Experiential School
Shorecrest's College Counseling Office (CCO) is designed to be personal, individualized, and focused on the student. We are firmly committed to supporting and coaching toward the best match between students and the college or university that meets their needs, interests, and expectations. Researching colleges, completing applications, and navigating scholarship and financial aid resources can be exciting but also challenging.
It is the goal of our College Counseling Team to provide information, assistance and support while capitalizing upon the collaboration between students, parents, teachers and counselors.
Our motto is: We guide, you decide.
Shorecrest’s College Counseling Office is one of the most successful in the Tampa Bay area, with a student-to-counselor ratio of 30:1 and 100% of our seniors accepted to colleges of their choice. View a 2019-2023 College Acceptances list of higher education institutions where our students have been accepted.
In addition to one-on-one guidance from our College Counseling Team, the CCO is also equipped with Cialfo, software designed specifically for research, organization, and communication during the college admissions process. The College Counseling Team creates and curates a resource bank for each grade level that includes:
Shorecrest continues to invest in its college counseling program to offer students and families the best individualized college counseling in the region. The number of college counselors doubled in 2022, and our robust college counseling offerings continue to expand for earlier grades, with a focus on grades 8-11.
Throughout the year sessions held by the College Counseling Team provide information on a variety of topics for students and their families including:
Shorecrest also hosts an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) College Fair, participates in Tampa Bay Case Studies, and connects students and families with the BAIS (Bay Area Independent Schools) College Fair and other college events.
Each fall approximately 75 admissions representatives from colleges and universities across the country (and a few from outside the U.S.) visit Shorecrest to meet with students and counselors. You can see a list of our 2022-23 visitors here. In addition some colleges travel together and present regionally, rather than visiting individual high schools. Examples of these presentations include Six Colleges (Amherst, Bowdoin, Carleton, Pomona, Swarthmore, and Williams) and Exploring College Options (Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Penn, and Stanford). We ensure that these regional visits get publicized to the Shorecrest Upper School community.
Students register in advance on Cialfo to participate in college rep visits. Students in eleventh and twelfth grades are allowed to miss class for these visits with advance teacher permission. Students in ninth and tenth grades can attend only if the visit is during a free period.
While most visits are scheduled weeks in advance, some are scheduled or changed with less notice. An updated list is provided in the Head of Upper School’s weekly email to parents/guardians.
Shorecrest CEEB code: 102026
Information for Visiting College Reps
Students interested in playing sports in college have the added responsibility to become familiar with the eligibility rules of the NCAA, the NAIA and the colleges and universities to which they are applying. Students who are applying to an NCAA Division I or Division II institution MUST REGISTER with the NCAA Eligibility Center by the end of JUNIOR year, if they want to be eligible to accept invitations to "official" on-campus recruiting visits. Feel free to discuss these procedures with the Athletics Department and the College Counseling Team.
Students who are looking at Division III schools must contact the Athletic Offices at each school and inform the coaches of their interest. It is important to research the procedure and requirements of each college or university.
Shorecrest Upper School students interested in learning more about pursuing athletics in college - along with their parents/guardians - can join us every other year for a special information session entitled, "Playing the Field: Taking your Talent to the Collegiate Level." In the intervening year we present “The Art of College” focused on the visual and performing arts.
NCSA College Recruiting
Positive Coaching Alliance
Five members of the Class of 2023 committed to football and swimming. More details here.
9 members of the Class of 2022 committed to Baseball, Sailing, Golf, Swimming, Soccer, Volleyball and Track and Field. More details here.
3 Chargers from the Class of 2021 signed for sailing, tennis and volleyball. More details here.
10 Chargers from the Class of 2020 signed in baseball, basketball, football, sailing, swimming, tennis and volleyball. View more here.
Students interested in attending a visual or performing arts college or majoring in the visual or performing arts have the added responsibility to become familiar with the portfolio and audition requirements and schedules of their colleges of interest. Feel free to discuss these procedures with your arts teachers and the College Counseling Team.
Shorecrest Upper School students interested in learning more about pursuing the visual and performing arts in college - along with their parents/guardians - can join us every other year for a special information session entitled, “The Art of College: Pursuing the Arts at Shorecrest and Beyond.” In the intervening year, we present "Playing the Field" focused on college athletics.
Association of Independent College of Art and Design (AICAD)
AICAD Portfolio Review Portal
National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA)
National Unified Auditions
Shorecrest College Counseling Timeline for Grades 8-12
2023-24 College Counseling General Calendar
"The college application process has evolved so much and it can prove to be a daunting, complex and uncertain web for even the highest performing students. The Shorecrest College Counseling team places a structure around the students' experiences and decisions from the first day of high school to put students along a winning path and one that will result in the right fit for each individual.
One-on-one and student-parent-counselor meetings proved very beneficial to give us clarity and help us feel secure that we were doing the right things at the right time. I'm very grateful for the personal attention my oldest son received in order to achieve his engineering scholarship and I look forward to enjoying more of the same with my younger son."
Mary Heckert, parent of students Class of 2019 & Class of 2024
