information specific to the College Admissions Information College admissions information specific to the class of 2010 and later.

BCHS Graduation Requirements (2010-2011) Tech Prep Endorsement 4 3 1 6 25* College Prep Endorsement 4 3 1 2 7 25* English Math Science Social Studies Health & Personal Fitness Tech Prep/Foreign Lang/Fine Arts Foreign Language Tech Prep Electives College Prep Electives Other Electives Total *Total units required for graduation: 2010 - 25 2011 - 24 2012 and beyond - 23

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

2007 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

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

Minimum admission standards for MGC and many other two-year colleges Preferred Admission - 430 SAT/17 ACT V, 400 SAT/17 ACT M Core GPA of 2.0, and no CPC deficiencies (College Prep diploma) The Compass Exam is NOT required. Regular Admission - Core GPA of 2.0 with no CPC deficiencies, or Core GPA of 2.2 with deficiencies (Tech Prep diploma) The Compass Exam IS required.

www.gacollege411.org

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

Georgia Career Information Center

Georgia Career Information Center Website: www.gcic.peachnet.edu User ID: bleckleychs Password: gcis580 Features: Career Information College Information Interest Inventories Scholarship Information (Financial Aid Sort)

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

SAT points of interest The SAT is no longer required for admission to Georgia public 2-year colleges. CP 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. TP students do not need SAT scores – after 30 semester hours, students may apply to transfer to 4-year colleges and universities.

The HOPE Scholarship All core courses attempted are counted 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 with CP Diploma is 3.0 Required 4 point core GPA with TP Diploma is 3.2 HOPE Scholarship provides tuition, HOPE-approved fees, and $300 per year book allowance at any Georgia public college or university OR a total of approximately $4700 per year at a private Georgia college or university TP requirements are eliminated for the class of 2012 and beyond as all students are considered CP.

The HOPE Scholarship HOPE Scholarship checkpoints: 30 semester hours End of spring semester HOPE Scholarship Limits: 127 attempted semester hours 150 paid semester hours (includes Accel and HOPE grant hours)

The HOPE Grant Good at any Georgia Public Technical College Covers tuition, mandatory fees, $300 book allowance per year Available to all TP or CP diploma recipients There are no GPA requirements for certificate or diploma programs Use for up to 95 quarter hours (dual enrolled hours do not count against this hour cap)

MOST seniors should apply for Federal Student Aid ALL seniors should apply for HOPE. Students may apply electronically by going to www.gacollege411.org The student must first create an account and then follow the instructions to apply for the HOPE grant/scholarship. MOST seniors should apply for Federal Student Aid Students may access the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application through the www.gacollege411.org website OR Students may go directly to the FAFSA website at www.fafsa.ed.gov Completing the FAFSA is an annual process. Bleckley County High School students will receive FAFSA information by February.

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 to more than 20 local scholarships. There are more than 50,000 scholarships available nationally each year. Free internet scholarship searches (other than GCIS) - www.fastweb.com www.cashe.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.

Odds & Ends Start a list of activities/honors/etc. if you haven’t already. Seniors considering a senior university should apply immediately (before Christmas if possible – no later than January 15). 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. It’s not too late for volunteer/community service. Use the Georgia Career Information System or GAcollege411.org to get information about schools.

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 the most 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. The BCHS Counselor’s Office will host the Middle Georgia College Admissions Office for “Instant Admissions” on the morning of Wednesday, February 18th. All male students MUST register for the selective service to be eligible for any state or federal aid when they reach age 18.