Tips for a Successful
Post Secondary
education
Class of 2016 and 2017
Agenda
• College Admissions Game
• GAcollege411 – Mrs. Fagan
• Steps To Success – Mrs. Sanford
• Service Academies/NCAA/ACCEL – Mr. Roache
• College Entrance Exams – Mrs. Dunn
• Planning Timeline
Steps To Success
 Talk with your guidance counselors. Know your high school
graduation requirements.
Take a rigorous curriculum.
 Think about future careers and how to achieve them.
Take advantage of college and military
reps that visit Sandy Creek.
Steps To Success
 Keep your grades up
 Step up to leadership positions in activities
 Extracurricular activities are important
 Get involved in community service
 Find a summer job
 Put together a resume of your classes,
clubs, sports, and outside activities
Steps To Success
 Take challenging electives
 Register to take the SAT or ACT in the spring of
of 11th grade year
 Take Advanced Placement (AP) exams if enrolled in
AP classes (Given during 2nd week of May)
 Research scholarship opportunities
 End the year with strong grades!
University of Georgia
Undergraduate Admissions
2014 First-Year Applications
Applications Received:
21,260
Applicants Admitted:
11,650
New First-Year Students Enrolled:
5,190
High School Core Grade Point Average
Overall Average of All Enrolled First-Year Students:
3.9
Average SAT I :
1800-2060 (middle 50%)
Average ACT :
30 composite score
Georgia Institute of Technology
2014 Undergraduate
Admissions
Applications: 25,800
Accepted: 8,560
Enrolled: 2,800
Averages
GPA: 3.8
SAT: 670-770 verbal , 700-780 Math ACT: 30-33 composite
Steps To Success
Begin/continue to research your career choices!!
• Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) January
• GAcollege411.org
Steps To Success
Which college/technical school is right for me?
 Put together a list of colleges you’re interested in attending
 Visit local college campuses. Take a tour, talk with students
and admissions reps about the school.
 Continue to make good grades!
- HOPE Scholarship
Program
Visit GAcollege 411 for
current information
 Become familiar with admissions requirements
Steps To Success
Which college/technical school is right for me?
Considerations
• Size of student body
• Location
• Academic programs
• Campus life
• Diversity
• Retention/graduation rates
• Public vs. Private
• Cost
• Safety
Steps To Success
HOPE Scholarship
• All attempted coursework grades are
calculated (English, math, science,
social studies, foreign language)
• AP courses and ACCEL courses receive
weighting from GSFC
• 3 credit rigor requirement
Steps To Success
HOPE Rigor Requirements for
Graduating Class of 2015
Students graduating from high school on or after May 1, 2016, must receive at
least 3 credits in courses from the following categories, prior to graduating from
high school:
1) Advanced math, such as Advanced Algebra, Pre-calculus, or an equivalent or
higher course;
2) Advanced science, such as Chemistry, Physics, Biology II, or an equivalent or
higher course;
3) Advanced Placement courses in core subjects (English, math, science, social
studies, and foreign language);
4) International Baccalaureate courses in core subjects (English, math, science,
social studies and foreign language);
5) Courses taken at a unit of the University System of Georgia in core subjects
(English, math, science, social studies and foreign language) where such courses are
not remedial and developmental courses; or
6) Advanced foreign language courses.
Students may earn one or more credits in each category; provided, however, that an
earned course credit may only be counted one time toward the credit requirement.
Steps To Success
Zell Miller Scholarship





Must have 3.7 GPA and 1200 combined CR/M
score on single adm of SAT or composite 26 on
single adm of ACT
Meet 3 credit rigor requirement
Maintain a 3.3 GPA in college; if lost, may be
regained once
Zell Miller scholarship pays 100% of standard
tuition charges (no fees or books) at public
schools and 100% of HOPE awards at private
schools
If maintain a 3.0, will have regular HOPE
scholarship
Steps To Success
HOPE Grant

The HOPE Grant program is for students
seeking a technical certificate or diploma at a
Technical College System of Georgia or
University System of Georgia institution,
regardless of the student's high school grade
point average or graduation date.
Military Service Academies
Military Service Academies
 No cost to the student or family
Enrollment is limited by law
 “Whole person” perspective
 Individuals (except Coast Guard applicants) must be
nominated
 Commissioned as an officer upon graduation
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
• 4 year, 3 year, and 2 year scholarships
• Scholarship recipients receive monthly stipend
• Military service obligation upon commissioning
• Contact college/university ROTC department
Army – www.goarmy.com
Navy/Marine Corps – www.nrotc.navy.mil
Air Force – www.afrotc.com
SANDY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL
30290
(770) 969-2840
FAX (770) 969-2844
GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
“SUCCESS IS A CHOICE”
Counselors:
Lisa Love A-Ge
Vivian Dunn Gi-N
Michael Roache O-Z
Charletta Harvey, GO Program
NCAA Division I Initial-Eligibility
Academic Requirements
Students will need to meet the following requirements to receive athletics aid,
practice and compete their first year:
16 core courses in the following areas:
• 4 years English;
• 3 years math at Algebra I level or higher;
• 2 years natural or physical science (one lab if offered at any high school
attended);
• 1 year additional English, math or natural/physical science;
• 2 years social science; and
• 4 years additional from areas above or foreign language, philosophy or
comparative religion.
Minimum required GPA:
•Minimum GPA of 2.300 required for competition in those 16 core
courses.
•Graduate from high school
ACCEL /MOWR Program
• The Accel/MOWR Program is for students classified as high
school juniors and seniors at accredited public or private high
schools
• Operated in all school terms except summer.
• Allows students to pursue postsecondary study at approved public
and private colleges while receiving dual high school and college
credit for courses successfully completed.
• Must take the SAT/ACT before applying to college
• See your counselor for further program details
College Entrance Exams
Which one should I take? I can’t
believe I have to go through this
just to get into college! Didn’t they even
look at my high school grades?
PSAT
PSAT/NMSQT: Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National
Merit Scholarship Qualifying Assessment Test
SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test
(CEEB Code: 113052)
ACT: American College Testing Exam
(CEEB Code: 113052)
SAT Subject Test : English, History, Math, Sciences, Languages
Admissions requirements vary from school to school.
Consult your prospective school when deciding which test to
take.
PSAT
 During your sophomore/junior year.
 Not used to determine college admissions
 If you do well on the PSAT (and meet additional academic
requirements), you may qualify for the National Merit
Scholarship Program or National Achievement Scholarship
Program (a nationally distributed merit-based scholarship).
Only scores from the junior year are used to determine
qualification for National Merit Program.
SAT
 Spring of your junior year or fall of your senior year (or
both, if you want a practice run).
 Three-hour & 45 min. exam; measures reading, writing, and
math skills.
 The SAT carries a "wrong answer penalty." If you guess
right, you gain a point; if you guess wrong, you are penalized.
 Scoring on each section ranges from 200-800 points.
 You can retake the test to improve your score.
SAT Subject Tests
 As soon as you have finished the relevant course work
 One-hour test that assesses mastery of a particular field of study.
 Up to three tests can be required for admissions. Some
schools use the SAT Subject Test for course placement;
others don't require it at all.
 Tests are offered in five subject areas: English, Math,
History, Science and Foreign Language.
Scholastic Aptitude Test
Register for your SAT online.
Here's what you need to know:
CEEB Code: 113052
Where: The College Board's Web site at
www.collegeboard.org
Score reports: You may send four free reports
to the institutions of your choice. Additional
reports can be sent for $11 each.
ACT
 Spring of your junior year or fall of your senior year (or
both, if you want a practice run).
 Three-hour exam; measures achievement in English, math,
reading and science.
 Optional writing test is offered (Highly recommend taking
this test)
 Your score is based on the number of correct answers
ONLY. If you aren't sure, take a guess - it can't hurt you and
it could help.
 Scores on each section are averaged to create a composite
score. Perfect score is 36.
American College Testing (ACT)
Registering for the ACT
CEEB Code: 113052
Where: ACT, Inc.'s Web site at
www.actstudent.org.
Score reports: You may send four free
reports to the institutions of your choice.
Two additional reports can be sent for $12
each.
Fee Waivers
 Both the ACT and SAT offer a limited number of test fee
waivers for students who demonstrate extreme financial need.
 You must be a high school junior or senior.
 You must meet the economic requirements as listed on the
fee waiver form.
 You may apply for a fee waiver only once. The fee waiver
covers basic registration costs, not including additional score
reports, changes in registration or late fees.
Taking the next step…
Checklist for Juniors
(OCT – DEC)
 Take the PSAT
 Explore careers/majors that meet your interests/strengths
 Continue your search for post-secondary schools
 Look over your extracurricular involvement
 Listen for announcements concerning AP applications
Taking the next step…
Checklist for Juniors
(JAN - MAR)
 Take advantage of SAT prep courses
(Fayette Community School, GAcollege411.org, Club Z)
 Create a file to manage your school search
 Begin to explore financial aid opportunities
(GAcollege411.org, SCHS Guidance Website)
 Register to take the SAT and/or ACT in the spring
 Visit colleges that interest you
Taking the next step…
Checklist for Juniors
(APR - MAY)
 Prepare for AP exams (if applicable)
 Create a resume
 End the year with strong grades!
Summer
 Work to help pay for spending money in college
 Get involved in an internship relevant to your career
Taking the next step…
Avoid these mistakes…….
1. Applying beyond your reach
2. Missing deadlines
3. Being sloppy
4. Leaving out information
5. Having your parents complete the application
6. Essays that don’t address the topic
Taking the next step…
Plan early, and plan continuously……………
GOAL: all college applications submitted by the
end of 1st semester during senior year.
To recap:
• Steps to success
- All students have a post-secondary path
they can follow
- Grades are important! Work hard, do your best!
- HOPE Scholarship/HOPE Grant
- Search for schools that meet your needs
• Military academies/military service/NCAA/ACCEL
• SAT/ACT – Practice opportunities
• Planning time line – Refer to GAcollege411
(High School Planning Tab)
• You’ll be a senior before you know it