As the school year progresses, juniors at Coral Gables Senior High School are starting to ponder on their journey after high school. On Nov. 15 and 16, College Assistance Program advisor Ms. Driver demonstrated to the Class of 2023 where they should be regarding the college process.

In her presentations, she displayed a variety of scholarships that students can receive by achieving high scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and American College Testing. The organizations that grant these scholarships also look at students’ Grade Point Average, community service hours and extracurriculars.

Ms. Driver advised students to utilize several applications to facilitate research on potential universities. A prime example she recommended was Scoir, a secured website that supports post-secondary, college and career planning.

Through Scoir, students can make appointments for a virtual or in-person meeting to familiarize themselves with the campus they would like to call their second home. In addition, Cavaliers can add information such as test scores to write a resume on this platform.

Gables students also have access to micro-scholarships through RaiseMe. Ms. Driver mentioned in the presentation that those thinking about going to college should have a RaiseMe account since this platform rewards students for taking classes, community service projects and extracurriculars. By the end of each student’s high school career, graduates have a certain amount of money earned that can be utilized to pay for college classes.

Regarding college testing requirements, each in-state university has decided to require applicants to submit test scores within Florida. Therefore, Ms. Driver recommended students to have taken the Practice- SAT during their freshmen, sophomore and junior year.

“Students should test twice for the SAT or ACT during their junior year in order to see which score is higher, take the higher score and utilize that one for college applications,” CAP advisor Ms. Driver said.

To assist Cavaliers in preparation for these exams, Ms. Driver emphasized using Khan Academy daily to review content and practice skills learned in class. Students can link their College Board accounts to Khan Academy for the program to check their PSAT scores and design an outline of what they should review.

Parents will have the opportunity to understand the following presentation on Dec. 7, at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. It is necessary to register for this meeting in advance to gain access to the Zoom Link.

Communication is key, especially since Ms. Driver is one CAP advisor for a school that houses over 3,000 students. Hence, juniors should be logged on to Edmodo, where she updates students on community service opportunities, college-related events and proposes scholarships information.

Cavaliers can also follow the Instagram account (gables_cap) where Ms. Driver posts reminders and school activities that involve the daunting process of college. Should students have any concerns or questions, they are more than welcome to email her at [email protected] or stop by her room 6111 during both lunches.

“Personally, I felt quite uneasy about my college research journey. However, this presentation that Ms. Driver gave in our English classes did clear some of my doubts regarding college and scholarships,” junior Sofia Verdi said.