Madison County High School

1. Madison County High School College 101

2. COLLEGE 101 This presentation will provide an overview of important information related to the college planning, selection, and application process. Everything you do in 9th-12th grades affects your future options. Choose your courses and activities carefully and always do your best!

3. Your Future:You Can’t Get There If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going... The first and most important step in finding the “right” college is to take some time to reflect on who you are and what you want in the future. Before you can even begin thinking about specific colleges, you need to think about some basic guiding questions: • What are your interests, aptitudes, values and passions? • What are your goals, now, and for your life? • What do you want to be when you grow up? • What do you hope to get out of college? The process of college selection becomes considerably less perplexing once you’ve taken the time to answer some of these questions. There are many online resources available to help you with this (GCIS, Career Cruising, & GA College 411)—please use them!

4. Types of Colleges • Technical Colleges offer certificate, diploma, and associate degree level programs • Two Year Colleges offer programs that lead to an Associate’s Degree. • Four Year Colleges offer programs that lead to a Bachelor’s Degree

5. Types of Programs • Certificate and diploma: are non-degree offerings below the associate degree and are most often offered in technical and vocational fields of study. They generally lead to employment in an occupational field. Examples - Certificate in Office Admin. Bookkeeping, Certificate in Automotive Technology, Certified Nursing Assistant. • Associate Degree: two types of associate majors are offered. (1) Technological and vocational specialties that are generally completed in 2 yr. of college study and are usually sufficient for entrance into an occupational field, and (2) college or university parallel programs that are like the first 2 yr. of a 4yr college curriculum often referred to as a Transfer Degree. Examples - AS Degree in Accounting, AS Degree in Paralegal Studies. • Bachelor’s Degree: sometimes called baccalaureate degrees, generally require 4 to 5 yr. of study. The bachelor of arts (BA) and bachelor of science (BS) are the most common baccalaureates, and both include general education courses, a major and electives. The BS is more likely to be awarded in the sciences and for professional or technical fields of study. BA degrees are more often awarded in the humanities and arts. However, there are no absolute differences between the degrees, and policies concerning their award vary from college to college.

6. Factors to Consider When selecting a college, you need to know what you’re looking for in your postsecondary experience. Consider factors such as: • Type of school (2 year, 4 year, technical) • Admissions requirements & competitiveness • Majors and pre-professional degree programs offered • Cost of tuition (Public In-State, Public Out-of-State, & Private) • Financial aid opportunities • Location from home • Setting (rural or urban) • Size of campus & number of students enrolled • Student-faculty ratios • Availability of housing—Do you want to live on campus or commute? • Availability of special opportunities like study abroad programs • Presence of athletic , arts, Greek life, and/or extracurricular programs • Special Considerations—Religious Affiliations, Historically Black Colleges, Co-ed versus all girls/boys

7. Admission requirements vary widely from school to school—you are responsible for researching admissions requirements to make sure you meet the minimum requirements. • If you don’t meet the minimum requirements, you will not be admitted and should not apply. You should look for a college that is more appropriate for you. College Admissions Information

8. College Application Components The application packet generally requires some or all of the following: • Application for admission (most are completed electronically) • Secondary school report/counselor recommendation • Essays • Teacher recommendations • Official transcript sent from high school • Official copies of standardized test scores--SAT/ACT/SAT Subject Tests/ASSET/Compass--sent by testing agency • Application fee More selective schools may also require an interview

9. College Admissions Requirements When trying to select a college, it is important to review minimum requirements for admission but also to consider how competitive each school’s admission policy is. Competitiveness is based on the number of students who are admitted compared to the number of students who apply and considers the caliber of those students (number of AP courses attempted, GPA, scores on standardized tests, rank in class, etc). Some colleges are noncompetitive and will admit any student who meets minimum requirements (space permitting). Other colleges are very competitive and admit only a small percentage of the highest qualified students. You are encouraged to look at profiles of admitted students so you can see how you compare and if you would be competitive for admission.

10. What are colleges looking for? College admissions requirements vary widely. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind based on your college goals: • Grade point averages are important • Standardized test scores are important • Taking rigorous classes (e.g. AP courses) in high school is important—it is also important to do well in them! • Being involved in clubs, athletics, community activities, and/or extracurricular activities is important

11. Paying for College • College is an investment in your future and a financial investment. • Most people need some form of financial assistance to fund their college education. • In Georgia, students are fortunate to have the HOPE Scholarship, Zell Miller Scholarship, & HOPE Grant Program • You are encouraged to begin looking at the costs associated with attending college so you can begin thinking about how much college you can afford and what types of financial aid you may need to look into.

12. Financial Assistance for College Need Based Financial Aid • Loans: A loan is money that you borrow and must repay with interest to the lender. • Grants: Money that is awarded as financial aid that does not have to be repaid. Federal Pell Grants are awarded by the federal government and may be applied toward the costs of post-secondary education such as the cost of tuition, room and board, books, and other educational expenses. Many schools (particularly private schools) also award need-based grants to assist with these expenses. • Work-study: Post-secondary work opportunities for students with demonstrated financial need. Work-study provides opportunities for students to work part-time at a college or university affiliated job to earn money to cover part of their educational expenses. Merit Based Financial Aid • Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on certain criteria such as exceptional academic performance or outstanding skill or talent. This money does not have to be repaid.

13. Financial Assistance for College Zell Miller Scholar Program • A scholarship program for Georgia residents which covers full standard rate tuition at a public college or university. • At a private college, the Zell Miller Scholarship award is $4,000 per academic year for full time students. Eligibility Requirements • Georgia residents who have graduated from high school with an academic GPA of at least 3.7, who have also scored at least 1200 combined critical reading and math score on a single administration of the SAT or an ACT score of at least 26 • Students who graduate as valedictorian or salutatorian are also eligible for the Zell Miller Scholarship

14. Financial Assistance for College Maintaining the Zell Miller Scholarship • Students must maintain a 3.3 grade point average in college to continue receiving the Zell Miller Scholarship Award Limits • Students may receive the HOPE Scholarship for no more than127 semester hours of credit or 190 quarter hours or until you have earned a 4 year degree. For complete program information, please visit www.gacollege411.org

15. Financial Assistance for College Hope Scholarship • A program for Georgia residents who meet eligibility requirements and seek postsecondary degree level study at public, private, or technical institutions in Georgia • Students must have a 3.0 academic GPA (as calculated by GSFC) upon graduation from high school in order to be a HOPE Scholar. • Students who are not HOPE eligible upon graduation, may become HOPE eligible in college. • Students must meet HOPE’s U.S. Citizenship requirements or eligible Non-Citizenship requirements.

16. Financial Assistance for College HOPE Scholarship Award Amounts • For public institutions, HOPE Scholarship pays a percentage of the tuition (this amount is adjusted yearly based on lottery revenue). • For private institutions, HOPE Scholarship pays a percentage of the base HOPE Private Scholarship amount. Award Limits • Students may receive the HOPE Scholarship for no more than127 semester hours of credit or 190 quarter hours or until you have earned a 4 year degree. For complete program information, please visit www.gacollege411.org

17. Financial Assistance for College HOPE Grant Program • HOPE Grant is a separate program from the HOPE Scholarship program. It is available to residents of Georgia who are attending eligible institutions (technical colleges) in Georgia to earn a certificate or diploma (does not apply to degree level work). • Eligibility for this program does not require a minimum grade point average.

18. Financial Assistance for College HOPE Grant Award Amounts • The grant pays a percentage of the tuition at a Georgia Public technical college (determined by lottery revenues). Maintaining the HOPE Grant • Students must meet achievement standards by earning a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 at the end of each semester at HOPE check points. For complete program information, please visit www.gacollege411.org

19. Let’s Visit some local Colleges...

20. Athens Technical College Athens Technical College offers Associate Degree, Diploma and Certificate programs in over 40 Areas of Study including: • Accounting • Biotechnology • Construction • Dental Assisting • Criminal Justice Technology • Electronics Technology • Health Information Technology • Interior Design • Veterinary Technology • Culinary Arts • Drafting Technology • And much more...

21. Athens Technical College • Admissions Requirements: • Standardized Test Scores • For Associate’s Level Programs: • SAT (450CR/450Math) • ACT (20 English/19 Math) • Comparable ASSET/Compass Scores (determined by ATC) • For Diploma & Certificate of Credit Programs: • SAT (430CR/430Math) • ACT (18 English/17 Math) • Program Ready Scores (determined by ATC) • Students who do not meet minimum scores, may be provisionally admitted & placed in learning support classes • Admissions for Health Sciences programs are competitive • For more information visit www.athenstech.edu

22. Piedmont College A private, liberals arts college that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. Piedmont College has two locations, Demorest, GA and Athens, GA. At the undergraduate level, the College offers Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Bachelor of Science (BS), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees. Admissions Requirements Interested students may apply on-line. There is no application fee. Prospective students must submit at high school transcript in addition to SAT or ACT scores. Programs offered at the Athens Campus: • Business Administration • Criminal Justice • Education • Graphic Design • Political Science • Psychology • Sociology For more information, visit www.piedmont.edu Photo of Athens Campus

23. Gainesville State College Gainesville State College offers certificate, associate degree and baccalaureate degree programs. • Overview: • 2 locations: Gainesville Campus & Oconee Campus • Gainesville State College offers more than 70 programs of study • 4 Year Degrees are available in 5 Academic Disciplines (Applied Environmental Spatial Analysis, Design & Technology for Theater, Early Childhood Care & Education, Early Childhood Education, & Technology Management)

24. Gainesville State College Current Admissions Requirements • For full admission, students must meet USG’s Required High School Curriculum (includes 4 units of English, 4 units of Science, 3 units of Social Studies*, 4 units of Math & 2 units of foreign language) • Standardized test scores • 480 Critical Reading and 460 Math on the SAT-I or • 21 English and 19 Mathematics on the ACT.  • Students failing to meet minimum requirements may be admitted for provisional admission • For more information about freshman admissions requirements, visit Gainesville State College’s Admissions Requirements web page. *4 Units required to meet Madison County High School graduation requirements

25. University of Georgia 2011 First-Year Applications Applications Received: 17,989 New First-Year Students Enrolled: 5,500

26. University of Georgia Fall 2011 Admitted Student Profile Middle 50% Core GPA: 3.63 - 4.0 Middle 50% SAT (CR + M + W): 1750-2020 Middle 50% SAT (CR + M): 1170-1350 Middle 50% ACT: 27-31 Middle 50% AP/IB courses: 3-7

27. Emmanuel College Emmanuel College is an affordable, fully accredited, four-year, private Christian Liberal Arts College. EC is in Northeast Georgia in Franklin Springs. Also, Emmanuel College averages about 800 students, 53% of which are commuters. With a student to teacher ratio of 15:1.

28. Emmanuel College Admission Requirements: • Minimum GPA 2.0 • Standardized test scores • SAT minimum 860 or ACT composite 18 For more information, visit www.ec.edu

29. What You Can Do Now • Challenge yourself by taking rigorous courses • Keep your grades up • Prepare for & take standardized tests • PSAT in 10th & 11th Grades • SAT/ACT in 11th & 12th Grades—juniors should consider taking the January or March SAT & sign up for the corresponding SAT prep class in the Guidance Office • SAT Subject Tests in 11th & 12th Grades (only if you’re applying to highly competitive colleges) • Get involved with leadership activities at school or in the community

30. What You Can Do Now • Talk to your teachers and other adults you know to learn more about where they went to college and what their experiences were like. • Visit college campuses, attend college fairs, and talk to college recruiters and admissions counselors when they visit the high school. College visits during the school year are limited and must be preapproved with your counselor. • Explore college websites to learn about programs, opportunities, and admissions requirements. • Take a virtual college tour—some of these include campustours.com, ecampustours.com, YOUniversitytv.com • Utilize GACollege411, GCIC, and Career Cruising to learn more about college and career planning.

31. What You Can Do Now • This is Apply to College Week so representatives from Athens Tech will be in the media center today, Emmanuel College will be in the media center tomorrow, and ABAC will be here Friday meeting with students. • Apply to College Week is mostly for seniors who are completing college applications, but underclassmen may speak with a college representative if they have a pass to the media center from a teacher.

32. What You Can Do Now • If you’re a junior, register for the SAT and/or ACT. You should take a college entrance exam at least once during your junior year and again during your senior year. • MCHS will be offering SAT Prep classes before the January and March SAT dates. This is available to juniors and seniors. You must be registered for the corresponding test in order to participate. Bring proof of registration to the Guidance Office to sign up for the class. Space is limited to 25 students for each date.