As high school seniors across the country decide where to go to college, their parents are faced with helping them decide how to manage the costs of an undergraduate degree. The fees can be daunting, and parents of upcoming graduates may wonder what can be done to improve their student’s chance of winning a scholarship.

Attending one of the top private schools in your area, like Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Florida, won’t guarantee you a college scholarship. However, smaller class sizes, individual attention, and close relationships with faculty and advisors will ensure that your student has the best opportunity to find the school that is right for them. A school that offers a wide range of athletic, cultural and extracurricular opportunities also ensures a chance for your student to discover the activities that interest them most and to excel in those areas.

• Small Class Size

Greatschools.org notes class size is an important factor when choosing a school. Not just the number of students in a given English classroom, but also the number of students in the school. While much of the available research focuses on the lower grades, according to Greatschools.org, class size comes into play in the higher grades as well. For instance, a high school English teacher with 4 or more large classes would not be able to give lengthy, in-depth writing assignments because there simply wouldn’t be time to evaluate them on an individual level. You can read the full article here.

• Individual Attention

At a school like Shorecrest with between 75 and 90 students per graduating class, each student can receive as much individual attention as required. The attention that you might expect could improve a student’s writing in English class, also translates to college counseling.

The College Center at Shorecrest is designed to be personal, individualized, and focused on the student. We are firmly committed to making 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 sources 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.

•  More opportunities to Develop

A “just right” size school can offer all the athletic and artistic opportunities available in very large schools with the added benefit of allowing everyone to participate in something. At Shorecrest, performing and visual Arts are an integral part of student life, interwoven in the curriculum with events like “Celebrate the Arts.” A successful athletics program allows students to pick and choose their sports. Service learning offers community based opportunities to develop altruistic interests, and allow students to give back in a meaningful way. All of these opportunities also require development of student leaders and the necessary supporting skills skills.

Attending a top private school may not directly increase your child’s chances of winning a scholarship, but it will ensure that they have every chance to develop their individual skills and talents. We invite you to tour Shorecrest and see first hand the opportunities that are available for your child.

Congratulations to all of the class of 2019! #shorecrest19 #classof2019