Counseling

Please see the student handbook for a complete listing of all requirements for graduation. Along with course/credit requirements, students must also:

• Pass the US and MO Constitution tests
• Pass the Missouri Civics Exam
• Complete mandated CPR training
• Complete 10 hours of approved community service.

High School Course Graduation Requirements:

Communication Skills

• 4 units (Must include 1 unit in a core English class for each grade 9-12)

Social Studies

• 3 units (Must include 1 unit in American History, 1 unit in World History, 0.5 unit in American Government and 0/5 unit Modern Global Issues.)

Mathematics

• 3 units (Must include 1 unit Algebra and 1 unit Geometry or Algebra/Geometry 1, Algebra/Geometry II and Algebra/Geometry III.)

Science

• 3 units (Must include 1 unit Biology I or Advanced Studies Biology I and 1 unit Advanced Studies Chem., Chem I or Fundamentals of Physics and Chemistry)

Fine Arts

• 1 unit

Practical Arts

• 1 unit

Physical Education

• 1 unit (Must include 1/2 unit of Foundations of Fitness)

Personal Finance

• 0.5 unit

Health

• 0.5 unit

Electives

• 9 units

Totals: 26 units

Each year, students and parents have the opportunity to participate in the Spring Enrollment Conferences where courses are requested for the next school year. Additionally, students have several opportunities to examine and consider the course offerings at LSHS. Those opportunities help to ensure that students and parents are making well-informed choices as they request courses for the upcoming school year. The LSHS schedule is built around those student requests. Therefore, the following criteria will apply to any schedule change request:

Before the first meeting of a class

Schedule changes will not be made unless one of the following criteria is met:

• Student does not meet the prerequisite shown in the course description
• Student is approved to participate in a work program or to enroll in a course at some other school/college
• Administrative reasons based on error, class imbalance, course additions, hour changes, vocational school enrollment, graduation requirements, clerical aides (seniors only), etc.

After the semester begins

Schedule changes will not be made unless one of the following criteria is met:

• Student does not meet the prerequisite shown in the course description
• Student class placement is inappropriate for ability level
• Student is approved to participate in a work program or to enroll in a course at some other school/college
• Administrative reasons based on error, class imbalance, course additions, hour changes, vocational school enrollment or graduation requirements
• Any schedule change approved after the 9th day of the semester will result in a F grade for the dropped class and student will be placed in a no-credit Learning Lab.

Year-long class change at semester

Students who wish to change out of a year-long class at the end of 1st semester due to a deficient grade (below C-) must meet the following guidelines:

• The change must be requested no later than one week before the first semester ends.
• Students must pick up a schedule change request for in the Counseling Center.
• The teacher and parent must discuss the change and agree that a change is warranted.
• After discussion, the student must take a form to the teacher and parent and obtain the required signatures.
• The completed change form must be returned to the Counseling Center.
• If a schedule change is approved, the student will be notified by his/her counselor and/or administrator.
• The student will be placed into a class with available capacity. This may be a credit class or a no-credit Learning Lab.
• If the class grade is C- or above, an assistant principal will review the request and determine if a class change is warranted.

The complete schedule change policies can be found in the LSHS Handbook.

Military

• Careers in the Military - Explore career opportunities within the military
• Military.com - Considered the largest military and veteran organization; resources, insider tips, scholarships, and more!

Military Branches

• U.S. Air Force - The official home page of the U.S. Air Force
• U.S. Army - The official home page of the U.S. Army
• U.S. Coast Guard - The official home page of the U.S. Coast Guard
• U.S. Marine Corps - The official home page of the U.S. Marine Corps
• U.S. Navy - The official home page of the U.S. Navy

ASVAB

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success.

• Used by the military for career selection

• Results can identify aptitude for different occupations

• Great way to find hidden areas of potential that can help narrow career choices

Study Materials

• https://www.asvabtestbank.com/                        

• https://www.asvabpracticetests.com/asvab-free-online-study-guide/

• https://uniontestprep.com/asvab/study-guide       

• https://asvab-prep.com/free-asvab-study-guide/ 

What is the ACT?

The ACT is a standardized test used to measure a student's college & career readiness. It is divided into four sections: English, math, reading, and science (with an optional writing section). Each section is scored individually on a scale of 1-36, and a Composite (overall) score is determined by averaging the four scores. Many colleges take the ACT Composite Score into consideration when making admissions decisions. Also, many colleges have begun super-scoring (taking individual sub-scores from multiple ACT tests for a higher overall Composite Score).

Visit www.actstudent.org to register for the ACT.

ACT Prep:

• LSHS hosts an after-school ACT prep course. The cost for the course is $75. The cost includes approximately 24 hours of instruction, course materials, and two diagnostic tests that are scored and returned with feedback. There are limited spots available. Find out more HERE.

• Prep books can be purchased from bookstores or on the internet. These can also be checked out from LSHS's Library Media Center and Mid-Continent Public Library.

• The main ACT website has a limited amount of free prep (info and tips) with an online course available for purchase.

• The US Army has developed a FREE prep program called March2Success that provides online study materials for a variety of standardized tests.

• Another good resource provided via our Library Media Center can be found here. The Learning Express Library contains online tutorials for the ACT, SAT, PSAT, and other exams.

• Click here for great ACT preparation information.  There are practice tests, guides, test taking tips and strategies, and video guides.  There are also links about what the differences are between the ACT and SAT.

Colleges from across the country regularly visit Lee's Summit High School. 

You can find out which schools on which day on our calendar or in our monthly newsletter.

College Admission Reps: We now use Rep Visits for our scheduling. You can go to SchooLinks to see our schedule and find a time that works for you to visit LSHS.

View the Counselor Recommendation Packet.

You can request that your transcript be sent to a college through your SchooLinks Student account. 

Learn more on our Transcript Requests page.

ACT Scores Required for Admissions & Scholarships - Document updated annually for popular Missouri colleges/universities

Accredited Schools Online - Click on the "Resources" tab at the top of the page for a variety of guides on financial aid & scholarships

College Affordability and Transparency Center - Information for students, parents, and policymakers about college costs at America's colleges and universities

College-Scholarships - Online colleges, scholarships, and degree programs

Debt.org - Site that dedicates itself to educating students and parents on important college-related financial decisions

FinAid! - Public service site that has grown into one of the most comprehensive sources of student financial aid information, advice, and tools

Financial Aid Resources - Provided by KC Scholars

Financial Aid Resources - Provided by u*Aspire

Infinite Scholar - Provides deserving, financially disadvantaged students and students of diversity access to the financial resources they need to further their education

MO Financial Aid for College - Information on financial aid directly from the State of Missouri's website

Money Geek - Understand common (and uncommon) ways of financing education and/or lowering expenses

National Assoc. of Student Financial Aid Administrators - Overview of financial aid for college

QuestBridge - Designed to connect bright, motivated low-income students with top educational, professional, scholarship, and life opportunities

Sallie Mae Scholarship Search - Helping families and students understand how to pay for higher education and create a financial plan for all years of school.

UNCF - The nation's largest and most effective minority education organization

What is FAFSA?

It is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and we encourage all seniors to complete and submit! Below are links and resources to assist you in the process.

2026–2027 FAFSA

The 26-27 FAFSA is open now..

You can start the process now by creating a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) 

Learn more: mofafsa.org
The FAFSA is the first step in financial aid. It is used to determine your eligibility for federal grants and loans like the Pell grant, as well as the Access Missouri state grant. Colleges use it to determine eligibility for need-based financial aid, as do some scholarships and interest-free loan programs. Completing the FAFSA could make you eligible for thousands of dollars of scholarships and grants. - mofafsa

FAFSA - The official site where prospective college students can register and determine eligibility for student financial aid

Federal Student Aid Estimator - This site provides some basic information and can estimate your eligibility for student aid.

Completing the FAFSA

Creating an FSA ID is the first step in completing the FAFSA.

Visit the Federal Student Aid site to create your FSA ID.

Virtual FAFSA One-on-One Support

MOCAN staff are available to help students, families and counselors with free one-on-one FAFSA support on Mondays and Wednesdays in the afternoons and evenings. 

More FAFSA Resources

• https://mofafsa.org/

• https://journeytocollege.mo.gov/fafsa-info/

• FAFSA Frenzy - Provides students and families with free, one-on-one, professional assistance completing the FAFSA

• Sallie Mae - "Making dreams of higher education possible for 30 million students"

• FAFSA Guide - Available in ten languages!

• Financial Aid Resources - Available in multiple languages

• Who Is My Parent Guide - a tool to help students determine which parent/contributor’s information should be listed on the FAFSA 

FSA ID Resources

• Step-by-Step FSA ID Worksheet  

  • Available in Spanish, Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese.

• FSA ID overview video

• FSA ID step-by-step video

American Indian College Fund - Providing Native students with scholarships and providing financial support for the nation's 34 accredited tribal colleges and universities

College Board's Scholarship Search - Find scholarships, other financial aid and internships from more than 2.200 programs, totaling $6 billion

Fastweb - Find your dream school and a way to pay for it

Going Merry - Helps students find scholarships using a common application

Greater Kansas City Community Foundation - A local leader in charitable giving across the nation

Hispanic Scholarship Fund - The nation's largest not-for-profit organization supporting Hispanic higher education

My Scholarship Central - Connects students with scholarship providers that serve their area.

Scholarships.com - Helping students find money for college as well as learn about the entire financial aid process

Student Scholarships - Advertised as the largest scholarship database on the web

TechForce Scholarships - Interested in aviation, automotive, diesel, marine, motorcycle or welding? This site has scholarships available for you!

All local scholarships can now be found on SchooLinks. Go into SchooLinks from the student PowerSchool, and go into the College tab>Scholarship Matching.

If students enter their information into Scholarship Matching> Eligibility, students can be matched with scholarships for which they meet the requirements.

Other Scholarship Resources

• Greater KC Community Foundation 

• Truman Heartland Community Foundation

• My Scholarship Central  ​​​​​​​

• Dept of Higher Education​​​​​​​

• Missouri Dept of American Legion 

• Scholarships.com 
• Fastweb