1. The Road to College

2. Freshman Year
Get to know the school’s BRACE advisor and your child’s guidance counselor.
Log onto Naviance for information on colleges, scholarships, career matching, and more resources.
Login to Pinnacle and Virtual Counselor to check grades, graduation information, and test scores.
Develop good study habits and time management skills. Use a student planner to keep track of assignments and your schedule.
Get started on the right foot with your grades and by joining extracurricular activities that interest you.
Begin working on community service (40 hours are needed to graduate, and 250 are required for a Silver Cord at graduation)
Work on finding your interests
Consider your future plans when selecting courses and ensure that your course choices will fulfill your graduation requirements
Begin thinking about an internship experience
Begin working on a career portfolio
Take the PSAT in October to practice for the SAT, which is used for college admissions decisions
Keep track of your graduation requirements
Go to to find out what it takes to qualify for a Bright Futures Scholarship.

3. Sophomore Year Get to know your School Counselor and BRACE Advisor
Login to Naviance to get information on colleges, scholarships, career searches, goal setting, and more.
Login to Pinnacle and Virtual Counselor to review grades, graduation information, and test scores.
Get involved in extra curricular activities. Leadership positions are an important component for some scholarships and special programs.
Plan future course selections. Check your school course catalog and find classes that fulfill Bright Futures requirements.
Explore career options
Attend the annual college fair for more information on colleges and universities.
Take the PSAT in October as a practice for the SAT
Continue to use a student planner to keep track of assignments, tests, projects, and your school schedule.
Plan your junior year schedule carefully and look for summer programs and offerings at colleges.
Begin researching colleges and universities and inquire about admissions requirements.
Dual Enrollment is available to eligible students. Students must have a minimum 3.0 weighted GPA, minimum SAT/ACT/PERT scores. See your counselor for more details.

4. Junior Year Get to know your School Counselor and BRACE Advisor
Login to Naviance to get information on colleges, scholarships, career searches, goal setting, and more.
Login to Pinnacle and Virtual Counselor to review grades, graduation information, and test scores.
Review your course selections and verify that all requirements are being met for graduation and Bright Futures.
Continue working on community service hours
Attend the annual college fair
Take the PSAT in October to practice for the SAT and for Scholarship opportunities like the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Take the SAT and/or ACT in the spring of your junior year.
Talk to a recruiter if you plan to join the military and take the ASVA if you have not done so already.
Plan your senior year schedule with care and consideration

5. Senior Year Get to know your counselor and BRACE Advisor
Log in to Naviance to get information on colleges, scholarships, career searches, goal setting, and much more.
Log on to Pinnacle & Virtual Counselor to review grades, graduation information, and test scores.
Review your course selections and verify that all requirements are being met for graduation.
Complete your required community service hours.
Make sure your classes meet the requirements for Bright Futures.
If you didn’t take the SAT/ACT register as soon as possible to take the exam, as these scores are necessary for college admissions and certain scholarships.
Apply early for colleges and scholarships.
Make sure you have a completed, professional resume. (You can do this through Naviance!)
Stay involved in extracurricular activities.
Talk to a recruiter if you plan to join the military. Plan to take the ASVAB if you have not done so already.
Apply for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship and the FAFSA after October 1st.
Please do not catch SENIORITIS! I f you do not meet graduation requirements, you DO NOT GRADUATE and admission to your top school could be revoked!
Keep your BRACE advisor informed about any postsecondary school acceptances and scholarship awards you receive.

6. Getting the Most Out of Your College Visit
How do you know if a college– and life at that college– is right for you?
Take a campus tour.
Have an interview with admissions officer.
Get business cards and names of people you meet for future contacts.
Pick up financial aid forms.
Participate in a group information session at the admissions office.
Sit in on a class of a subject that interests you or meet a professor who teaches a subject that interests you.
Talk to coaches of sports or directors of programs in which you might participate, as well as a student or counselor in the career center.
Request to spend the night in a dorm, and try to see an additional dorm you didn’t see on tour.
Read the student newspaper and try to find other student publications – department newsletters, alternative newspapers, and literary interviews. Scan the bulletin board to see what day-to-day student life is like.
Eat in the cafeteria. (Student Union)
Talk to current students about life on campus and the college.
Listen to the college’s radio station.
Imagine yourself attending this college for four years.

7. Florida Mid-Range Profiles

8. Why Take the PSAT?
Although the SAT is used for college admissions, the PSAT is also incredibly important. Not only does it give you a simulation of the actual SAT, but the junior year PSAT is also used in determination for the National Merit Scholarship. The PSAT results can also be connected to Khan Academy for free, specialized practice that focuses on areas that need improvement.

9. Scholarships, Scholarships, Scholarships
The most important thing to do is apply, apply, apply!
Scholarship search engines are a great way to find scholarships and apply to them. The websites listed below are a great place to start.

10. Florida Prepaid
If your student has Florida Prepaid, they can still apply for and receive additional scholarships. However, there can be some exceptions, so make sure you carefully read the scholarship information to make sure you’re making the best use of your time.

11. Free Application for Federal Student Aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a great opportunity to receive financial aid in the form of student loans or scholarships.
You must complete the application to receive any financial aid from your college of choice.
You can start the application process at
If you need any additional assistance, contact Ms. McFadden in the BRACE office.

12. Need Based Aid vs. Merit Based Aid
Federal student aid is need-based. That means it doesn't discriminate by any factor apart from financial need. Eligibility is based solely on the assets and income of the prospective student and his or her family. Factors such as test scores or athletic ability have no bearing on need-based aid.
“Merit” includes a variety of talents and interests: academic, artistic, athletic, and the list goes on. Scholarships are the most common type of merit-based aid (though some do have a need- based component), which may come from the school or from outside sources. Assuming need is not a condition, a student with extensive assets and income is just as entitled to a merit-based award as a student with limited assets and income.

13. Bright Futures
Bright Futures is another source for student financial aid. There are 3 types of Bright Futures scholarships: Florida Academic Scholars, Florida Merit Scholars, and Gold Seal Vocational Scholars.
(3.5 Unweighted with 3 career/technology courses)
Florida Academic Scholars
Florida Merit Scholars
Gold Seal Vocational Scholars
Minimum 3.50 GPA
Minimum 3.00 GPA
(Students must earn 3 vocational credits)
Minimum 29 ACT score
Minimum 26 ACT score
Minimum
Minimum 1290 SAT score
Minimum 1170 SAT score
Minimum of 100 service hours
Minimum of 75 service hours
Minimum of 30 service hours

14. Naviance Naviance is a great resource for students. Students can:
Make professional resumes
Take career profile surveys
Send transcripts
Request recommendation letters
Explore careers
Find scholarships
And so much more!