Academics

College Counseling

    • Guidance Banner Photos

      PSAT

Welcome to Northside Christian School College Counseling

Northside College Counseling centers itself on three core principles: intention, perspective, and purpose.

Intention: Everything we implement from timelines to individualized college counseling is done with intention. Our timing is thoughtfully considered in order to best support the student and family in the current stage they are experiencing. We work diligently to provide students and families with a glimpse of what’s to come and how to prepare while also emphasizing the importance of staying present. 

Perspective: One of our most significant roles in the college process is to offer perspective and broaden your scope and understanding of this journey and our support throughout. Experience on both sides of the desk (working at the high school and college admission level) allows us to offer insight, strategy, and advice that will enable students and families to navigate an ever evolving field. 

Purpose: The word counseling is in our titles for a reason. We are here to listen and advise based on each student’s individual needs, goals and desires. Our hope is that by working with us, students will discover their purpose and identity in Christ and their future endeavors. If college is something you are considering, we want to help you find the right match.

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of Bonni Klement

    Mrs. Bonni Klement 

    Director of Guidance & College Counseling
    727-541-7593 x224
  • Photo of Max Massengill

    Mr. Max Massengill 

    Assistant Director of College Counseling
  • Photo of Beth Darby

    Miss Beth Darby 

    Test Coordinator
    727-541-7593 x237
College Counseling Programming

Northside College Counseling offers a wide range of grade level specific programming throughout the year for students and families. Our programs are uniquely designed and specifically timed to prepare and equip students for college or post secondary plans. Individualized counseling begins as early as sophomore year and intensifies and grows when students enter their upperclassmen terms. See below for a list of our programs:

  • Senior Roundup: workshop to start filling out college applications
  • Senior Sprint: evening program tailored to senior parents/guardians
  • College Essay Week: visit to English classes to facilitate brainstorming and drafting for college essays
  • Financial Aid Night: evening program designed to educate families on the financial aid process when applying for college
  • Junior Jump: evening program for students and families to introduce them to the intricacies of the college process and support they’ll receive from our office
  • Athletic Night: evening program designed to educate and inform students and parents about the athletic recruiting process and what it takes to be competitive athletically and academically for college.
  • Bright Futures Day: seniors are given the opportunity to apply for Bright Futures with the help and guidance of College Counseling
  • Freshman Focus: workshop designed to guide freshmen in exploring and considering future interests, strengths, personality traits, and more. 
  • Freshman Forward: evening program for students and families to hear from a college admission representative give advice about preparing for the college journey
  • Sophomore Stride: evening program designed for parents and guardians to provide perspective about the importance of leadership development, passions/interests, and goal setting in relation to college and post secondary plans
  • Sophomore Stampede: student workshop focusing on SMART goals and specific breakout sessions for athletes, artists, state university bound students, and elite college and universities
  • Junior Jaunt: student workshop giving juniors the opportunity to begin working on college applications, essays, resumes and more.

Resources

List of 4 items.

  • Athletic Recruiting Information

    Northside Christian students not only thrive in the classroom, but on the field as well.
    Northside Christian students not only thrive in the classroom, but on the field as well. NCS has earned countless victories and championships in athletic competition which is why our office partners closely with the athletic department and coaching staff. With every graduating class, we send multiple athletes to continue their passion and play sports at the college level. We begin working with our athletes as early as freshman year to ensure their recruiting goals align with college admission expectations and NCAA eligibility. Check out our collegiate athletic signing list to see where NCS Mustangs have committed to play in the last several years.

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  • Naviance

    Northside College Counseling offers exclusive access to our college planning and readiness platform, Naviance Student. 
    Northside College Counseling offers exclusive access to our college planning and readiness platform, Naviance Student. Through this system, students and parents can explore and search for colleges, build their lists, view college specific data in relation to Northside statistics, create resumes, submit transcript and letter of recommendation requests, discover scholarship opportunities, and much more. We strongly encourage students and parents to become very familiar with this platform as it will be used often especially in upperclassman years.
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  • Testing & Accommodations

    While many schools have adopted or are currently piloting test optional admissions requirements, FL public universities and Bright Futures Scholarship still mandate an official and qualifying SAT or ACT score. The key to success in any type of standardized testing is preparation, and at Northside, we ensure our students have access to all of the resources necessary to achieve their goals.
    While many schools have adopted or are currently piloting test optional admissions requirements, FL public universities and Bright Futures Scholarship still mandate an official and qualifying SAT or ACT score. The key to success in any type of standardized testing is preparation, and at Northside, we ensure our students have access to all of the resources necessary to achieve their goals. 

    Sophomore year students are exposed to official practice exams, taking the PSAT in October and the Pre-ACT in November. These exams provide students with opportunities to practice taking the exam in a low-stress environment in order to acquire a baseline for future preparation. In their junior year, students will participate once again in the PSAT, but this time their scores can qualify them for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. We understand students’ schedules are busy and not everyone has a Saturday morning available certain times of the year. Hence, in the spring, NCS requires students to sit for an in-school (weekday) administration (offered at a lower cost than the traditional Saturday exam) of both the ACT and SAT. These in school administrations allow students to sit for an official test that can be used in the college admission process if desired. 

    NCS is an official SAT testing site and offers Saturday exams on campus in October, December, March and May.
     
    Students who qualify for an SAT/ACT fee waiver will receive 2 ACT waivers and 2 SAT waivers (not including the in- school administrations) for their high school career. If you qualify for a fee waiver, Miss Darby will contact you with the required information. If you are unsure or would like to inquire about fee waivers, please reach out to her.

    If you believe you qualify or will qualify for testing accommodations on a PSAT, SAT or ACT, please contact Miss Darby early in the process as it can take a few months to receive approval. Proper medical documentation will be required as proof, and is determined by the SAT and ACT organizations. Please note, it is common for students to receive accommodations for one exam and not the other.
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  • Volunteer Opportunities

    Volunteering and serving others is something we feel NCS administration, faculty, students and families are called to do (Matthew 5:16). It is an honor to serve our community and make a positive and impressionable impact on others.
    Volunteering and serving others is something we feel NCS administration, faculty, students and families are called to do (Matthew 5:16). It is an honor to serve our community and make a positive and impressionable impact on others. In addition to our personal call to serve, volunteering is a large part of the college process. In fact, one way to qualify for the FL Bright Futures Scholarship, is earning a total of 100 volunteer hours prior to graduating high school. Thus, NCS's nearly identical service requirement. 

    Utilizing x2vol, an online volunteer platform, Northside students can explore opportunities and track progress for community service. This system allows students to view their hourly progress in order to meet NCS’s 100 service hour requirement (25 hours per school year) for graduation and Bright Futures eligibility.
    To view official our NCS policy please refer to the High School Handbook as well as x2Vol. If you have any questions about your community service hours, please reach out to Mr. Massengill at max.massengill@ncsschools.com.
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