Career and College Advisor Notes for January 2026

Hello Students and Families,

First semester is nearly finished, friends! Finalize your plan to make the most of the second half of the school year and beyond–you’ve got this!

Summer Programs at Colleges & Universities

Now is the time to start thinking about plans for the summer! Here are a few interesting summer programs that offer funding to cover the costs of attendance. Other opportunities will be posted in future months as applications for 2026 become available. You can also check out this list from the Coalition for College: Affordable Summer Programs.

Carnegie Mellon Summer STEM Programs, Applications Due February 1

Carnegie Mellon offers several fully-funded summer learning opportunities in STEM: CS Scholars, AI Scholars, and the Summer Academy for Math & Science. (There are scholarships available for their other summer program offerings.) Students must be 16 years of age by June 20, 2026 to participate in Pre-College Programs. The Pre-College residential experience allows students the opportunity to build life skills for success in college and beyond. Students are housed in residence halls typically used for Carnegie Mellon first-year undergraduate students.

Small Town and Rural Teen University Prep Innovation Intensive (START-UP) at Northwestern, Applications Due March 10

Northwestern University is offering a summer fly-in program for rising high school seniors. It's 100% funded - all travel, housing, and food will be completely covered by Northwestern. The START-UP fly-in program will showcase the distinct resources and support available at Northwestern for young innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, and more. From July 9 to July 11, START-UP participants will explore cutting-edge technologies and strategies for building a business or product in The Garage's state-of-the-art facilities. During breaks, they'll explore Northwestern's local communities in Evanston and Chicago for food and further learning. Lastly, students will be guided through in-depth sessions on the college application and financial aid processes at Northwestern.

UChicago Summer Enrichment Programs, Applications Due March 12

The University of Chicago's summer enrichment programs offer pre-college students (currently in grades 9-11) the opportunity to explore different areas of study and learn about different disciplines, especially those that make the UChicago a distinct destination for higher education. UChicago is committed to making higher education affordable and accessible to students from all walks of life.  Enrichment programs are non-credit, typically one week in length, and provide substantial funding to cover most costs for admitted participants.

Scholarships

Seniors, keep checking the Scholarships 2026 Google Classroom page for new scholarship opportunities and updates to deadlines, etc. There are already a number of local, statewide, and regional listings posted, and you are especially encouraged to create a profile and use the eligibility quiz tool for the Community Foundation of North Central Washington application to see which of CFNCW’s 130+ scholarships you are eligible to apply for (deadline is Sunday, March 1, 2026).

The Washington State Opportunity Scholarship is another great funding opportunity for seniors who are planning to major in healthcare or STEM fields at a 2- or 4-year college or university in Washington. Income limits are quite high—a student from a family of 4 with an income of $174,500 or less would qualify for the award. See Ms. Anderson with questions about whether your chosen program qualifies for this funding. Applications are due Thursday, February 26, 2026.

Remember – scholarships are available for ANY post-high school education or training you’re planning to do, including apprenticeships, 2- or 4-year colleges and universities, and technical programs (both college-based and industry-sponsored training).

Upcoming Events

Friday, March 6, 8:00am-3:30pm — Scrubs Camp in Omak

This annual event is an amazing opportunity to explore careers in healthcare! Scrubs Camp offers hands-on experience of a wide variety of healthcare options – students will rotate through stations where they’ll learn about ultrasound technology, medical assisting, pharmacy technology, emergency medicine and other high-demand healthcare fields. Talk with Beth to sign up!

Tuesday, March 24, 5:45am-5:30pm — College Planning Day at Eastern Washington University

College Planning Day is a chance for high school students to learn about many of the 4-year colleges & universities in WA (and a few 2-year schools) in a college fair-like atmosphere. We'll eat lunch in the main EWU dining hall and do a walking tour of the EWU campus. Interested juniors and seniors should talk to Beth to sign up!

Ongoing — Complete the 2026-27 FAFSA or WASFA

Seniors & families: there’s still plenty of time to complete your 2026-27 FAFSA or WASFA application in order to receive scholarships and financial aid at post-secondary institutions for the fall of 2026. See me for help in filling out either financial aid application: I’m available to meet with students and families individually to answer questions and provide real-time support.

Be well,

Beth/Ms. Anderson

Beth Anderson

College and Career Advisor

Methow Valley School District

banderson@methow.org

509.996.2215, x4175

Career & College Advisor webpage

About the College and Career Counseling Program

The goal of our College and Career Counseling program is to provide students and their families with the information and resources necessary for them to make well-informed choices about their post-secondary education. Liberty Bell recognizes the diversity in our families and understands that what might be right for one student may not be a good fit for another.

Therefore, we work individually with students and their families to help them successfully develop and achieve their post-graduation goals – whether that is applying to a 4-year, 2-year or technical college, designing a productive Gap Year plan or entering the military or workforce. Some of the specific services that we offer include:

  • Educating students and parents about the post-secondary educational choices available to them.
  • Meeting individually with juniors, seniors and parents to help them with their college lists, the application process, college essays and financial aid needs, including the FAFSA, the Profile and College Bound Scholarship, as well as with SAT prep and registration.
  • Holding financial aid information evenings for students and parents to make sure that they have all the resources and support they need to reach their goals.
  • Working with the school counselor to ensure that 9th and 10th graders take the necessary classes to be eligible for college admissions.

Applying to college should be a fun and exciting process; but at times it can be a bit overwhelming. If you find yourself feeling stuck, or if you have questions about any part of the application process, contact our office at (509) 996-2215.