College & Career Information

Career and Vocational Exploration

The following links will provide students with information that allows them to research careers, helping them make connections between things they are learning in school and the jobs they will pursue in the future.

Illinois Career Center
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Programs: Links to specific career programs, many of them local
Vocational Schools: Private post-secondary schools listed by state

Counselor Recommendation Request Form for Colleges and Universities

College Planning Timeline

College Resources

American College Testing (ACT) - Online registration and test dates
The College Board (SAT) - Online registration and test dates
College Callers - College scheduled to visit OPRF
CollegeSource - Listing of college catalogs and course descriptions
GoCollege - virtual tours, finding match schools and online practice tests
Princeton Review Online - College rankings -OPRFHS Post High School Guidebook

Common Application Information

Financial Aid

Federal Student Aid, an office of the U. S. Department of Education, ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded or federally guaranteed financial assistance for education beyond high school.

FinAid – Free scholarship search
Financial Aid - U. S. Dept of Education (FAFSA APPLICATION): The Illinois State Board of Education now requires all diploma-seeking seniors graduating from a public high school to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) OR submit a waiver to opt out.
- If you choose to waive the FAFSA requirement, you are required to fill out this wavier form.
- Click here for a Spanish version.
- The completed waiver form should be emailed to fafsa@oprfhs.org. Please note: Waiving the FAFSA now does not prohibit a student from completing a FAFSA at a later date. Questions? Reach out to your student's counselor directly.

Illinois Student Assistance Commission

Illinois PaCE Framework (Post-Secondary and Career Expectations)

The Illinois PaCE Framework was developed with extensive input gathered from stakeholders and subject matter experts to provide guidance to students, families, and educators on what types of experiences and information a student should have in order to make the most informed decisions about college and career planning. To see how OPRF supports our students’ post-secondary exploration, our Post-Secondary and Career Explorations (PaCE) flyer outlines the information our students will be exposed to and the resources that are imbedded in the curriculum work our counselors do with their students over their four years at Oak Park and River Forest High School.