Summary of Comments
2014 Rising 11th and 12th
Grade Parents Meeting
February 10, 2014
College representatives in attendance: Mercer,
Wesleyan College, Georgia Southern, Georgia College, Samford and Auburn.
Q: How should you plan a college visit?
A: Georgia Southern – We really encourage students to visit early.
Scholarships application deadlines generally come up at the end of the high
school Junior year. Students need to visit several campuses to know which is
the best fit. Georgia Southern’s last
Campus Tour Weekend this academic year is April 5. All dorms will be open.
Note: Almost all colleges do weekly campus tours;
most do 2 a day. Some even do them on
Saturdays. Always call admissions or look online for specifics.
Q: How do you look at the writing portion of
the SAT and ACT?
A: Auburn
- We
require it, but don’t use it.
Samford – We don’t require it.
Georgia College - We
require it, but don’t use it. We use essays on our application.
Georgia Southern – We require it, but don’t use it. We cannot
accept an application without the essay portion of the SAT or ACT.
Wesleyan -
We require it, but don’t use it.
Mercer - We
require it, but don’t use it.
Note: The essay portion of the ACT is listed as
“optional” but most colleges cannot accept the ACT score without the writing
portion. Sign up for the ACT essay. Be
careful and safe by signing up for the writing on ACT.
Q: How does the HOPE Scholarship apply to your
school?
A: Georgia College - Covers 87% of tuition. Other academic
scholarships can supplement.
Georgia Southern – Covers about the same for tuition.
Mercer – Covers
$3600 or $4000 with Zell Miller Scholarship.
Private schools do get some HOPE money to apply towards tuition.
Note: Hope Scholarship requires a
3.0 high school GPA on core courses and students must keep 3.0 in college to
maintain it. The Zell Miller Scholarship requires a 3.7 GPA, and a 1200
combined score (on one test on the Critical Reading and Math) on the SAT or 26
on the ACT. More information about the
HOPE scholarship and Zell Miller Scholarship will be emailed to parents. Always
visit gacollege411.org also.
Q: Question for Wesleyan
College – Why should students consider a same-sex college?
A: Some students feel the same
sex environment provides a better fit. Don’t discount it before you take a
look. Wesleyan encourages students and parents to review the website www.womenscolleges.org for more information and research regarding
the benefits of all women schools.
Q: How do students apply for academic
scholarships at your school?
A: Mercer – Applicants are automatically enrolled for
merit based scholarships when they apply to Mercer. Merit based scholars can
provides up to $20K in financial assistance. Those who qualify, the top 10% of
applicants, will be invited to attend a Presidential Scholarship
Competition. No extra applications for
scholarships are required.
Wesleyan College –
Applicants are automatically enrolled when they apply to Wesleyan College.
Those who qualify are invited to a scholarship competition in February. The
office of financial aid will also direct applicants to other possible
scholarship opportunities including a valuable local resource, the CFCGA.
Georgia Southern – Scholarships
require a second application. The deadline is November 1 of the student’s
Senior year. One application places the student in position for several
scholarships.
Georgia College - Scholarships require a second application.
Those who qualify are invited to a one day competition in December.
Samford – Deadline to apply for
scholarships is December 15 of the student’s senior year. The application
entails a review of the student’s leadership resume as well as answers to two
short questions. Those who qualify are invited for interviews.
Auburn – Once accepted to Auburn,
students may apply for scholarships. The deadline is December 1. The
application provides access to multiple scholarship opportunities.
Note: Always check with the
college. As you can see, they may all do
scholarships differently. Be careful
because there can be a deadline for application and a deadline for scholarships. Please don’t rule out a private college. They tend to have more flexibility with
scholarship money. Coach Thompson will
provide an updated list of private scholarships.
Q: What is the difference
between the ACT and SAT?
A: Mercer – We accept both and encourage
students to take both. Some students do better on one format verses the other.
Once you find the format that you are best at, take it a second time. Generally
students do better the second time.
Note: Colleges will accept either one. Be safe…plan ahead and try to take both. You might need more than one in either test
or both tests also. Registering for all
tests is done online. Go to
CollegeBoard/SAT or ACT Student.
Q: When reviewing
applications, how do you look at high school courses?
A: Auburn - We want to see that you challenge yourself. We
don’t have a minimum number of AP courses, but we do want to see some. We don’t
recalculate the GPA. We use the one from the high school.
Samford - We look at all classes and we do add
additional weight to AP classes.
Georgia College – We just look at core
classes and don’t add weight to AP classes.
Georgia Southern -
We look at all classes, but take a rigorous score
for scholarships. The rigorous score includes AP and Honors classes.
Note: It is important to take
harder classes. General rule of thumb,
the more competitive the college then the more competitive they will want your
courses to be. You also need to balance that with your GPA. FPD does not put a GPA on the
transcript. We defer to the colleges to
factor their own GPA.
Q: What is your application
process and do you accept the Common App?
A: Mercer – The application opens September
1 for Fall of 2015. We have a school
specific app and also accept the Common App.
Wesleyan – Students can begin submitting
information in April of your Junior year, and we encourage students to apply
early. We accept the Common App and have a school app.
Georgia Southern – The
application opens September 1. There is a $30 application fee. We do not accept
the Common App but do accept a common one through GA College 411.
Georgia College - We do not accept the Common App. Our
application can be found online. There is a $35 application fee for online
application submission.
Samford – We accept the Common App and
have our own application. We require test scores and letters of recommendation.
Auburn – We do not accept the Common
App. We have a $50 application fee and require four short answers and
transcript.
Note: Some schools have their own application and
some are on the Common App (commonapp.org).
The Common App is an application of about 500 schools in the
country. Students essentially do one
application and then can apply to numerous schools from that application. The list tends to be more competitive
schools. Some schools just have their
own application. Some state schools have
a common application through GACollege 411 so you may be kicked over to that
site once you begin applying.
Q: When looking at
applications, what generally weighs more GPA or test scores?
A: Auburn – We look at both. We take a
holistic approach.
Samford – We take a holistic approach;
however, test scores carry a slightly heavier weight. For GPA we take the
cumulative GPA (all classes) for admission and the core for scholarships.
Georgia College - The student
GPA is calculated by our admissions office. Although not a rule, generally more
weight is given to the GPA.
Georgia Southern - We give equal weight to both GPA and test
scores.
Wesleyan – We take a holistic approach.
We want to look at both GPA and test scores to make sure the student is ready
for college. Generally research shows that test scores are a better indicator
as to whether or not the student is ready.
Mercer – GPA and test scores hold equal weight.
Q: Are extracurricular activities important?
A: Samford – Yes. We want to see how you
contributed to your community. That is why we look at a leadership resume.
Teacher recommendations are also required.
Note: For teacher recommendations,
ask early. But keep in mind that not all colleges requires teacher
recommendations so don’t request more than you need. Also, keep in mind that
the Common App requires a school counselor recommendation as does the UGA
application. Coach Thompson will send
out a questionnaire over the summer to assist him with an evaluation on a
senior. Please make sure that the form
is filled out and sent back in.
Q: Question for Georgia
College - Are freshmen required to live
on campus and why do you feel that is important?
A: Freshmen are required to live on campus. We
have found this creates a better sense of connection. Students who live on
campus generally perform better their first year, and the first year is the
biggest determining factor for the rest of their college experience.
Note: Living on campus is pretty
standard for most traditional colleges.
Of course, local colleges will make some exceptions for local students.
Q: Question for Wesleyan
College – Elaborate on your Study Abroad and International Programs.
A: We offer direct exchange program and
traditional study abroad programs. The direct exchange programs mean the
student’s tuition at Wesleyan covers a semester abroad. We also offer faculty
led international programs during our May-Mester Term.
Note: Pretty much all colleges offer some type of
study abroad.
Q: Question for Auburn – What
advice would you give to students interested in playing college sports?
A: All athletic recruiting is
done through our Athletics Office. Contact them early. Let them know you are
interested. Generally you want to start talking to them in your sophomore and
junior year. The admission office will handle all information related to
college acceptance.
Note: Please make sure you look at
colleges that are a good fit for both academics and athletics. For any school that is NCAA Division 1 or 2,
you will have to be declared eligible by the NCAA and must register with
them.
Q: Question for Mercer – When
looking at the cost of college and weighing options, what should you consider?
A: Will your student be
challenged at the college? Will they be safe? Will they be prepared to enter
their career upon graduation? Can they see themselves on campus?
Q: What are your costs per
year and how many students receive financial aid?
A: Auburn - $26,000 plus $10,000 room
& board. There are three different levels of academic scholarships and 60%
of students are on some form of financial assistance.
Samford - $34,990. 95% of the freshmen
class receives scholarships of some sort.
Georgia College -
$19,500. 80% of student body
receives some sort of financial aid.
Georgia Southern -
$16,000 - $17,000 including room & board. 60% of freshman class receives
financial aid.
Wesleyan - $30,000 with room &
board. About $20,000 without room & board. 90% receive some sort of financial
aid. Typically covers 60% of tuition.
Mercer - $45,000 including room &
board. 90% of students receive financial aid. The average merit based
scholarship is $15,000 - $20,000.
Note: From experiences we have seen
with college admissions, please don’t rule out private schools who have more
flexibility with their money. See Coach Thompson for more information.
Q: Final Comments/Suggestions
Wesleyan – Set yourself apart.
Demonstrate interest in the school by applying early, answering emails and
phone calls.
Georgia Southern – Parents,
let your student own their application. We want to know your student is
interested.
Georgia College – Agree
with Georgia Southern. Also, proofread essays. Georgia College reads all
essays.
Auburn – Don’t just copy and paste
for essays. Small mistakes can be overlooked when you do that.
We thank you for attending our meeting. In case you could not make it, we were able
to provide some notes. A huge thanks
goes out to Beth Burnsed who helped compile these notes. The college process has changed a lot over
the years, and I am here to assist you the best that I can.
Thanks,
Coach Thompson
