1 Chattahoochee High School Senior Parent Night 2017-2018
2 Counseling DepartmentElizabeth Chilson A-Dap Curtisa Johnson Das-I *Department Chair Allison Grandits J-Mi Deborah Blount Mo-Sem Tammy Jones Sen-Z Nikki Lee Graduation Coach Alicia McClung Social Worker Rita Jensen Records Coordinator Dana Cochran Professional Assistant Suzie Orr Cluster Nurse Wonna Kang Bilingual Community Liaison (Korean) Solange Leonardo Bilingual Community Liaison (Spanish)
3 Principal – Mr. Tim CorriganAdministration Principal – Mr. Tim Corrigan Assistant Principals are also assigned to students based on the first letter of the student’s last name. Please take a moment to identify your student’s Assistant Principal. A-E Mrs. Debra Bryant F-L Mr. Garin Berry M-R Mrs. Camille Christopher S-Z Dr. Michael Todd Assistant Administrator – Garrett Abelkop
4 Stay Connected! Find us on Facebook and like our official page! https://www.facebook.com/chattcougar Follow us on Counseling Blog: As always, you can locate information on the school website: We also recommend parents check Home Access Center every day.
5 Review of Graduation RequirementsGraduation Status Reports Sent home 1st semester of Junior year You can update your student’s graduation status report with the last report card and summer course(s), if applicable Use it as a tool to double-check enrollment in the appropriate courses necessary for graduation Senior Failure Letters Mailed home when the 6 and 12 week progress report are issued to students
6 Graduation Requirements Class of 2017English credits Mathematics credits Science credits Social Studies credits Health/Personal Fitness credit each World Language/Fine Arts/Career Tech 3 credits Electives credits 23 total credits Semester-Long Class= 0.5 Credits; Year-Long Class= 1.0 Credit
7 Personal Fitness WaiverEffective , a Senior must complete one of the following by end of Fall 2017 1 season of any GHSA sport 1 season of Marching Band Students must fill out a Personal Fitness Waiver form and turn it into the Coach Hicks (Athletic Director) for GHSA Sports and to Mr. Garofalo for Marching Band It is not automatically applied because a student meet the requirements! Not retroactive Students do not earn credit/grade for course - they are still required to have 23 credits to graduate
8 What are Colleges looking for?According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)’s State of College Admission (p. 26) the 3 main factors colleges consider are: GPA/grades in Academic Courses More than 80% of all Colleges and Universities rated grades in Academic Courses as “considerably important.” SAT and/or ACT Test Scores Over 50% of Colleges gave the highest rating [as being the most important] to admission test scores. Rigor of Courses 64% of Colleges rated strength of curriculum as “considerably important.”
9 Holistic Perspective College application essays Letters of recommendations Extracurricular activities Leadership roles Resumes, interviews, portfolios Demonstrated interest SAT subject tests
10 College Grade Point AverageThe high school GPA used for college admission is calculated by the postsecondary institution, NOT by the high school or Fulton County Most use this scale and most only include academic/core courses: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, F = 0.0 Contact colleges to find how they recalculate GPAs or visit their websites
11 FAFSA Beginning October 1, 2017, the class of 2018 can begin applying for the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Students will be required to report income information from an earlier tax year. Parents do not need to wait until they’ve filed taxes to submit the FAFSA A student should list any schools they are considering applying to on the FAFSA to ensure the school your student attends receives your information You can add additional schools in the future The FAFSA can serve as a student’s HOPE/Zell Miller application For more information: https://FAFSA.gov and
12 HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship ProgramsEligible students receive financial assistance covering tuition and approved mandatory fees. Qualifications: Meet citizenship requirements Be a legal resident of Georgia Be a graduate of an eligible high school Males must be registered for the selective service Types of Scholarships: HOPE Zell Miller HOPE/Zell Miller Grant
13 HOPE Scholarship RequirementsMust earn a 3.0 GPA in high school. The HOPE award amount varies for each school and is a percentage amount of the standard tuition charges from the previous year (view the chart on GAFutures to find award amounts – typically about 87%). Mandatory fees are included in the percentage covered Institutional fees are paid by the student Students’ preliminary HOPE GPA’s can be viewed on GAFutures as long as their Social Security # is added to their profile. * HOPE Scholarship recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout college at various checkpoints.
14 Zell Miller Scholarship Requirements(1) Graduate as the valedictorian or salutatorian - OR - (2) Earn a 3.7 GPA in high school, AND either Earn a 1200 combined score of Reading and Math on a single administration of the SAT or Earn a composite score of 26 on a single administration of the ACT by your graduation date. At an eligible public postsecondary institution, 100% of the standard tuition charges (view chart on GAFutures to find award amounts). *Zell Miller Scholarship recipients must maintain a 3.3 GPA throughout college at various checkpoints.
15 HOPE/Zell Miller Grade Point AverageHOPE/Zell Miller GPAs are calculated by the Georgia Student Finance Commission Preliminary HOPE GPAs are available on GAFutures in mid-September Final HOPE GPAs are released after graduation Academic classes, plus those that count toward a 4th Science (ex. Essentials of Healthcare), are included in the calculation Middle School courses are not used in the calculation Conversion: Remove all honors points from honors, AP, and College courses Convert raw numeric grades to the 4.0 scale = = = * = 0.0 *(failing grades are included in calculation) Add 0.5 to only AP and College courses (up to a max of 4.0) Divide by the total number of grades
16 2018 Students in the class of 2018 must earn 4.0 credits from a list of rigorous classes designated by GA Student Finance Commission in order to earn the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship. For example: if a student completes 1.0 credit of GSE Algebra 2, 1.0 credit of Advanced Math Decision Making, 1.0 credit of Chemistry, and 1.0 credit of Spanish 2, the student meets HOPE Rigor Requirements according to GSFC: https://apps.gsfc.org/main/publishing/pdf/2012/Course_List.pdf
17 HOPE/Zell Miller Grant ProgramsThe HOPE Grant program is for students seeking certification from a technical college or technical division, regardless of the student's high school grade point average. Full-time enrollment is not required. HOPE Grant award amount will cover a portion of a student's tuition (view chart on GAFutures to find award amounts). HOPE Grant recipients must maintain a 2.0 GPA at certain checkpoints, in order to maintain eligibility. *Students may apply for the Zell Miller Grant if they earn a 3.5 GPA during their 1st semester at a technical college. The Zell Miller Grant will then reimburse them the difference in tuition between Hope Grant and Zell Miller Grant.
18 More HOPE Scholarship Program InfoGPAs are not rounded ( is not a 3.0) Missing or incorrect Social Security numbers and nicknames will delay HOPE funds Males must register with the Selective Service no later than 30 days before their 18th birthday. HOPE eligibility will be delayed until this requirement is met. Register at Apply for the HOPE: (1) by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) https://fafsa.ed.gov/, or (2) by completing the Georgia Student Financial Aid Application System (GSFAPPS) - Additional Information Contact GA Student Finance Commission (GSFC) at or
19 Scholarship InformationCounseling Department Website College & Career Center Employer Scholarships Professional and/or religious organizations, banks, and insurance companies Financial Aid office at each individual college Financial Aid Night is scheduled for Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 7:00 pm in the Auditorium Online Search Engines:
20 Senior Year What students should do… There is still time…Narrow down the list of schools to which they will apply Should have taken at least one SAT or ACT test Begin working on their applications There is still time… Don’t panic…just get started! Research colleges – schedule visits to potential colleges, do research on the colleges’ websites, talk to alumni, etc. Sign up for the next standardized test, if desired
21 Chattahoochee College VisitsStudents can register for college visits online at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/chattahoochee-counseling-department After registering online, students will receive an with a pass to print. They will show it to the teacher whose class they’ll be missing Students can register for a maximum of 7 college visits per school year Students should research the colleges prior to the visits and come prepared with questions for the representative College visit dates are posted on the college visit and Counseling websites, as well as inside the Counseling Office
22 SAT/ACT To register and view upcoming test dates for the SAT visit To register and view upcoming test dates for the ACT visit SAT & ACT Fee Waivers for eligible students (ex. approved for free/reduced lunch) are located in the Counseling Office Test Prep information for the SAT/ACT can be found at:
23 Application Process Collect and review application(s) detailsLook for checklists for each school – test requirements, course requirements, priority deadlines for scholarship consideration, etc. Start a calendar for deadlines Complete Senior Profile sheet/update resume Write essays and make sure to have them proofread Submit application(s) online
24 Parchment
25 IMPORTANT: The Counseling Office will process all transcript and letter of recommendation requests within 10 school days. Be mindful of this when college/scholarship deadlines occur right before or after weekends and holidays! Ex. For October 15th deadlines, students must submit transcript and recommendation requests no later than September 28th. Most colleges prefer electronic transcripts because their Admissions Offices can process them faster, and therefore, application files can be processed faster! What if my college or scholarship doesn’t accept Parchment? Please visit Mrs. Jensen in the Counseling Office if you need a paper copy of your transcript.
26 Supplemental InformationIf teacher recommendations are required: Give teachers at least 10 school days’ notice Be mindful of college/scholarship deadlines occurring right before or after weekends or holidays! Provide teacher with a copy of your Senior Profile For paper recommendation letters, provide an addressed and stamped envelope to teachers, accompanied by any forms required by the college For electronic recommendation letters, ask your teachers to be on the lookout for an request Standardized Tests Students must request scores directly through the testing agencies: and Chattahoochee does not have access to test scores and cannot send them to colleges
27 College-Bound Student AthletesIf you are you planning on participating in intercollegiate athletics at an NCAA Division I or II institution, you must register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Prospective student athletes should: Access the registration materials by visiting their website at Submit the Parent Release Form to Karen Lange – - in the Main Office prior to requesting your transcript through Parchment. When taking the SAT/ACT, enter 9999 for scores to be sent to NCAA Clearinghouse. Review the NCAA requirements as they might differ from graduation requirements!
28 What is Available in the College & Career Center?College rep visits Seminars Scholarship lists Summer opportunities College & career information SAT/ACT preparation and information Computers to research colleges, careers, and scholarships online
29 Questions? You may contact your student’s Counselor with any questions or concerns.