addie will also suggest your admission likelihood to colleges based on national and not local–e.g. Lakeside–data. You should consult your counselor before deciding whether the schools or foundations, reaches, or unlikelies.)
Should you wish to revisit any portion of the December or January introductory programs, the videos are now posted on the Resources Page.

UPCOMING DATES & DEADLINES

January 15: Students receive instructions to schedule their first college counseling meeting
January 21: Student/Counselor meetings begin
January 22: College Coffee Talk, Course Selection in the College Process for PGs (8:30-9:45 am)
January 26: College Money Method Webinar, Evaluating Student Loans, (6:30-8 pm)
February 2: Course catalog for 2026-27 school year released
February 13, 3pm: Deadline to register for the School Day SAT & ACT
February 24: College Money Method Webinar, Building Financial Fit Into Lists (6:30-8 pm)
February 26: Recommended date by which families meet with Paul Martin and/or use net price calculators (if applying for financial aid) and course sign ups for the 2026-2027 academic year closes.
March 10: School Day ACT
March 13: Last day to register for Advanced Placement (AP) exams offered at Lakeside. For additional info, read here.
March 16: PGs receive information about scheduling April Family Meeting w/ College Counselor
March 27: School Day SAT
April 1: Parent/Guardian Meetings begin
May 7: Deans & Directors Program for Parents/Guardians, required for at least one PG (6:30-9 pm)
May 8: Deans & Directors Program for Students (during school)