Counseling Office - Sycamore High School

School counselor meeting with student and working on the computer

The counseling office at Sycamore High School offers support to students for academic, college, and career planning, and social and emotional concerns. The office supports our students during their time at SHS and prepares them to succeed after graduation.

Each student is assigned a counselor based on the first letter of their last name. Students can make appointments with their counselor to discuss course planning and selection, standardized testing, skill development, college searches and visits, transcripts and letters of recommendation, peer relationships, home and health concerns, and more. Each of our counselors is dedicated to helping our students succeed.

Who is my counselor?

The counselors at Sycamore High School assist students based on the first letter of their last name.

Find My Counselor

Our counselors have compiled a number of resources that cover important topics and information for students and families during the college search and application process.

College Preparation

FAFSA

Our course catalog contains information about the courses offered at SHS, including descriptions, prerequisites, and grade level requirements.

Course Catalog

Course selection for the following school year begins in January of each year. Students and families can review this process on our Course Selection webpage.

Course Selection

Past presentations and helpful tutorial videos can be found on this page. These resources help explain various procedures of the counseling office.

Presentations and Tutorial Videos

Forms

Homeschooling

We are considering homeschooling our student(s), what now?

We have definitely decided to homeschool, what are the next steps?

If you have decided to homeschool, please contact our District Registrar at registrar@syc427.org. In your email, please indicate your student(s) name, ID#, and state that you are withdrawing your student(s) from the district in order to homeschool. Upon receipt of this email, your student(s) will be unenrolled from the district system and any schedules will be deleted.

I have a high school student, will their homeschool credits be accepted at the high school if they return in the future?

Keep in mind that if a high school level student homeschools and then wants to return to Sycamore High School, they should be sure that the program they are using has the proper accreditation so that those credits count towards graduation requirements. Sycamore High School accepts credits from programs that are accredited by AdvancED/Cognia, which is the same accreditation that is used for public high schools. Online programs such as James Madison High School, Penn Foster, Pearson and APEX Virtual Learning School have this accreditation and we accept those credits. There are many other programs to consider so just be sure to check that their accreditation includes AdvancED/Cognia.

What happens if my high schooler participates in a program that does not have accreditation with AdvancED/Cognia?

A: If students have a transcript from their time homeschooling/online learning from a non AdvancED/Cognia accredited program, families can then create their own homeschool transcript for that year, combine it with the credits that a student earns at SHS, and prove graduation requirements/apply to colleges with both of these documents. The difference is that although the student would be still able to attend graduation at SHS if they are enrolled their senior year, they would earn a certificate of attendance rather than a diploma if they have not earned all the required credits at SHS due to time in a non-accredited program.

What happens if we decide to return to the district in the future?

In order to re-enroll a student, families would contact the District Registrar at registrar@syc427.org to enroll and show proof of residency. After enrolling a student, families would be directed to meet with the school to discuss next steps. At the high school level, transcripts would be evaluated to determine if credits from the homeschool program would be accepted. Placement tests may be given as well to determine future classes.

Can my student(s) participate in sports, clubs, or activities if they homeschool?

IHSA has strict rules about participation in athletics. Students must be enrolled in and passing 5 classes at the school in order to participate in IHSA sports. Therefore, students who are homeschooling would not be eligible for sports. In order for a student to participate in clubs or extracurricular activities at the school, the board policy states that they must be enrolled and spend a minimum of half of their day in classes at the school. Elementary students interested in choir, band, or orchestra, please contact the building administrator for more information.

For more information from the Illinois State Board of Education on homeschooling, please view their Frequently Asked Questions document.

Hosting a Foreign Exchange Student

Thank you for hosting a foreign exchange student and providing a safe place for them while they are away for their family. Listed below are the steps for hosting a foreign exchange student at Sycamore High School.

Make contact with the Sycamore High School Counseling Office as early as possible, by calling (815) 899-8144 to let them know you will be hosting a foreign exchange student. Provide as much information as possible: name of the student (the last name will determine their counselor), approximate start date at Sycamore High School, classes that they would be interested in taking (some foreign exchange programs require that students take specific classes while attending high school in the US). You may not have all of this information available, but any details that you can gather as you communicate with them before arrival can be very helpful.
Prove residency in Sycamore Community School District 427. This is required of host families, even if they have a student who attends or has previously attended Sycamore High School. Please contact the District Registrar at (815) 899-8100 to schedule an appointment. During the meeting, you will complete the online registration application. Through this process, the student will officially be in the student information system, which allows a schedule to be built for them.
Once the student arrives in Sycamore, a meeting should take place with the student, host parent(s), and school counselor to develop or finalize a schedule (this meeting can be scheduled ahead of time). Often a class schedule will not be finalized until the following day, so the student may want to rest up from a long trip or they are welcome to shadow their host student for the day.
Please clarify with the foreign exchange program about how school fees are handled for the student you are hosting – this varies with each program.
If your foreign exchange student changes residences throughout the course of their stay in Sycamore, the new host family will need to prove residency with the District Registrar. At this time, parent contacts will be updated.

Kish-On-Campus Dual Credit Procedures

If you sign up for a dual credit class for next year (2025-2026), you must complete all of the following steps to be enrolled in your class. See your Counselor if you have questions.

1. Apply to Kishwaukee College

Go to this link to apply for Kish. (You will receive a verification letter in the mail in a 7-10 days.)
This must be completed before you can take the Accuplacer placement test or register.
All potential dual credit students will be assigned to Stretch on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 to complete this step with SHS counseling staff.

2. Determine Placement

Placement may be determined by ACT, PSAT, or SAT scores, cumulative high school GPA (current juniors only) and/or taking the ACCUPLACER placement test. Check with your high school counselor.

Course Number	Course Name	ACT Minimum Score	PSAT/SAT Minimum Score	Cumulative HS GPA (after 5 or 6 semesters)	ACCUPLACER Placement Score
BIO 103 BIO 105	General Biology/General Bio Lab	English 19 or Composite 19; and Math 22	Reading and Writing 480; and Math 530	3.5 with 5 sem; 3.0 with 6 sem (waives out of ENG prerequisite only — need math)	WritePlacer 5-8 and QAS 245-300
ENG 103 ENG 104	Composition I/II	English 19 or Composite 19	Reading and Writing 480	3.5 with 5 sem; 3.0 with 6 sem	WritePlacer 5-8
MAT 150 MAT 155	College Algebra/Precalculus	Math 22	Math 530	N/A	QAS 270-300 or AAF 230-300
HIS 220 HIS 222	US History	Minimum competency: English - WritePlacer 3; Math - QAS 226+ or AAF >243
EDU 201	Intro to Education	Minimum competency: English - WritePlacer 3; Math - QAS 226+ or AAF >243
EDU 107	Intro to Special Education	Minimum competency: English - WritePlacer 3; Math - QAS 226+ or AAF >243
MUS 220	Music Appreciation	Minimum competency: English - WritePlacer 3; Math - QAS 226+ or AAF >243
COM 100	College Speech	English 19 or Composite 19	Reading and Writing 480	3.5 with 5 sem; 3.0 with 6 sem	WritePlacer 5-8

3. Complete placement test, if needed, by April 4, 2025.

One testing date (March 17, 2025) will be offered during school at SHS. If students miss that date, it is their responsibility to set up testing on their own through Kishwaukee College. Contact Kish at (815) 825-2086 and ask for the testing center. Indicate that you are a SHS Dual Credit student needing to test.
Testing at SHS will be completed on your school Chromebook (bring it charged).
To take the ACCUPLACER test, you must bring your Kishwaukee College letter that you received in the mail verifying that you have applied to Kish (see step 1).
A photo ID is required for testing.
Handheld calculators are not allowed. ACCUPLACER provides a calculator within the test on certain questions.
It helps to come into the placement test prepared. Kishwaukee College has tips for preparing for the ACCUPLACER test and other testing information.

4. Complete Kishwaukee College Class Registration

Students will NOT be registered for the dual credit course(s) if placement requirements are not met. Schedules for the high school course will be changed to non-dual credit classes.
Once you qualify for a dual credit course, you will need to complete a Kishwaukee College registration form available from the counseling office.

5. Pay for your course(s).

Cost: $50/class each semester.
Note that biology is $100 as it is a class and a lab.
Kishwaukee College will bill families once a student is enrolled in a class.
Payments are made directly to Kishwaukee College.
Note that Summer COM 100 is taught by Kish Faculty and costs the same fee as other summer school classes.

Testing Information

PSAT/NMSQT

This optional exam is the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) that is taken in October. In order to qualify as a National Merit Scholar, students must have junior status. Students in other grade levels can sign up for this exam, but will not be able to qualify for the National Merit Scholar program.
This exam is offered at Sycamore High School for a minimal cost (approximately $20). The fee for this exam can be paid on the Sycamore School District Webstore. Paying for the test will verify registration for the exam.
Watch announcements in the fall about sign up deadlines.
Approximately 16,000 students who test across the nation will be chosen as National Merit Semifinalists while 34,000 will receive a Commendation. This means that approximately 1% of students across the nation who take the exam will be chosen as a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist.
Test Prep available from CollegeBoard
Test Prep and Practice Tests available from Khan Academy

SAT

In April of each year, Sycamore High School juniors take the SAT at Sycamore High School — this is a graduation requirement. In the spring, freshmen and sophomores will take the PSAT 9 or 10. Students do NOT need to register or pay for this exam — the high school will automatically sign students up for this.
For more information about the SAT, visit the CollegeBoard Website
Test Prep and Practice Tests available from Khan Academy

ACT

Although Sycamore High School no longer uses the ACT for all juniors, we are still a host for a National Test Date in February each year. In order to take the ACT on the February test date or any other date that it is offered, students should register and pay at actstudent.org
Test Prep: Various ACT prep classes are offered throughout DeKalb County each year. These programs have a fee and can be found in various formats. Test prep booklets are available in the School Counseling Office.

ACT vs. SAT

Advanced Placement (AP)

Students who are currently enrolled in our AP classes at Sycamore High School can choose to take the AP exam for that subject on the national test dates during the first two weeks of May.
If your student is in an AP class, they will receive information about signing up for testing in the fall.
There is a fee for each AP test taken that must be paid on the Sycamore Webstore before exams are ordered.
College credit can be awarded by colleges when students achieve certain scores on an AP exam. For information about any college’s AP credit policy (what scores and classes that they give credit for), visit the CollegeBoard website.

Accuplacer

This is a college placement test that is used for students taking college level classes (Kishwaukee College uses this test).
These tests are used to help make proper placements into math and English classes.
Student may be exempt from placement testing based on ACT/SAT scores, high school GPA, and/or AP scores. See you r school counselor for more details.
Students who enroll in Kish on Campus Dual Credit classes at the high school and some CTE classes at KEC must take part or all of the Accuplacer test. See you counselor for details.
For me information, visit Kishwaukee College’s placement website.

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