College + Career Roadmap

Tai Buhler

Montgomery Blair High School · Junior → Senior · Takoma Park, MD
Target field: Cloud Infrastructure & IT

GPA 3.6–3.8
SAT #2 Jun 6 · SAT #3 Aug TBD
A+ Core 1 — Summer goal
FRC 449 · Small Things Matter · TRI-M
Application Timeline
Phase 01 · Now
Junior Spring
  • AP Testing — ✓ Complete
  • SAT #2 — June 6
  • Ask 2 teachers for rec letters
  • Begin A+ Core 1 study
Phase 02 · Summer 2026
Pre-Senior Summer
  • SAT #3 — August (TBD)
  • A+ Core 1 exam — target mid-July
  • A+ Core 2 study begins after Core 1
  • Build & finalize college list
  • Draft Common App essay
  • Campus visits / virtual tours
Phase 03 · Fall 2026
Senior Fall
  • Senior year starts Aug 26
  • Submit ED/EA apps (Nov 1–15)
  • Complete Common App
  • File FAFSA — opens Oct 1
  • Regular Decision prep (Jan 1)
  • Network+ study begins
Phase 04 · Spring 2027
Senior Spring
  • Receive admissions decisions
  • Compare financial aid letters
  • Visit accepted schools
  • Commit by May 1
  • Network+ exam target
Summer Schedule & Study Plan
Work shift
SAT / exam
A+ study / exam
College prep
Milestone
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
College List
Rochester Institute of Technology
Reach
Rochester, NY · ~18k students · Acc. ~57%
Top-tier IT program with mandatory co-op. Graduates with real work experience before degree.
IT BSCo-opStrong placement
Drexel University
Reach
Philadelphia, PA · ~15k students · Acc. ~81%
6-month co-op rotations. Computing & Informatics college near major tech employers.
Co-op modelMid-Atlantic
Virginia Tech
Reach
Blacksburg, VA · ~37k students · Acc. ~57%
Strong IT program with direct pipeline to DC/NoVA tech and government contractor market.
IT programDC corridor
University of Maryland, College Park
Match
College Park, MD · ~30k students · Acc. ~44%
In-state tuition saves $15–20k/yr. iSchool + CS. DC/NoVA internships minutes away.
In-stateiSchoolDC access
Penn State University Park
Match
State College, PA · ~46k students · Acc. ~54%
Dedicated IST major — one of the best IT-specific programs on the East Coast.
IST majorAlumni network
George Mason University
Match
Fairfax, VA · ~39k students · Acc. ~90%
Close to Takoma Park. Deep NoVA tech and government contracting ties. Strong IT & cybersecurity.
IT & CyberNoVA hubClose to home
UMBC
Safety
Baltimore, MD · ~14k students · Acc. ~68%
Punches above weight in STEM. Strong CS and cybersecurity reputation. In-state tuition.
In-stateSTEM repCyber focus
Towson University
Safety
Towson, MD · ~19k students · Acc. ~79%
Solid in-state fallback. CIS department with real career outcomes. Low cost, close to home.
In-stateCISMaryland
Certification Roadmap
CompTIA A+ Core 1 + Core 2
Foundation — hardware, OS, networking basics. Validates everything from homelabbing.
Target: Summer 2026 · Core 1 mid-July, Core 2 late July / early Aug
CompTIA Network+
Networking, TCP/IP, VLANs, routing. Formalizes your server stack knowledge.
Target: Senior Spring 2027
CompTIA Security+
Cybersecurity fundamentals. Near-required in DC/NoVA market. Opens both lanes below.
Target: College Year 1
↳ Pick your lane in college
AWS Cloud Practitioner
Cloud fundamentals. S3, EC2, IAM. Best first cloud cert.
AWS Solutions Architect Assoc.
Design cloud infra, VPCs, load balancing.
Terraform Associate
Infrastructure as code — automates what you do manually with Proxmox/Docker.
Linux Foundation LFCS
Linux sysadmin. Already your strength — Debian, Ubuntu, Proxmox.
CompTIA CySA+
Threat detection, SIEM, incident response.
CompTIA CASP+
Advanced security architecture. Senior-level credential.
CEH — Certified Ethical Hacker
Penetration testing, offensive security. Highly valued by DC contractors.
Current Technical Skills
Proxmox
Docker / Portainer
Debian / Ubuntu
Linux (general)
Windows
macOS
VMware / VirtualBox
Hackintosh / VMs
Gitea
Open WebUI (AI)
Game servers
Self-hosted services
Computer hardware (8 builds)
Laptop repair (5–8 units)
Photography
Violin (8 years)
English + Japanese
Progress Checklist
AP Testing completeDone ✓
SAT #2 — June 6, 2026Now
Ask 2 teachers for rec lettersNow
Start A+ Core 1 studyNow
Build college list (15–20 schools)Summer
Pass A+ Core 1 examMid-July
Register for SAT #3 — AugustSummer
Pass A+ Core 2 examLate July/Aug
Take SAT #3 — AugustAug
Draft Common App personal essaySummer
Campus visits / virtual toursSummer
Narrow list to 8–12 schoolsSummer
Complete Common AppFall
File FAFSA — Oct 1Fall
Submit ED / EA applicationsNov
Submit Regular Decision appsJan 1
Pass CompTIA Network+Spring
Commit to a college — May 1Spring
Safety Schools & Transfer Plan →