Academic Advising

At Cotter Schools, we provide curriculum for all students in an effort to best prepare them for success in their post-secondary plans and beyond. For some students, additional rigorous curriculum is desired and appropriate. The programs listed below provide the opportunity for earning college credits while still in high school.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP)

These rigorous courses are held at Cotter Schools, and students prepare for the AP exams in May. Depending on the student's score and the college or university that the student attends, college placement or credits may be awarded.

PROGRAM FOR ADVANCED COLLEGE CREDIT (PACC)

Students who enroll in these courses are concurrently enrolled at Saint Mary's University. The courses are held at Cotter Schools and taught by Cotter instructors. If a student earns a C or better in the class, they receive college credit from Saint Mary's University at a significantly discounted price per credit. Upon completing these requirements, students will have a Saint Mary's University transcript showing these credits. 

POST SECONDARY EDUCATION OPTION (PSEO) 

This program is available to juniors and seniors who meet the eligibility requirements, which are specific to each college. PSEO courses may only be taken on a part-time basis since students must take all of their required courses at Cotter Schools. Students need to arrange their schedule at Cotter, so that they can take a PSEO class at the beginning or end of the day. Please note that by taking a PSEO class, you may not be able to take other specific honors or elective classes at Cotter. 

Students also need to be sure their PSEO schedule does not overlap with any classes at Cotter. Students will not be able to arrive late or leave early from a Cotter class due to their PSEO schedule. Students cannot be enrolled in more than 7 classes, so each PSEO class that a student takes will create an academic resource hour in their Cotter schedule. Some students may be taking their class during this time, while others may have that time to work on their PSEO class work. Please note that students will not receive credit twice for the same course material repeated at the college level. PSEO applications for the fall semester typically need to be completed before May 1. Students can direct specific questions to the Academic Advisor. Click here for frequently asked questions regarding PSEO at Cotter Schools. 

A Cotter 4-Year Plan

• Freshman Checklist
• Sophomore Checklist
• Junior Checklist
• Senior Checklist

• CollegeBoard College Search
• The Common Application
• A-Z of College Admissions Terms

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
• ACT Test Prep
• ACT Online Registration
• SAT Test Prep
• SAT Online Registration
• AP (Advanced Placement) Course Description, Test Information and Practice Questions
• CLEP Program for College Credit
• PSAT 8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT Tests (Freshmen, Sophomore, and Juniors fall semester)

Students should check back frequently to view the most current list of scholarships available to Cotter students. Other places students may look for local scholarships: the student’s employer, their parents’ employers, civic and community organizations, local businesses, religious institutions or organizations, banks or credit unions, etc. Unless otherwise noted, the deadline to apply for all scholarships is April 18, 2023, and materials can be submitted to the Academic Advising Office.

Students should check back frequently to view the most current list of scholarships available to local students. Other places students may look for local scholarships: the student’s employer, their parents’ employers, civic and community organizations, local businesses, religious institutions or organizations, banks or credit unions, etc. If you see any outdated information, we'll update it as we learn of new dates and information.

Below is a short list of the hundreds of national scholarships available to students.  While the number of students that apply to these scholarships may be high, we still encourage interested students to apply to them.  Contact the Academic and Guidance Center if assistance is needed to locate more national scholarships.

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)/4Caster Tool

Here is a small selection of the many scholarship search engines available:

• bold.org
• Education USA
• EDU Pass
• Fastweb
• Scholly
• International Student
• The College Board