The True North College Success Team
Michelle Fitzgerald
DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
mfitzgerald@truenorthcharter.org
Caroline Afonso
COLLEGE COUNSELOR
cafonso@truenorthcharter.org
Jennifer Robau
COLLEGE COUNSELOR
jrobau@truenorthcharter.org
N. Ransom Reed
COLLEGE COORDINATOR
TEST PREPARATION TEACHER
nreed@truenorthcharter.org
The True North College Success Team provides comprehensive guidance through four full-time counselors who support students and their families throughout every step of the college search and application journey.
In their junior year, students engage in our signature College Success course, where they cultivate skills in goal-setting, writing, test preparation, and foundational approaches- nurturing them not only to succeed in college, but to grow as thoughtful, capable, and confident individuals prepared for the opportunities ahead.
We view our program as a full-service experience
Designed to provide all students with support in the following areas:
Personalized college advisement from 9th through 12th grade
Strategic SAT planning and preparation support
Expert guidance on crafting compelling college essays
Assistance with building a strong and polished college resume
Support in creating a personalized “best fit” college list
Opportunities for college visits and meetings with representatives
Guidance through the college goals and fit discovery process
Training and resources for effective scholarship searches
Step-by-step assistance with college applications
Support with completing financial aid applications
Class of 2025
100%
of seniors applied
to college
100%
of seniors received
an acceptance
$9.8M+
earned in
scholarships
Class of 2025 Results
- 100% of seniors applied to college
- 605 applications were submitted to 159 colleges, 56% of which were in state and 44% were out-of-state
- On average, seniors completed 8 applications
- 100% of seniors received an acceptance
- Earned over $9.8 million in scholarships
2025 College Acceptances
21
18
13
College Planning Resources
College Planning Tools & Resources
- SCOIR – platform used by all students for exploration, college search, and college documents
- BigFuture by the College Board – online tool for comparison of colleges and universities, as well as exploration of majors and careers
- College Planning for 9th and 10th Graders (College Board)
- College “Wishlist” Exercise – adapted from When to do What: A Step-by-Step Guide to the College Process (2017)
Standardized Testing
- College Board
- ACT, Inc.
- FairTest.org
- Comparison of Standardized Tests (PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests)
Financial Aid & Scholarships
- Financial Aid Checklist (College Board)
- Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program (Eligibility Requirements)
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- CSS Profile
- Raise Me
- MyIntuition
- Financial Aid & Scholarship Opportunities
Virtual College Tour Resources
College Admissions Blogs
- Tulane University Admission Blog — Jeff Schiffman, Director of Admission
- Georgia Tech Admission Blog — Rick Clark, Director of Undergraduate Admission
- University of Virginia Blog — Jeannine Lalonde, Associate Dean of Admissions
- The Common Application Blog
- MyCoalition Counselor Blog (by the Coalition Application); check out these great blog posts for early high school students:
- What Experiences Should I Look for in High School? (by Harvard Admissions)
- What Do Colleges Really Look for? (by Harvard Admissions)
- Strategies for Academic Success (by St. Mary’s University Admissions)
- How to Make the Most out of High School Outside the Classroom (by University at Buffalo Admissions)
- How to Make the Most out of High School Inside the Classroom (by University at Buffalo Admissions)
- The College Process: It’s All About the Journey, not the Destination. (by University of Vermont Admissions)
- How to Explore Colleges When You Can’t Visit
Collegiate Athletics — NCAA & NAIA
Timeline
Financial Aid & Scholarship Opportunities
- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the application students and parents will use to apply for federal student aid programs offered by the U.S. Department of Education, including scholarships, grants, and federal work-study.
- The FAFSA goes live each fall on October 1st; however, completion of the FAFSA is NOT initiated until a high school student is in his or her senior year.
- The CSS Profile is an online application for non-federal student financial aid. It is used by more than 400 private colleges, universities, professional schools, and scholarship programs to award more than $9 billion in grants.
- The CSS Profile goes live each fall on October 1st; however, completion of the CSS Profile is NOT initiated until a high school student is in his or her senior year.
- The Florida Bright Futures application goes live each fall on October 1st; however, completion of the application is NOT initiated until a high school student is in his or her senior year.
- Students have until August after graduation to become eligible if they initially did not meet GPA and standardized testing requirements at the start of the senior year.
- Online platform that provides students with opportunities to earn micro-scholarships while in high school (starting in 9th grade) based on their academic achievements and extracurricular involvement.
- More than 300 colleges and universities have partnered with RaiseMe to offer these scholarships, including Georgia Tech, Emory University, Northeastern University, and many public and private institutions in Florida.
For College Representatives
True North Classical Academy welcomes college admissions representatives to campus to meet with counselors and prospective applicants beginning the first week of September.
All visits should be scheduled through SCOIR. Once a visit is approved, a confirmation email will be sent with detailed information regarding security procedures and parking instructions.
We look forward to hosting you on our campus!