An important decision point on the way to college is selecting a high school, and Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay Area offer youth many different options. In particular, there are several different types of curriculum, such as Advanced Placement (AP), Dual Enrollment (DE), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Cambridge (AICE), and it is important to learn more about these pathways so you can choose what is best for you/your child.

Additionally, there are three types of schools in our area: public, private, and charter. And all the different curriculums mentioned above are available at each of these types of school as well.

Public high schools are schools within the Hillsborough County Public Schools system and include your zoned school in your neighborhood or a Magnet High School (IB, Collegiate, Career/Technical, and Arts programs)
– There is no cost to attend public schools.
– Students either walk, take the provided bus to/from school, or have transportation provided by parents.
– Public schools provide breakfast and lunch at school at no cost to families.
– No admission exam is necessary – simply apply to Magnet schools through the HCPS website using your Student ID.

Private high schools in our area include Berkeley Prep, Tampa Prep, Carrollwood Day School, Cristo Rey Tampa (Catholic, coed), Tampa Catholic (Catholic, coed), Jesuit High School (Catholic, all boys) and the Academy of the Holy Names (Catholic, all girls).
– All these schools provide need-based financial aid so tuition cost should not be a deterrent to apply if their programs interest you.
– In addition, the Catholic schools also offer merit-based scholarships.
– Some private schools provide transportation and lunch at a cost, but others do not.
– Admissions exam is required for application.

Charter High Schools, like Patel High School and Brooks DeBartolo, have many wonderful programs as well.
– There is usually no cost or little cost to attend charter schools.
– Charter schools usually do not provide transportation or meals.
– Admission is based on a lottery.

To help you navigate the various public/private/charter options available for high school, and share feedback about the different curriculums (AP, DE, IB, AICE), PrepandMe will hold a webinar about high school selection on Monday, October 5, at 7:30pm:

In addition, to learn more about specific programs, we encourage you to attend Open Houses and Information Sessions:

HCPS High Schools
​** Oct 26, 4-7pm, Magnet Expo @ Jefferson HS (learn about all magnet programs in one place) **
Oct 8, 6pm @ Alonso IB

Nov 4, 6pm @ Hillsborough IB
Nov 19, 6pm @ Strawberry Crest IB
Dec 3, 5-7pm, Last Peek Magnet Expo @ Armwood HS

Private High Schools
Oct 7, 6pm @ Berkeley Prep
Oct 14, 5:30pm @ Tampa Prep
Oct 21, 8:15am @ Carrollwood Day School
Oct 25, 2-4pm @ Academy of the Holy Names
Oct 27, 6pm @ Jesuit High School
Oct 29, 5:30pm @ Cristo Rey High School
Nov 5, 4:30 or 6:30pm @ Tampa Catholic
Nov 10, 8:15am @ Carrollwood Day School
Jan 13, 6pm @ Berkeley Prep

Charter High Schools
Oct 15, 5:30pm @ Brooks DeBartolo HS
Nov 12, 5:30pm @ Brooks DeBartolo HS
Nov 19 @ Patel HS
Dec 10 @ Patel HS
Jan 21 @ Patel HS

Please check the school websites for more information and links to register for Open Houses:

HCPS Magnet Schools (click on high schools) HCPS Magnet Schools (click on high schools)

• Hillsborough IB
• Strawberry Crest IB

• Berkeley Prep

• Tampa Prep
• Carrollwood Day SchoolCristo Rey TampaTampa Catholic

• Jesuit HS

• Academy of the Holy Names
• Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School

• Patel High School

As we begin the month of October this week, students across the nation will be taking the PSAT at school.

Do you know when you will be testing?

Here are some tips:
– Review the Blue Book app and the sample questions to familiarize yourself with what to expect
– Find out if you will be testing online or on paper
– If you’re testing online, let us know if you need help learning how to use the online DESMOS calculator
– If you’re testing on paper, don’t forget to bring your College Board-approved calculator and sharpened pencils
– Be sure to get a good night’s sleep before test day!

We will spend the first 15 minutes of Group Study Time on test prep. Please join in!

We will work through one reading passage together, familiarize ourselves with common question types, and develop test-taking skills.
– Test analysis, or the process of specifically understanding why the correct answer works and the others don’t, helps improve your test scores.
– Reading is the foundation of all test-taking — understanding the question is always the first step regardless of the subject.

The PSAT administered at school is practice for 9th and 10th graders and counts for 11th graders for National Merit Scholarships and Commendations (not for college admissions).

Introducing PrepandMe Group Study Time!

Trying to get all your homework done can be challenging, time-consuming, sometimes frustrating, and even stressful. In addition, studying is a very solitary activity, and that can sometimes feel kind of lonely.

One way to address these issues is to apply the concept of co-working. Basically, we gather a group of people with a shared goal (e.g. finish all of our homework) and we all join a virtual call at the same time, and we each work on our homework on our own but debrief at the end. In this way, we are not alone, we feel a sense of community, and we are actively working together to reach our goals.

I have been a part of virtual writing groups in the past. We would meet on a google hangout and say hi to each other and catch up for a few minutes. Then we would all work on our writing independently. After about 30 minutes we would check-in with each other, cheer for what we had accomplished (big or small), and then go back to our work. Our co-working session ended after one hour and we would debrief at the end, offer each other encouragement, and say bye until next time.

There was something incredibly powerful about working independently within a shared virtual space and time towards mutually shared goals. These sessions offered both accountability and support, while removing the sense of loneliness and isolation that sometimes accompanies solitary tasks. It helped us make sure we dedicated the needed time towards our goal, and we also joined the call because we wanted to see each other and be there for each other. It moved a solitary task to one that had a sense of community and care.

Please join in to experience the power of togetherness. Let’s give it a try!

Hope to see you online for PrepandMe Group Study Time!

One of the trends that we are seeing in college admissions is that they value students taking Calculus in high school. For example, at Florida State University in 2025, 64% of admitted students had taken Calculus or a higher advanced math class while in high school.

Colleges believe that high school is about building a strong foundation, stretching beyond what feels comfortable, and being excited about taking on a challenge. The rigor of your classes, or the level of difficulty/challenge, matters in college admissions. This is true regardless of your intended major. Even if you don’t think you will pursue a major or career that involves math, taking Calculus in high school will still make you a more competitive candidate in the college admissions process.

Taking Calculus in high school signals important things to colleges:
– You can handle rigor
– You welcome academic challenge
– You are prepared for college-level learning

However, several other math classes are necessary before getting to Calculus. In addition, students must earn high grades in all the earlier math classes in order to qualify to take Calculus in high school. To help you have the best chance possible to go to the college of your choice, we want to make sure you have a very strong math foundation in Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Precalculus, so that you will earn the opportunity to take Calculus in high school.

Based on what we know about how humans best learn math, it is very helpful to have a consistent format where you can review and preview math lessons. PrepandMe weekly math sessions are an opportunity to both review what you learned in your math class the past week as well as preview what you will be learning in the week ahead.

Math review is helpful because it’s an opportunity to clarify any questions and increase your comprehension, but why is a math preview important?

If the first time you learn about math concepts, it is in a larger environment where there might be a lot going on or there isn’t much time to ask questions, you may feel a bit uncertain doing your homework or feeling ready to move on and learn the next lesson. However, if the first time you learn a math concept, it is in a smaller group where you can easily ask questions and practice examples together, it gives you a sense of familiarity with the material when you see it again in the larger environment. You will be able to build on what you learned in the preview and feel more confident about participating in class at school, completing your homework more quickly and accurately, as well as confident in preparing for assessments and doing well on them.

To get the most out of the weekly math sessions, it is very important to be an active participant.

What does active participation mean?
– Come to the zoom on time with your PrepandMe device charged and ready to go.
– Keep your camera turned on for the entire duration of the session (REQUIRED).
– Have paper, pencil, your class materials, and calculator next to you.
– Volunteer to answer questions and to do practice problems.
– Be kind and friendly with classmates – you are all in this together.

Seeing how important math is in the journey to college, we want to give you the best possible support to achieve your dreams. We’re looking forward to a great year of math enrichment for our PrepandMe Scholars!

Tips for Attending a College Fair

A college fair brings representatives from many different colleges together in one location. Each college will often have their own table and the room will be set-up in a way where you may go table to table to talk with everyone. It is a great way to learn about many colleges and universities all at once. Hillsborough County Public Schools is hosting two College Fair Nights next month. Both are free, both feature in-state and out-of-state schools. In addition, we will be providing bus transportation to the NACAC College Fair in Orlando on Oct 4.

Here are some tips to make the most of your college fair experience:

7th, 8th and 9th Grade: Explore

You are not shopping yet. You’re window shopping, and that’s exactly right.

• Walk the whole room and notice how many colleges you’ve never heard of.
• Visit 3 or 4 tables that catch your eye for any reason – the name, the state, the photos on the table.
• Ask big, open questions: “What kind of student is happy at your school?” or “What’s the most surprising thing about your campus?”
• Your only goal is to learn that “college” means hundreds of very different places. Take a brochure from a school you can’t picture yourself at anyway.

10th Grade: Start Noticing Patterns

You’re beginning to sort out what you like, not which school you’ll attend.

• Before you go, jot down 3 things you think you want – big or small campus, close to home or far, a specific subject.
• Visit 5 or 6 tables and pay attention to which conversations you enjoyed most.
• Ask: “What do students do outside of class?” and “What’s the first year like for someone who isn’t sure of their major?”
• Afterward, write down which colleges stood out and why. The “why” matters more than the name.

11th Grade: Get Specific

This is your highest-value year at a college fair. Go in with a plan.

• Spend an hour beforehand building a rough college list. Pick 6-8 schools you actually want to talk to – not 15. Four ten-minute conversations will do more for you than twenty rushed hellos.
• Prepare 3–5 real questions. Skip anything you could Google (student-faculty ratio, whether they offer Biology) and skip anything general (“Is your program good?” – they’ll always say yes).
• Ask questions that invite a personal answer: “What are the three coolest things about your school?” “Do first-year students get access to the studio equipment?” “How easy is it to take classes outside my major?”
• Get the rep’s name and card, and write down one specific thing they said. That detail may become a line in a future application essay about why that school is right for you.
• Nervous? Walk up, smile, introduce yourself, and ask the rep how their day is going. A real human moment beats a rehearsed question every time.

12th Grade: Narrow and Get Answers

September is the right moment for this – early enough that what you learn can still change your list, and close enough to deadlines that the answers matter.

• Come with your list mostly built. Use the fair to confirm the schools you’re serious about and to cut the ones you aren’t.
• Ask about the things that decide it: application deadlines and whether they offer Early Action, what scholarships you’re automatically considered for, priority deadlines for merit aid, and whether they require or recommend test scores.
• Ask what they look for. “What makes an application stand out to you?” is a fair question, and reps will answer it honestly.
• Ask about life after you arrive – advising, first-generation and low-income student programs, tutoring, career services.
• Get the rep’s card. If they cover the Tampa area, they may be your admissions contact all year.

One Thing for Everyone

Talk to at least one rep from a college you’ve never heard of, especially one standing alone with no line. Those reps are usually recruiting in our area specifically, they often have the most time to talk with you, and they’re frequently the person who will actually read your application. Some of the best fits come from schools nobody in the room was looking for.

A few practical notes: Bring a pen, paper, and a bag for materials. Use an email address you’re comfortable giving out, since you’ll be asked for it often. And bring a parent or a friend – walking up to a stranger is much easier with someone beside you.

Reach out with any questions and have a great day!