CCHS is College Bound: November Apply to College Month Teachers as Advisors 12th Grade November 1, 2017

What is Apply to College Month? Governor Nathan Deal has proclaimed November as Georgia Apply to College Month. Some high school students may not pursue college solely as a result of an absence of information and limited support during the application process. All citizens of GA deserve an opportunity to learn about the opportunities that come along with attending college. Increasing the number of citizens pursuing a college degree in Georgia, including minorities, students from rural areas, and first generation students, is a significant priority. November marks Georgia Apply to College Month, a time to help Georgia high school students become more aware of college opportunities and to provide a forum for students to apply to college.

Is this month just for seniors? Absolutely not! The Apply to College Thursdays on the 9th and 16th are for seniors only, but the other activities planned this month are to get the conversation started about college for all students. Each grade level has a different advisement activity today related to college. When college admissions representatives are in the building, ALL students should be greeting them, talking to them, and beginning conversations about college. Students can learn so much about the different types of colleges in GA, types of programs and degrees available, how much it costs to go to college, admissions requirements, athletic opportunities, and much more, by talking to a college representative.

What events are planned? Senior Apply to College Days: November 9th and 16th, in the media center. Seniors need to register on the counseling website under ‘Sign up for Counseling Events’. College Spirit Days: November 9th and 16th – everyone should come dressed in their favorite college apparel and teachers may wear jeans as long as they wear something displaying their alma mater College lunchroom visits throughout the month Counselors will be visiting the English classes during the month to talk about Move on When Ready, college selection, and career readiness College and Major of the Week: come check out some information about a specific major and college each week outside the counseling office!

Why is getting a college education important?

Why is getting a college education important?

Why is getting a college education important?

College Lingo Certification--Certification through Adult Education programs, like at Career and Technical Centers, gives you the training you need to enter fields like phlebotomy or HVAC. These programs take a few months to a year and are job specific. Associates Degree--A 2 year college degree in a job related field, and often provides the training necessary for a beginning licensure. For example, with an associates degree in nursing you may test to be an RN, with a Bachelors degree you would be a BSN, and with a certification (above) you would be a STNA. Bachelors Degree--A 4 year degree in a subject (your major), like political science, or skill, like engineering. Bachelors degrees provide an opportunity to take a wide breadth of classes in a variety of subjects and learn more about the world. Most people with a Bachelors degree don't get an associates degree, but some people get both. Masters Degree--A Masters degree is a specialty degree that takes 1- 3 years and focuses on one topic, like mental health counseling or special education. Masters Degrees are often more career specific, but not always. You must get a Bachelors Degree first. PhD--A PhD, or doctorate degree, takes 3-5 years. Getting a PhD means you are the specialist in one very specific topic, like rural literature or the impact of childhood poverty on literacy. A PhD qualifies you to be a professor at a college, and write in your field as an expert. It is a doctorate but getting a PhD does not make you a medical doctor. You must get a Bachelors or Masters first, depending on the field.

Lingo Continued FAFSA-The Federal Application for Student Aid. You and/or your parents/guardians must complete this to qualify for grants and loans, and many colleges require the FAFSA. It uses information from your taxes to help decide how much help you will need to pay for college. Financial Aid--Refers to grants, scholarships, loans, and work study funds provided by private organizations, the government, and your college, to help pay for your education and living expenses while in college. Loan-Money you must pay back. Federal loans tend to have better interest rates than private loans. I repeat, you must pay these back. Loans ARE NOT free money. Scholarship--Money you do not pay back, usually given on the basis of merit (grades), citizenship, essays, or financial need. Grant--Money you do not pay back that is provided on the basis of financial need, often in the form of a Pell Grant. Work Study-A type of financial aid where you work in the university or in a partnering community agency for up to 20 hours per week, and receive pay for your work.

Lingo Continued Major--Your main are of study. Examples of majors include Psychology, Accounting, Marketing, Biology, Middle Childhood Education, Pre Med, and Creative Writing. Minor--A secondary area of study. You can minor in almost anything. Popular examples include Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Biology, Psychology, Sociology, English, Business, and Math. A minor is one way to document a secondary skill that will be useful in your field of employment. Concentration-Can refer to a specific topic you learned more about as part of your major (English: Creative Writing, Poetry), can refer to the focus of your research (the aerodynamic properties of polymer plastics), or can refer to a topic you learned more about, including certificate programs, that was not your major or minor (Certificate in Leadership Studies, for example).

Where did YOU go to college?? Appoint a student to interview the teacher. Where did you go to college? Why did you decide to attend that school? What were the deciding factors? What did you go to school for? What was your biggest challenge when it came to applying to college? What were some of the struggles you experienced while in college? How did you overcome them?

More interview questions 6. Where did you live while in college? 7. What activities were you involved in during college? 8. How did you decide what to major in? 9. What type of financial aid did you receive? 10. How was high school different from college?

Congratulations to CCHS Seniors Valarie Ellis (Welsyan College & Montreat College) and Tyler Lonaker (Toccoa Falls University, Shorter University, Brewton Parker College) for being accepted to college and to Ariel Ochoa for enlisting in the Marine Corps! If (and when!) you have been accepted to college or the military please bring in a copy of your acceptance letter to the counseling office and we will put you up on our board!