Although the idea of leaving friends and the familiar surroundings of a current school to complete the high school senior year at Florida Prep may appear daunting to a student, a Senior Year transfer can have numerous benefits and open up new opportunities for growth and personal development.
A Fresh Start
First and foremost, it’s a fresh start, an opportunity to leave behind any negative experiences, and begin anew. Senior year is a critical time for students as they prepare for university and future careers. A fresh start can help students focus on their goals and maximize their potential.
New Experiences & Perspectives
Joining Florida Prep as a senior exposes students to new experiences and perspectives. Not only will they meet new people, make new friends, and participate in different activities, but they will also broaden their horizons as they interact with Florida Prep’s multicultural student body, representative of 22 countries from around the world.
A Multitude of Resources at Your Fingertips
Students who transfer for their senior year have access to resources, possibly not available, or even restricted at their previous school.
The Senior Class is generally small, with less than 30 students and a full-time College Counselor guides each Senior, in group activities and individually, through the college application process, and the necessary deadlines. Frequent visits by University Admissions Officers, encourage students to consider their broader options and to open their minds to potential universities off the beaten track, both domestic and international.
All Florida Prep Seniors are required to make at least 3 university applications; Florida Prep has achieved a 100% senior class acceptance since 1978.
On-site SAT Prep allows new seniors to retake the SAT, and possibly increase their scores.
Dual enrollment opportunities at Florida Tech and Eastern Florida State College provide students with the opportunity to gain college credit, while advanced courses, and specialized programs, offer opportunities that may not have been accessible at their previous school.
Extracurricular opportunities; oversubscribed, unavailable, or allocated to premier athletes at a previous school may now become freely available. At Florida Prep a student may find themselves on a Varsity team when previously they were not even considered for the bench.
College Applications
In the competitive college application process, Admissions officers looking to differentiate candidates, often look beyond a student's academic achievements and instead focus on extracurricular activities, leadership skills, and the “it” factor that makes a student different. Transferring to a new school can demonstrate a student’s flexibility, adaptability, and a willingness to take on new challenges, along with a willingness to step out of their comfort zone and to try new things.
Florida Prep students are encouraged to capitalize on these differences and to share stories and experiences to set them apart from other applicants.
Transferring to a new school for Senior Year should be viewed as a transformative experience.
On average around 25% of first-year college freshmen will not complete their first year.
Students that have developed the skills of communication, resilience, and independence, and learned how to navigate new situations and challenges are far more likely to succeed. A senior transfer student will spend the year learning more about themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to integrate into the Florida Prep community; all essential attributes when considering life away from home at college, and all while under the watchful eyes, and with the support of, parents at home, or the 24/7 adult supervision at Florida Prep.
After such an experience, few if any will fail that first year.
Don’t Let It Be a Daunting Experience
Transferring a high school student to a new school for their senior year can be a positive experience. It can provide a fresh start, a new perspective, and opportunities for personal growth. Although it may be a challenging decision, the benefits are worthy of consideration
Interested in learning more? Contact the Florida Prep Admissions Department today.