Monday, November 26, 2012

Valdosta State Experience


Valdosta State will be at the Anderson Conference Center on Wednesday (Nov. 28) at 6:30.  VSU reps from academic departments, student life, housing, admissions and financial aid will be on hand to answer your questions. 

Please go to the link below for registration:


 

UGA Admissions Update


Here are some thoughts on the UGA admissions process…

 

If you were deferred from UGA or will apply Regular Admission, please remember that you need a teacher recommendation.  I just emailed the teachers to give them the link to UGA’s website and to give them instructions on filling out the teacher recommendation.  You will need to ask a teacher to do the rec so that they will know to go on the website and complete it.  Remember this is due by Jan. 15th.  Please give teachers time.  UGA made Early Action decisions about a month early so you have even more time to work on Part 2 of the application.  Respect the fact that teachers will be grading mid-terms and taking some time off.  Go ahead and ask now!  One thing they needed last year was your DOB (they may need that again this year).  Please give that to them (or I can provide it to them).  Although, they are primarily looking for a teacher’s comments on your work in the classroom, it never hurts to offer a teacher a resume or just a simple list of some of your biggest achievements. 

 

See the below comments from UGA’s Admissions Blog regarding teacher recommendations (from last year):

 

We receive a number of questions at this time of year about teacher recommendations, so here is my (limited) advice on the subject. First, when figuring out who you should ask to write a letter of recommendation, try to find a teacher who knows you well, and has taught you within the last 1-2 years. UGA prefers teachers from core academic subjects, and we suggest you only have one teacher recommendation sent in. If you really feel like you need a second teacher recommendation (or one from a person outside the school such as a boss, a volunteer program coordinator, a minister, etc.), then I suggest the maximum should be one additional letter. Why do I say this? At a certain point, too much information starts to detract from our counselors being able to focus on the important items. If you have six recommendations in your file (and most of them will say similar things), we then start to spend more time shuffling through these letters than focusing on your other strengths.

For us, the purpose of the recommendation letters is to learn more about you from teachers/school officials who deal with you on a day to day basis, and can give us insight into what you are like in their classrooms, their hallways, and in the life of your school. Do you sleep in class, do you work well with others on projects, are you respectful to the ideas of others, do you pay attention, etc. How you act day in and day out in a HS class can give us insight into how you will be in our classrooms and in the UGA community. A recommendation letter that just gives us information that we already know, from a student's grades to activities (which are already in the file!), or holds up the applicant as the perfect student really does not help us in the review process. We are looking for insight into what the student is really like.

I still remember one of the first students I worked with in a college admissions setting, Patrick F. (almost 20 years ago!). He was a great student/person from Plano, TX, back when Plano Senior HS was the only high school in the town. One of his recommendations was from a priest/volunteer-organizer who wrote a recommendation without Patrick knowing about it. In the letter, the priest was able to give amazing insight into the type of person that Patrick was, and was able to show me what he was like when no one was watching. It talked about his positive manner of interacting with people in need of a helping hand and a kind voice, and how he was able to relate to people from a variety of backgrounds. The letter also talked about his humor, his maturity (or at times a lack of it!), and it gave me a sense of the real person. This is the type of letter that colleges desire.

So find the people that know you best, and have them share information and insights into who you truly are, warts and all.

 

 

I have also attached a link below from UGA’s website regarding the essays…..

 


 

Thanks and let me know how I can help….

 

Coach T.

Friday, November 16, 2012

UGA Early Action


The following information came to me today from UGA.  It appears they will release Early Action decisions this afternoon.


Later this afternoon, the University of Georgia will release admissions decisions to more than 11,000 Early Action first-year applicants.  At approximately 4:00 pm EST, students will be able to learn their decisions by accessing the online Application Status Check.


Link below with more information….

 

 
Some statistics from the above website….


11,300 Early Action applicants (record number)

Approximately 58% will be offered admission.  The 6,600 admitted students have an average GPA of almost 4.0,

a mean SAT of 1355 (plus writing score of over 650) or an ACT of 30 and have enrolled in an average of seven AP or IB classes. 


More information found on UGA Admissions blog which some of you may already receive by email…




More information on what to do next will be found on these links.  I will also send out more information after the break.

 

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

November Thoughts


In the recent days, I have sensed a little more anxiety from our seniors.  I know that a lot of this is due to some admissions decisions that have recently been made, that are about to be made, and will be made in the future.  Please understand that choosing a college is truly a process, and we are in the middle of that process.  There are times when God is ready for us to make decisions, and there are times God wants us to be patient.  There are times when God closes doors, and there are times when God leaves doors open.  I can assure you that “hindsight is 20/20”.  As a Christian, I can truly see by looking back how in control of my life God has always been.  I would not want it any other way, and you find that perspective by submitting to his will for your life.  God is not only using the college process to show you where he wants you to be; he is using it to show you how to trust him.  He is using it to give you confidence for the next big decision in your life, and trust me there will be many more to come.  You guys are a joy to be around and to work with.  Please know I am here to assist.  I will be glad to provide insight, help you think through pros and cons of choices, and even pray for you.  Please keep me posted.


At a time of the unknown (and not a bad idea since next week is Thanksgiving), remember to thank/praise God for how good he is….


“Praise the Lord.  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”  Psalm 106:1


Great verse about anxiety….

 
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation (choosing college maybe?), by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” Phil. 4:6


In seeking wisdom….

 
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”  James 1:5


My favorite verse and for the future…

 
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

 

Have a great Thanksgiving….keep me posted……

 

 

Verification of Lawful Presence


When hearing from colleges, some of you are running into a request called “verification of lawful presence” and if you haven’t run into, you might.  This is something new that was passed by the state legislature.  What the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia is asking for is proof of lawful presence in the United States.  This can come in the form of several things such as a completed FAFSA, a copy of driver’s license, a passport, and a copy of birth certificate to name the most common.  I called one of the schools recently to verify a few things.  A few schools have told me that the proof DOES NOT have to be submitted unless the student will attend that school, and it is NOT required as part of the admissions process.  However, some schools may choose to request this in the application process, for example North Georgia.

 

I have attached the link from the University System of Georgia below.

 


 

Feel free to have your senior borrow my scanner….

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

SCAD on Campus

A representative from SCAD will be on campus 1st period on Wednesday.  She will be in Mr. Powell's Journalism Class.  SCAD will be hosting an Open House on Thursday at the Hay House.  Please come by in the morning to find out more.

Monday, November 5, 2012

College Visits Week of Nov. 5


Thursday         Nov. 8             9:45                 U. of South Carolina

Friday              Nov. 9             10:00               North Georgia College