By the time this years' S3 and S4 students at CedarBridge Academy graduate, it's hoped that 90 percent of them will go on to college.

That's if the schools' College Planning Programme is successful. Consultant for the Bermuda Careers Centre, Denise Riviere, is confident the programme will succeed because of the enthusiasm shown by the 150 participating students.

The College Planning Programme was piloted at CedarBridge a year ago to help students through the process, step by step, from deciding on a major to which university to attend. Since then it has grown from a mere 70 students to 150.

A vital part of the programme is helping students apply for scholarships and Ms Riviera explains that each student is given an action plan to help them through what can be a difficult process.

"They're eager and excited about the programme, mostly because many of them don't get this kind of support at home," she explains, adding that by giving students the necessary information, including which websites to visit in search of scholarships and advice on writing quality essays that scholarship judges will remember, students have a better chance of going to college.

However S3 and S4 students must have, and maintain, a 2.0 grade point average to participate in the College Planning Programme and parents are encouraged to get involved through regular workshops where scholarships and loans, among other things, are discussed.

Ms Riviere explains that money is always a big issue and many students won't even consider applying to college if they don't have money set aside.

"They need to realise that they can get accepted in a school and not go for a year by having their acceptance deferred. Some colleges will defer for up to two years, so you can stay in Bermuda and save money while knowing that you are already accepted at a school," she says.

"Students need to think outside the box when it comes to going to college. A lot of them get so discouraged by the money part that they start making plans based on not having money.

By including the parents in the workshops we help them see all the possibilities for scholarships and loans, not just in Bermuda, but also from schools which offer scholarships to international students."

During the workshops, students are divided up into smaller groups, giving them a taste of what life in college is like by giving them the opportunity to complete assignments within their individual groups.

"It's also easier for us to work with smaller groups than 150," Ms Riviera explains, adding that the majority of students enrolled in the programme are in S3, however there are some S4 students who are playing catch-up.

"Most of the students are in S3 because by the end of the year they need to have their schools selected so that by the time they come back in S4, they are applying to schools."

She adds that because many of the S4 students missed the UK deadlines (which were in October) and are now left to chose from what is left, while the current S3 students will have a better choice when their turn comes to apply.

"Also a lot of students are saying they want to go to college as soon as they graduate, but when you ask them what they want to do, they don't know. So this is something we have to work on."

Ms Riviere says the Bermuda Careers Centre plans to expand the programme to the Berkeley Institute in the future, once more funding becomes available.

"It's actually right in line with another initiative the Bermuda Careers Centre is tied to, the Work Force Development Initiative. One of our goals under education is to have this college and career planning programme in place in CedarBridge and Berkeley," she says.

"But another goal is to get college and career planning incorporated into the schools' curriculum, something students will get credit for."