Parent Resource Center

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER FOR CURRENT INFO @TampaPrep_CC

COVID COLLEGE UPDATES

Scoir Tips

Student Tip Guide for using SCOIR

For Seniors

• Colleges Accepting 2020 AP Credits
• Colleges that have Announced Changes in Testing Policies for the Class of 2021 and Beyond
• Colleges and Universities Going Test-Optional this Summer
• Florida Bright Futures Emergency Order
• NACAC’s College Admission Status Update Tool
• NCAA Eligibility Center COVID-19 Response FAQs

SAT/ACT Testing Updates

• SAT & AP Exam COVID Updates
• ACT.org COVID Updates
• Links to FREE test prep can be found under the SAT/ACT/AP Testing tab in this portal.

Virtual College Visits & Information

• Interviews with Admissions Deans
• Strive Virtual College Exploration
• More Virtual Events
• eCampus Tours
• YouVisit: virtually tour campuses

Virtual Volunteer Opportunities

• Volunteer from Home links
• Service Opportunities from Home
• COVID Era College Prep 

Scholarship Information

• Florida seniors get leeway for Bright Futures scholarships

COVID-related Articles

• Is it Time to Rethink Standardized Testing in College Admission? By Jayne Caflin Fonash, NACAC President
• Colleges and Universities are Dropping SAT/ACT Requirements A Washington Post article
• Virtually Possible: Locking Down The College Search In A Global Pandemic A Forbes article

For Juniors

• Being Seen — This One is for the JUNIORS By Katie Mattli, Senior Assistant Director of Admission at Georgia Tech

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER FOR CURRENT INFO @TampaPrep_CC

COLLEGE TESTING (PSAT, SAT, ACT, AP)

SAT update: If it’s safe from a public health standpoint for Future SAT administrations the College Board will provide the SAT administrations on: August 29, September 26, October 3, November 7 and December 5. SAT and SAT Subject Test Administration Updates

Students can now register for these administrations. Eligible students can register with a fee waiver. Students can get early access to register for August, September, and October if they’re:

• Already registered for June
• In the Class of 2021 and don’t have SAT scores

ACT update: ACT will continue to offer fall testing. They also will be offering a new individual section retest option this fall for those students who wish to retake only one portion of the exam. Updated Fall 2020 ACT Testing Schedule

Test-Optional Colleges & Universities

Colleges and Universities Going Test-Optional this Summer

Test-optional information can also be found at the National Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest)
FairTest list from June 28, 2020

Scoir houses a ton of resources and up-to-date information on the many schools going test-optional. Scoir also provides PSAT, SAT, and ACT information and testing advice. 

Test Prep

• FREE Test Prep – More than 9 hours of ACT® and SAT® prep from Method Test Prep
• KHAN Academy – Official SAT Practice
• SAT and ACT Test Prep Resource Guide from Scoir

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER FOR CURRENT INFO @TampaPrep_CC

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

Where to Find Scholarships

Scoir Seniors and second semester juniors can access a list of scholarships and conduct a national scholarship search powered by Sallie Mae, through their SCOIR account. Scholarships are always based on specific criteria, so make sure you read carefully! Read about College Scholarship Strategy.

• Florida Bright Futures Scholarship – Seniors Only
• 8 Steps to Filling Out the FAFSA Form – For STUDENTS (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
• Guide to Filling Out the FAFSA Form – For PARENTS

• Fastweb
• GoCollege
• Scholarships.com
• RaiseMe
• Sallie Mae
• Peerlift
• Coca-Cola Scholarship
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund – Provides scholarships, programmatic and capacity building support to the 47 public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
• Gates Millennium Scholars – Provides outstanding low income African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline they choose.

** NEVER pay for a scholarship search or application.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER FOR CURRENT INFO @TampaPrep_CC

COLLEGE RESOURCES

College Search

• Scoir, Tampa Prep’s online college search and application tool for students, has a powerful college search engine. We recommend our families begin their search in Scoir.
• There are 12 public universities in the state of Florida. State University System of Florida (SUS)
• Private Colleges and Universities of Florida
• Colleges That Change Lives

College Rep Contacts

• Contact Information for over 100 College Reps
• Messages for Tampa Prep Students form College Reps

Applications & Transcripts

• Coalition Application
• Common Application
• Self-Reported Student Academic Record (SSAR) – The SSAR allows students to enter, track, and submit their academic record electronically to participating colleges and universities. Several Florida public and private universities utilize SSAR instead of sending transcripts.

Recommended Reading

BOOKS

• The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together (Barnard & Clark)
• College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step  (Mamlet & VanDeVelde)
• Where You Go is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admission Mania (Frank Bruni)
• There is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow (Jeffrey Selingo)
• Colleges that Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges (Loren Pope)
• Fiske Guide to Colleges

TWITTER ACCOUNTS

• @TampaPrep_CC – Facilitated by Tampa Prep College Counseling
• @gtadmission – Facilitated by the Director of Admission from Georgia Tech
• @grownandflown – All about Parenting Teens and College Kids

BLOGS & ARTICLES 

• College Counseling Advice for Freshman Students and Parents by Jody Rodriguez, Tampa Prep Middle School and 9th Grade College Counselor
• Advice for College Freshman from a Tampa Prep Alum by Will Black, Tampa Prep Class of 2013
• Advice to New Graduates from a Recent Alum by Andrew Wright, Tampa Prep Class of 2006
• The Six Words About College That Disappoint Parents Most – What do college admission officers want parents to know about the application process? Let the child drive the bus, writes NACAC Past President Patrick O’Conner.
• Study: Helicopter Parenting – New research backs up what many college counselors and admission officers have witnessed firsthand: Overbearing parents can spur student distress.