College admissions information specific to the class of 2013 and later.

1. College Admissions Information College admissions information specific to the class of 2013 and later.

2. BCHS Graduation Requirements 2012 & beyond English Math Science Social Studies Health & Personal Fitness Tech Prep/Foreign Lang/Fine Arts Other Electives Total 4 4 4 3* 1 3 4 23 *students may have half or full units of Economics and/or Citizenship • use of local endorsements

3. 2009 Freshmen Statistics School Avg HSGPA Avg SAT Middle Georgia 2.7 920 Georgia College 3.3 1125 Georgia Southern 3.14 1105 Mercer University 3.50 1115 University of Georgia 3.79 1240 Georgia Tech 3.74 1340 Emory University 3.75 1385

4. The “Real” Rule on College Admissions Every college has their own set of admissions policies and requirements. The best practice is to speak directly with someone in the office of admissions before Christmas during the student’s senior year.

5. www.gacollege411.org

6. www.GAcollege411.org • Features: • Career Information • College Planner • Test Preparation • Georgia College Information • HOPE and College Applications • Paying for College advice/links

7. The “New” SAT • Changes: • Maximum score is 2400 • 3 sections worth 800 points each • The new section is Writing (short essay & grammar and usage) • Verbal section is now called Critical Reading which eliminated analogies, added short reading passages • Math section added Algebra II, eliminated quantitative comparisons • Most colleges do not have set standards for the use of the writing score for admissions decisions

8. SAT points of interest • The SAT is not required for admission to many Georgia public 2-year colleges. • Honors/University endorsed students should take SAT for scholarship purposes, to keep college options open, and to avoid unnecessary COMPASS testing. • Students who take the SAT should do so at least twice. • Most non-University students do not need SAT scores. After 30 semester hours, students may apply to transfer to 4-year colleges and universities. SAT scores are not required for these transfer students.

9. The HOPE Scholarship • HOPE GPA based on core course grades only • All core courses attempted are counted • GPA is calculated using a 4 point scale • Required 4 point core GPA is 3.0 • HOPE Scholarship pays about 75% of the 2013 tuition rate at any Georgia public college or university OR a total of approximately $4300 per year at a private Georgia college or university. No fees or book allowances are provided. The exact amounts paid are listed under HOPE Program information on the www.GAcollege411.org website.

10. The HOPE Scholarship • HOPE Scholarship checkpoints: • 30 semester hours • 60 semester hours • 90 semester hours • End of every spring semester • HOPE Scholarship Limits: • 127 attempted semester hours • 150 paid semester hours -Accel hours do NOT count • Students who do not qualify out of high school or lose HOPE after the freshman year have only one opportunity to regain it.

11. Zell Miller Scholars • A special category of the HOPE scholarship • Requires a 3.7 HOPE GPA and at least a 1200 on the first two sections of the SAT (or 26 ACT) • Pays 100% of tuition at Georgia public colleges and universities (does not cover fees and books). Pays a total of approximately $4700 for Georgia private colleges or universities.

12. The HOPE Grant • Good at any Georgia Public Technical College • Currently covers 90% of tuition based upon the 2010 tuition rate of the Technical College • Available to any regular diploma recipient • There are no GPA requirements upon graduation. Students must maintain a 3.0 at the Technical College. • Use for up to 63 semester hours

13. ALL seniors should apply for HOPE. Students may apply electronically by going to www.gacollege411.org MOST seniors should apply for Federal Student Aid • Students may access the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) through www.gacollege411.org or www.fafsa.ed.gov • Completing the FAFSA is an annual process. Bleckley County High School students will receive FAFSA information by February.

14. Scholarship Information • The BCHS Counselor’s Office makes students aware of approximately 30 state and national scholarships each year. • BCHS seniors receive a Local Scholarship Application in March which applies for more than 20 local scholarships. • Free internet scholarship searches (other than GAcollege411) www.fastweb.com www.cashe.com www.zinch.com www.scholaraid.com www.gocollege.com • Beware of any organization which promises to find your child a scholarship for a FEE. They are not to be trusted.

15. Odds & Ends • Start a list of activities/honors/etc. if you haven’t already. Students can use the portfolio feature in gacollege411 to save this information. • Seniors considering a 4-year university should apply immediately (no later than January 15 or check the school’s website for their exact deadline). • All college-bound students should take SAT/ACT at least twice. • Apply to all schools in which you are seriously interested – (1)Get accepted (2)compare costs and schools (3)make a decision. • Request a financial aid application and scholarship application from any school to which you apply for admission. • Use GAcollege411.org to get information about schools.

16. Odds & Ends • Don’t wait until summer to complete immunizations required by colleges – some require a 4-6 week wait between vaccinations. • Campus bookstores are expensive places to purchase books – I suggest that you try www.campusbooks.com or other online bookstores when purchasing textbooks. Buy used books whenever possible. You may rent textbooks at Amazon or chegg.com. • The BCHS Counselor’s Office will host the Middle Georgia State College Admissions Office for “Instant Admissions” in late February/early March. • All male students MUST register for the selective service to be eligible for any state or federal aid when they reach age 18.