For students nearing the end of their high school experience, their sights are now set on college: a place of independence, opportunity, and new beginnings. The issue, however, is getting there. The college application process comes with lots of work, stress, and contemplation, especially for Shorecrest students.
Shorecrest students have access to one of the most successful college counseling programs in the Tampa Bay Area, expertly guiding them through the anxiety-inducing college application process. The College Counseling Office (CCO) provides a variety of resources to help students develop their applications and determine which path will be best for them.
“College counseling has made it so much easier to find out information on which university might be the perfect fit for me,” said junior Simi Damani.
A significant advantage of the CCO is the low student-to-counselor ratio. Assistant Director of College Counseling Victoria Scott began her career in a Florida public school as one of only six counselors for 1,300 students, and thus appreciates the significance of giving each student the guidance they deserve.
“So many kids fell through the cracks because there just wasn’t the manpower to do it. It creates a huge disadvantage because this process is super complicated,” Scott said.
In contrast, with one college counselor for every 22 students in the Class of 2025, the counseling process at Shorecrest is highly individualized, giving each student the personal attention they need to thrive. At the beginning of junior year, each student gets their own personal counselor to focus on their unique strengths, desires, and applications.
The personalized environment particularly benefits families with financial aid. “If [financial aid] is a factor, we spend time talking to [the families] on an individual basis because every family’s situation is different,” said Director of College Counseling Myra Simpson.
College counselors take the time to sit with each family, determining how significant a factor financial aid will be in the application process. They discuss scholarship opportunities in the CCO’s extensive scholarship database, and learn how to utilize the Net Price Calculator of different universities to find which schools will be most accessible.
However, the CCO does not solely focus on those currently applying to colleges, but reaches out to underclassmen as well, stressing the importance of an often overlooked time in high school. Through annual presentations, such as “First Year Foundation” and “Sophomore Strategies,” the CCO sets their college journey in motion from the get-go.
“First Year Foundation helped me understand that freshman year is a year to try a bunch of different things in order to get a feel of what I really want to pursue,” said freshman Noah Eichenbaum.
Scott, who initiated one-on-one meetings with underclassmen in 2023, believes younger students must understand how their actions can affect their future. “Starting in 9th grade sets the tone. The worst thing is getting to graduation and feeling so regretful that you didn’t take full advantage of what you had in front of you when you had it,” she said.
The CCO has given Shorecrest students the knowledge, resources, and time they need to recognize how much they are capable of and present that effectively to colleges. “It’s not about knowing the major,” said Scott. “It is about making sure that you have aligned your future goals with the actions you’re taking now so that any goal you create for yourself is not only accessible, but right in front of you.”
