The Key To Making College Nights Worthwhile is SIMPLE...

PREPARE IN ADVANCE!

Here's your challenge: you must talk to at least five (5) colleges that you know nothing about!! Who knows what you might discover.

GPS and McCallie will be hosting 60 colleges and universities from Washington and California to upstate New York and Pennsylvania and many states in between on Monday, August 31 at 7:00 pm.  By planning ahead and doing just a little bit of research in advance you will be embarking on a thoughtful and individualized college search which will ultimately result in excellent options of schools that fit you: your academic AND personality profiles.

Small, liberal arts college are often located in rather isolated areas  (think Berry College in Rome, GA or Sewanee on the Mountain) and if that type of setting appeals to you, talk with reps from Colgate, Hamilton, Kenyon, Presbyterian or St. Lawrence.  Rhodes is a good example of a small liberal arts school in a major city, but others you may not be familiar with include Arcadia and Lafayette
(Philly), Denison (Columbus), Goucher and McDaniel (Baltimore), Pomona (LA), and Reed, Portland).  I'm sure all of you have heard of the SEC schools - but learn more about other state, flagship research institutions including University of Central Florida and Colorado State.

If studying graphic design (also know as digital arts) might be in your future, learn more about the programs at Stetson and the University of Montevallo. 

Have a head for business or entrepreneurial studies, talk to the reps at Butler, Dean, Queens, TCU, and Wittenberg.  

Many GPS students are budding engineers and while you might initially think of Clemson when you hear engineering, don't discount Case Western Reserve, Drexel, Lafayette, Lehigh, Merrimack and Rice.    

Or, if you can imagine yourself as a nurse or in the healthcare field google Coastal Carolina, Loyola Chicago.

As mentioned above, your goal should be to talk to at least five schools that you know little or nothing about.  Sometimes that's the way you find that diamond in the rough!

Upcoming College Visits

As of today, Boston University does not have a Chattanooga visit scheduled; however, they will be hosting a reception in Atlanta on Monday, September 2.  The event will be at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta  with registration and refreshments beginning at 6:30pm.  The presentation will begin at 7pm.  To RSVP for the vent, visit their website http://bit.ly/1fEmDpb.

SCAD (the Savannah College of Art & Design) will host an information session at Urban Lawn on Thursday, September 3 beginning at 7pm.  You may register at http://bit.ly/1NSyonG.

And don't forget that Monday, August 31 is our first GPS/McCallie college night program. Sixty colleges will be on campus to talk to juniors and seniors about the application process.  You can find the full list on Naviance, but here some of the schools that will be attending.

American University of Rome
Bates College
Brandeis University
Butler University
Case Western Reserve University
University of Central Florida
College of Charleston
Colgate University
Colorado State University
Denison University
Dickinson College
Drexel University
George Washington University
Hamilton College
Kenyon College
Lehigh University
Ole Miss
University of Missouri
Pomona College
Queens University Charlotte
Rhodes College
Rice University
University of Richmond
University of San Francisco
University of Virginia
SMU
TCU

And many more.  Join us in the gym/athletic commons from 7:00-8:30pm.

Scholarship for Aspiring Engineers!

AES Scholarship Deadline Is Approaching

The deadline for the 10^th annual AES Scholarship is October 7, 2015. 

Visit our website at http://www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm and please encourage your students to apply.  We wish them all good luck!

The winner(s) will be announced within 2 weeks of the deadline.

 Each winner will be personally notified by email.

If you wish to discontinue receipt of these notices, please reply to this email and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line or in the body of the email.

Being realistic in college admissions

Hope springs eternal they say, and that proverb is never more true than during the college admissions season.  Even faced with a rising tide of evidence that their dream school might simply be out of reach, students can't help but believe that they just might be the exception.  My colleague, Ms. Goldbach, likes to say that it is like winning the Powerball: no matter how high the odds are, there is always a little piece of us that believes we have the winning ticket.

Students should be their own number one advocate, but after that, we want the girls to know that their counselor is close behind, writing insightful and personal recommendations, calling colleges on their behalf when appropriate, and promoting them during college visits and conferences.  Teachers are also extremely supportive, and GPS teachers write passionate letters on their students' behalf.

All that said, the admissions process is still very competitive, especially if you are applying to schools like Vanderbilt, Washington University, Duke, Stanford, and Yale.  With that in mind, we have several articles we hope students and parents will read closely.

The Importance of Being Realistic During Application Season is a good look at why it's important to keep your head on straight while going through the process, and for students who have their heart set on Vandy, The Big Search and Building a Class, two articles from their latest magazine, are a must read.

We support our students' big dreams, but we also hope they remember the words of William Shakespeare: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."  Think about college in the same way. There are many colleges and universities that can meet your needs.  Give them a chance, and you might be surprised at what you find.

Roanoke College and U Richmond will be visiting soon!

Roanoke College's Office of Admissions warmly welcomes prospective students with individualized tours that exemplify the small, close-knit community of this liberal arts college in Salem, VA.  The college is reading and writing intensive - across the curriculum - and in the spirit of its Lutheran tradition, encourages students to expand their intellect by questioning everything.  It's a bit unusual for a liberal arts college to boast such a notable business program but Roanoke's is top notch, as are education (with an emphasis on teaching in a diverse classroom), sociology, history and biology and biochemistry.  This diverse family of 2,000 undergraduates have been likened to "explorers" rather than "tourists" who want to roll up their sleeves - either in the cadaver lab or the on-campus organic garden - and really experience and take advantage of the rich opportunities available.  Another unique offering is the undergraduate research assistantship program with provides a multi-year track beginning in freshman year.  Finally, Roanoke is in an elite group of less than 300 colleges nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa honor society chapter.  To learn more, talk with Courtney Penn, TN recruiter for Roanoke, at GPS' first college night on August 31.  


The University of Richmond is often overlooked by high-achieving GPS students: a fact that needs to change! With a more palatable acceptance rate than other selective schools of 30%, Richmond's 3,000 undergrads are intellectually curious and capable, embracing collaborative learning and encouraging positive group dynamics.  Think: deep conversations which continue from the classroom

to the quad, onto the dining hall and dorms.  Only 18% of students hail from Virginia with large concentrations coming from both coasts.  The school values diversity: 25% minority, 14% first generation and 10% international students and it also values accessibility: operating on a need-blind admission basis, meeting 100% of students' demonstrated need.  "The Richmond Guarantee" ensures every single undergraduate a paid (up to $4,000) summer internship or research experience and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies trains developing leaders to look at leadership through a variety of lenses including critical thinking, public speaking and group dynamics. All students apply to Richmond as "undeclared" but designate an area of interest.  I loved everything about UR and downtown Richmond reminded me of a larger, more grown-up Chattanooga.  Michael Richardson will be at the August 31 college night to share more insights about this gem of a school.  

The first day of school

It is the first day of school, so there's no time like the present to start blogging again and catch up on some news.

First, colleges will no longer see which other schools applicants list on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  This is great news, because quite frankly, we know that some schools used this information when determining student aid.  In our opinion, that wasn't fair to unsuspecting students and their families, so we're glad to see this change.

The new and improved Common Application is also up and running, and it appear to be much easier and intuitive to navigate.  We're still waiting to see how easily it will sync with Naviance, but have no fear...we'll still make sure your transcripts and recommendations are submitted on time.  If you joined us for Boot Camp last Friday, you got a head start on your Common App, and if you have any questions or need some space to work on it, stop by our office.  We can set you up in our conference room, and we'll be close by if you have any questions.

Speaking of Boot Camp, if you did not attend, feel free to stop by and pick up the packet of information we distributed.  It has some good advice on interviewing, the optional statement, plus a cheat sheet for filling out the Common App (and other applications as well).  See Mrs. Haley for that packet.

And last but not least, we already have several college visits that should be on your calendar.

• Georgia Tech and UGA will present a join program on Tuesday, August 25, beginning at 6:30 in the Evans Center.  If you would like more admissions information about these two schools, make plans to attend.
• Our first GPS/McCallie night is Monday, August 31.  Over 50 colleges and universities will be in attendance, and you can find the list of schools on Naviance.  Of course we will post more information on the blog as well.

Have a great school year everyone!