Illuminate errors delay seniors’ midyear grade reports to colleges

Sam ReamerStaff WriterDue to incorrect grade calculations, Samo had to postpone sending out senior midyear transcripts to colleges. However, the transcripts were sent out on the Feb. 15 due date, along with a letter explaining the situation.According to college counselor Rosa Mejia, students should not worry about their midyear transcripts getting to their schools. Last year, according to Mejia, Samo sent them around the same time.“There have been updates on the transcripts that have taken a little longer,” Mejia said. “The main deadline for colleges is Feb. 15, and for the most part that is a postmark deadline.”Senior class president Spencer Goodman feels that the school’s application process is out of date. However he believes it will be fixed by next year.“I don’t think it’s any one person’s fault. When I went college touring I found out that almost 95 percent of high schools submit the midyear transcripts online. It’s kind of ridiculous that Samo is so behind, but I know that a bunch of money was set aside to re-do the college center,” Goodman said. “I think that will be really beneficial to students applying next year and so on. Unfortunately this year must be a transitional year.”According to S-House Principal Jason Kurtenbach, the school was almost able to digitize the process for this year’s applicants, and by next year he is confident that a more efficient system will be up and running.“We are already working on trying to make the entire process digital,” Kurtenbach said. “We are looking at different companies that produce the transcript electronically and submit it to colleges for us. We believe the costs should be significantly cheaper than sending everything out by mail.”Kurtenbach also stated that a digital system may even be safer than a paper one, because it will allow the college counselors to spend more time helping students perfect their transcripts.“I understand the frustration among students about the process not being digital. However, there are also some people who like to have something tangible to hold on to, and we are also working hard to make them feel comfortable going to a digital process,” Kurtenbach said. “We are being left in the dust by many of the other high schools. Samo going digital provides us with more opportunities to spend our time wisely by meeting with students and helps us give students an edge on getting into college.”Mejia also said that Samo’s later send off date will not have a bearing on a student’s chance of acceptance.“We have [told] the colleges that we are going through a transition with regards to our info system [Illuminate],” Mejia said. “Also if the colleges needed grades immediately for a student then they would call us.”According to Mejia, Samo is having a problem with Illuminate because of inexperienced users, not because of a system error.“The problems we’re having are mostly brought upon by the user factor,” Mejia said. “It’s like how when you program a computer it needs to be done correctly, or it won’t work. The same thing applies with any software, that you have to input it correctly or it won’t work.”Mejia went on to say that the administration is currently working to educate teachers on how to affectively use Illuminate. She said that once teachers fully grasp how to operate Illuminate, college transcripts will be much easier to send out.“Before Illuminate we had Reflections which was from the ‘80s and archaic. However now that we have Illuminate, which is internet based, we can send out the reports that colleges require digitally,” Mejia said. “Next year there won’t be as many envelopes and stamps and students won’t have to worry about learning how to address an envelope. It will be a much easier process.”

 sreamer@thesamohi.com
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