College and Career Center

SCOIR: What is it?

SCOIR is a website that breaks down the college application process into more manageable steps. Every student at FHS has a SCOIR account already, no need to create one!  If you need help accessing it, contact Katie.king@knoxschools.org. 

SCOIR is how we send transcripts to colleges, including your final transcript. 

In SCOIR, you can:

• Search for colleges based on personal and academic interests (Discover > 4-year colleges)
• Build your college list by “following” colleges
• Explore campus communities to understand the campus environment
• Sign up for meetings with college reps visiting FHS
• Decide what colleges you want to apply to, keep all your application documents in one place

• Send transcripts to colleges (for free!)

• Request teacher recommendations
• Store your personal and academic achievements and with the press of a button, create a resume

For a quick overview of SCOIR, click here: https://youtu.be/mTiYH_9_2G8

NOTE: Don’t have an account? Contact Ms.King (katie.king@knoxschools.org) and she will send you an invitation to access your account. Please, do not go to www.scoir.com and create an account, as it will not be connected to FHS and she will not be able to send transcripts. 

Three Sections in SCOIR: 

Taking or Re-Taking College Admissions tests

NOTE: Completion of the ACT is a graduation requirement.

The ACT and SAT are college admissions tests. Many colleges and programs use ACT or SAT scores in their admissions decisions. Some do not, and some (very few) specifically require one test or the other. Check the requirements for the colleges to which you are applying on their admissions website. 

In Tennessee, ACT scores also have an impact on scholarship eligibility (a 21 composite ACT score automatically qualifies for the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship if other eligibility criteria are met (FAFSA completion, Tennessee resident, etc.) Also, universities often use your ACT or SAT score in specific subject areas to determine freshman year course placement, particularly for math. This section focuses on the ACT college admission test.

Q: I already took the ACT as a junior. Should I retake it as a Senior? 

YES! You have the opportunity to take the ACT twice for FREE (at school- once during junior and senior year). Sometimes students need to take the ACT two or three times (or more!) to maximize their score. 

Some colleges use the “superscore” method: colleges consider your highest section score across all the dates you took the ACT.

Here are suggestions on how to decide to whether you should retake it a third (or fourth) time:

• What are the scores necessary for your target schools or target scholarships?

• SCOIR lists midrange ACTs for colleges. Aim to be at or above posted average ACT score.
• For example, UT Knoxville Volunteer Scholarship https://onestop.utk.edu/scholarships/volunteer/ has a specific GPA and minimum ACT requirement. If UT Knoxville is on your list, are you on target to be eligible for this scholarship?
• Higher ACT scores could mean a bigger scholarship. Check college scholarship pages. How likely are you to improve your score by the needed amount?

• How many times have you already taken the test?

• Just taking the test over and over is pointless if you don’t change anything between attempts. How are you preparing for the ACT?

• Are your score expectations realistic?

• Going up 3-4 points on the ACT is a realistic goal with effort, especially from your first to second time taking the test. The higher your starting score is, the harder it is to get your score up with future retakes. Score improvements don’t come without effort.

• How do you move forward?

• After considering the questions above, if you’ve come to the conclusion you don’t want or need to retake the ACT, congratulations. Focus on completing applications, and on making a strong finish in your high school career.
• If you do want to retake the ACT, pick a test date that fits your schedule and start using prep tools: actacademy.org is free, and ACT test prep courses are available (for a fee). 

NOTE: You may be eligible for a fee waiver to take the ACT for FREE 

on a national test day…

Each student who receives an ACT Fee Waiver must meet one or more of the indicators of economic need listed below: 

• Enrolled in a federal free or reduced-price lunch program at school, based on US Department of Agriculture (USDA) income levels (see table). 
• Enrolled in a program for the economically disadvantaged (for example, a federally funded program such as GEAR UP or Upward Bound). Note: If the student participates in a program, but is not economically disadvantaged, they are not eligible for a fee waiver. 
• Resides in a foster home, is a ward of the state, or is homeless. 
• Family receives low-income public assistance or lives in federally subsidized public housing. 
• Family’s total annual income is at or below USDA levels for free or reduced-price lunches on the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website. Visit the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website (https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/income-eligibility-guidelines) to access the most current income eligibility guidelines.

SAT vs. ACT (adapted from Princeton Review)