The New Indiana Diploma began with this year’s freshmen, the Class of 2029, but they are not the only Chesterton High School students who reap the benefits of this new and improved graduation pathway. Anyone from the Class of 2027 or 2028 can opt into the New Diploma program at any time, and it is expected that many more will after the lessons learned from this year’s seniors. Many members of the Class of 2026 will attend their dream school this fall because the Enrollment Honors Plus seal of the New Indiana Diploma guarantees admission to any of the seven Indiana state universities, and it is all thanks to our hardworking, dedicated counselors that this achievement was brought to light.
The New Indiana Diploma can be completed with many seals, or levels of merit that are recognized by admissions offices and employers, and are listed and described in the image above. The Enrollment Honors Plus Seal guarantees admission into Indiana University Bloomington, Purdue West Lafayette, Ball State, Indiana State, University of Southern Indiana, Vincennes University, and Ivy Tech for any student who completes it. Although this does not mean definite acceptance into the major of one’s choice, it ensures a spot on campus, which is life-changing for many students who may have been otherwise deferred.
As soon as it was announced that the New Indiana Diploma would be available to any high school student, not just the Class of 2029 and beyond, the CHS counselors and administrators met and debriefed on what this meant for their students. About 100 juniors were corralled at the end of last school year and informed of how impactful, yet easy, switching to the new diploma would be. Nearly 60 students opted in and went about their senior year, completing the requirements of the Enrollment Honors Plus seal, eagerly awaiting their inevitable acceptance letters from a minimum of seven fantastic establishments.
“When admission decisions came out in the fall, we went back to our list of who opted in, and we did have some students that were deferred,” says CHS counselor Ms. Hess.
“We reached out to the universities and made sure that they corrected those decisions, because our students should have been accepted.”
As a result of the counselors’ devotion to their students and advocacy for their futures, every student who earned the Enrollment Honors Plus seal on the New Indiana Diploma was welcomed to the Indiana state school of their choice.
“We’re always looking for ways to help our students get what they need for their futures and reach their goals,” says Hess.
Getting into college in the 2020s is exponentially harder than in years past, but completing the New Indiana Diploma with the Enrollment Honors Plus seal will relieve students of that stress and worry. The requirements for this, as seen above, are not vastly different nor significantly more difficult than what many students are doing for the traditional Academic Honors Diploma, but the additional benefit of guaranteed college admission is a massive positive difference. To Ms. Hess and her fellow counselors, switching over is a “no-brainer.”
It is thanks to our very own CHS counselors that the Indiana state school admission guaranteed by the Enrollment Honors Plus seal of the New Indiana Diploma was applied for the Class of 2026 and beyond. The importance of their contribution to the admissions process this year extends much further than CHS, but to high school students across the state who were once deferred and are now preparing for college life.
Our counselors encourage any student who has questions about the New Indiana Diploma, their futures, or life in general to come down to the counseling office at any time. While you are there, be sure to thank the department for its extensive efforts that improve student life in so many ways.
