The All Star High School program, launched in 2022, extends the Apply Kansas mission to enhance college access by guiding students through the application process. Students in these schools receive support in completing admissions applications, seeking financial aid, and celebrating all postsecondary paths. This ongoing series of events, sustained year after year, cultivates a college-going atmosphere throughout the entire school community.
2025 Qualifying All Star High Schools
2024 All Star High school recognition
2024 Kansas All Star High Schools
| High School | City | High School | City | High School | City |
| Altoona-Midway High School | Buffalo | Greenbush Virtual Academy | Lawrence | Ottawa High School | Ottawa |
| Andover Central High School | Andover | Halstead High School | Halstead | Paola High School | Paola |
| Andover High School | Andover | Hanover High School | Hanover | Parsons High School | Parsons |
| Ashland High School | Ashland | Hayden Catholic High School | Topeka | Peabody-Burns High School | Peabody |
| Atchison High School | Atchison | Hiawatha High School | Hiawatha | Pike Valley High School | Scandia |
| Augusta High School | Augusta | Highland Park High School | Topeka | Pratt High School | Pratt |
| Baldwin High School | Baldwin City | Hodgeman County High School | Jetmore | Quinter High School | Quinter |
| Basehor-Linwood High School | Basehor | Hoisington HIgh School | Hoisington | Rolla Jr/Sr High School | Rolla |
| Beloit Jr./Sr. High School | Beloit | Hope High School | Hope | Rossville Jr/Sr High School | Rossville |
| Blue Valley High School (Randolph) | Randolph | Hoxie High School | Hoxie | Royal Valley High School | Hoyt |
| Bucklin High School | Bucklin | Hugoton High School | Hugoton | Russell High School | Russell |
| Burlingame Jr./Sr. High | Burlingame | Humboldt High School | Humboldt | Sabetha High School | Sabetha |
| Burlington High School | Burlington | Jackson Heights High School | Holton | Salina South HIgh School | Salina |
| Campus High School | Wichita | JC Harmon High School | Kansas City | Satanta Jr/Sr High School | Satanta |
| Caney Valley High School | Caney | Kinsley Junior Senior High School | Kinsley | Scott Community High School | Scott City |
| Cedar Vale High School | Cedar Vale | Kiowa County High School | Greensburg | Sedan High School | Sedan |
| Chanute High School | Chanute | La Crosse High School | La Crosse | Sedgwick High School | Sedgwick |
| Chase County Jr/Sr High School | Cottonwood Falls | Labette County High School | Altamont | Shawnee Heights High School | Tecumseh |
| Cheney High School | Cheney | Lakin High School | Lakin | Shawnee Mission North High School | Overland Park |
| Circle High School | Towanda | Lebo High School | Lebo | Shawnee Mission Northwest High School | Shawnee |
| Clay Center Community High School | Clay Center | Liberal High School | Liberal | Shawnee Mission South High School | Overland Park |
| Clifton-Clyde High School | Clyde | Linn High School | Linn | Shawnee Mission West High School | Overland Park |
| Colby High School | Colby | Lyndon High School | Lyndon | Skyline High School | Pratt |
| Complete High School | Maize | Macksville High School | Macksville | Smoky Valley High School | Lindsborg |
| Concordia Jr Sr High School | Concordia | Maize High School | Maize | Southeast High School (Cherokee) | Cherokee |
| Council Grove High School | Council Grove | Maize South High School | Wichita | St. John High School | St. John |
| Deerfield High School | Deerfield | Marais des Cygnes Valley | Melvern | St. Marys Jr Sr High School | St. Marys |
| Dighton High School | Dighton | McPherson High School | McPherson | Stafford High School | Stafford |
| Dodge City High School | Dodge City | Meade High School | Meade | Sterling High School | Sterling |
| Doniphan West High School | Highland | MInneapolis High School | Minneapolis | Sublette High School | Sublette |
| Douglass High School | Douglass | Minneola High School | Minneola | Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences | Kansas City |
| Eisenhower High School | Goddard | Mission Valley Jr/Sr High School | Eskridge | Syracuse High School | Syracuse |
| El Dorado High School | El Dorado | Moscow High School | Moscow | Thomas More Prep-Marian High School | Hays |
| Ellinwood High School | Ellinwood | Mulvane High School | Mulvane | Topeka High School | Topeka |
| Ellis High School | Ellis | Nemaha Central High School | Seneca | Topeka West High School | Topeka |
| Ell-Saline High School | Brookville | Neodesha High School | Neodesha | Ulysses High School | Ulysses |
| Emporia High School | Emporia | Ness City High School | Ness City | Valley Center High School | Valley Center |
| Erie High School | Erie | Newton High School | Newton | Victoria High School | Victoria |
| Eureka Jr Sr High School | Eureka | Northeast High School | Arma | Wakefield High School | Wakefield |
| FL Schlagle High School | Kansas City | Northeast Magnet High School | Bel Aire | Washburn Rural High School | Topeka |
| Flinthills High School | Rosalia | Norwich High School | Norwich | Washington High School | Kansas City |
| Fort Scott High School | Fort Scott | Olathe East High School | Olathe | Waverly High School | Waverly |
| Fredonia High School | Fredonia | Olathe North High School | Olathe | White City High School | White City |
| Frontenac High School | Frontenac | Olathe Northwest High School | Olathe | Wichita County Jr/Sr High School | Leoti |
| Garden City High School | Garden City | Olathe South High School | Olathe | Wichita High School East | Wichita |
| Gardner Edgerton High School | Gardner | Olathe West High School | Olathe | Wichita High School Heights | Wichita |
| Goodland High School | Goodland | Osage City High School | Osage City | Wichita High School South | Wichita |
| Great Bend High School | Great Bend | Oskaloosa High School | Oskaloosa | Wichita High School West | Wichita |
| Greeley County High School | Tribune | Oswego Jr./Sr. High School | Oswego | Wichita North High School | Wichita |
| Wyandotte High School | Kansas City |
Map of 2024 All Star High Schools
How to Become an all star high school
1. Host an Apply Kansas Event
Register as an Apply Kansas School
Host your Application Event
2. Submit your Apply Kansas Summary Data (due annually December 1st)
3. Sponsor or collaborate on a FAFSA Completion Event (typically between Oct-Feb)
Plan an event where students & parents can start on the FAFSA application together
Event should provide support to answer specific, confidential questions for families. Financial Aid officers and Admissions representatives from local institutions are often good resources and willing to come help.
FAFSA events can be held at the high school, but can also be held at higher education institutions or other community locations if you are joining together with other high schools.
Be aware of shift work, first generation, undocumented students and other underserved populations. Try to create an event at times and in locations that meets the needs of your underserved community members.
If you host a FAFSA event in the fall, consider doing something again in Jan-Feb. Many students who would benefit most from the FAFSA aren't always ready to apply in the fall. Follow up encouragement and support in the new year might be just what some students need to finalize those postsecondary plans
4. Host a Senior Signing Day Event (around May 1)
This event should celebrate the decisions and different pathways for your seniors.
It can be as big or small as you want to make it. (Some schools make it actual signing event for all seniors and invite different colleges, and some incorporate announcing the plans of all seniors into their Honors and Awards ceremony. Creating a bulletin board, banner, poster activity, t-shirt day are all some of the many great ways you can celebrate your seniors' plans) See the link in the resources below.
Whatever you plan, consider how it will look for students planning to go to work or other placements. If you are announcing college placements, how will you announce the job placements? If you do a t-shirt day, will all students be able to participate? You might have to get creative with some of the non-traditional pathways.
Consider if you can share these pathways with your underclassmen. Can you hang the banner or bulletin board for the school community to see? Are underclassmen invited to your award ceremony. By celebrating every senior, you give all of your students an opportunity to consider a post-secondary path outside of what they already know.
5. Complete the All Star High School Survey (April 1st) from Mistie Knox to describe your three events
RESOURCES
College Signing Day National Resource Website
Google Doc with College Signing Day Photos & Ideas (add your ideas to share here!)
BANNER
Each All Star High School will receive a certificate and vinyl banner to display at school (photo 1). Each year after that, award winning schools will receive a certificate and star sticker to add to their banner, indicating multiple award winning years (photo 2).
Year #1: Banner
Year #2-5: Sticker
CONTACT
For more information:
Mistie Knox, Associate Director, Academic Affairs
Apply Kansas State Coordinator