All Saints Days kick off Saturday

As the current academic year winds down for high school students, it s not too early to start planning for college in the fall. All Saints Days kick off this weekend at Seward County Community College to help get the process moving forward.

Think about what it s like to be a freshman in college, and how there is so much unknown, said SCCC Director of Admissions Bert Luallen. All Saints Days are a way to make the transition as smooth as possible for our incoming students.

All Saints Day begins at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Hobble Academic Building, where the academic placement Compass test will be offered free of charge. Students should register in advance to be assured a spot, by filling out the online form at sccc.edu/admissions/allsaintsday, or by calling 620-417-1100.

Students who have completed or do not need to take the Compass test can start the day at 1 p.m. in the upstairs conference room 229 in the Student Union.

We ll have a session for parents to help them understand what to expect, and give the students an idea of what to do to succeed, said Luallen. Financial aid officers will be on hand to help families complete paperwork, Student Support Services will present information about tutoring and workshops specially designed for new college students, and Vice President of Student Services Celeste Donovan will also speak to the group.

We try to make it a kind of one-stop shop situation, where students can learn how things work, and then even meet their advisors and enroll for classes, said Luallen. The academic-planning portion of All Saints Day takes place in the Hobble Building, where students can also set up login information for the college s internal computer network.

The day will not be all business, added Luallen: We try to make it fun. It s an exciting time, where things get real for these students they re going to be in college, he said.

To sweeten the day, Admissions will conduct a drawing for an iPad mini giveaway. For Luallen and his team of admissions recruiters, the day is a kind of culmination of the year s work.

We ve been seeing a lot of these kids all year, visiting their schools, talking to them, he said. It s pretty exciting to finally see them here on campus, ready to be Saints.

All Saints Day takes place Saturday, with further sessions planned for May 24, June 14, July 12, and August 2. To register, visit the college website or call SCCC Admissions, 620-417-1100.