An admissions representative from Columbus State University will be at OCHS on January 17 during Warrior Period. Please have your student sign up in the counseling office if you are interested.

Community Bankers Association of Georgia (CBA) is pleased to announce the 2018 Julian & Jan Hester Memorial Scholarship.  The Hester Scholarship is open to Georgia high school seniors who will be entering a Georgia college, university or technical school (two year program or more) in the fall semester of 2018. The scholarship is named after the late Jan Hester, daughter of Lalia and the late Julian Hester, long-time CEO of the CBA. Jan was a senior at the University of Georgia when she died in an auto accident on April 15, 1990. In addition to supporting community banking, this scholarship is an opportunity to pass on the positive qualities both Julian and Jan Hester exemplified to further the development of tomorrow's generations. The four scholarship recipients will be awarded $1,000 each (paid directly to the college admissions office).

 "CBA is pleased to assist deserving students in their first year of college while honoring the memory of Jan and Julian Hester," stated Rob Braswell, President & CEO of Community Bankers Association of Georgia (CBA). "Thanks to the generosity of our bankers and associate members, the Education Foundation is fully funded which means the Scholarship Program is completely self-sufficient, giving support to generations of Georgia's students in the future," explained Mr. Braswell.

 The goal of the Julian & Jan Hester Memorial Scholarship is to assist deserving high school seniors in their first year of college and to promote community banking. To compete, students must be sponsored by a local community bank, must complete an activity record expressing their leadership activity in school, write a short essay on community banking, provide teacher recommendations and an official high school transcript. Awards are based on academic merit and not financial need.

 Judging & Deadlines

Applications should be received by the bank no later than Friday, April 6, 2018. Banks should submit all completed applications to CBA no later than Friday, April 13, 2018. Please note, only complete applications will be eligible. A panel of independent judges will review the applications, and winners will be announced in late April. 

 For more information visit the Hester Scholarship page, on our website. Applications can be located there and can also be picked up in the counseling office. 

Excellent post about maintaining persepctive during the college admissions process by Georgia Tech Admissions http://pwp.gatech.edu/admission-blog/2017/11/30/do-you-have-that-itch/   Don't worry, the post has general info and is not GT specific.

UGA College of Veternarian Medicine is accepting applicants to VetCAMP 2018, which is scheduled for June 17-23, 2018. This program is offered to rising high school juniors and seniors and rising college freshmen to evaluate their skills and competitiveness as future veterinarians, provide mentorship and help them experience veterinary medicine as an exciting career path. It’s a great experience and the students have a lot of fun while also learning about the profession.

The application for VetCAMP 2018 is available on our website (http://vet.uga.edu/academic/vetcamp). The deadline for all application materials is January 26, 2018. The cost of attending the program is $900 and covers lodging, meals, instruction and social activities. Financial assistance is available to students with demonstrated need. For more information regarding scholarship opportunities, please contact vetcamp@uga.edu once the application period has opened. 

The Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program at The University of Mississippi provides the most valuable academic scholarship ever offered in the state for future educators. A full scholarships is offered for all four years of college along with room and board. Please visit metp.olemiss.edu. The deadline to apply is January 5. 

Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC), in conjunction with the Walton Electric Trust, is proud to once again offer scholarships for the 2018-2019 college school year.  In the spring of 2018, we will award between 30 and 32 scholarships to graduating high school seniors whose primary residence is served by Walton EMC.  Each scholarship will be worth $4,000 to students who best demonstrate the EMC spirit of community service, hard work and perseverance.  The successful candidate will not necessarily have the top grades in the class, but will have demonstrated their willingness to help others, study hard, and succeed despite any obstacles that they may have had to overcome. 

Applications can be picked up in the Counseling Office. The applications are due to Walton EMC by no later than Wednesday, January 31, 2018.  There will be no exceptions to the deadline.   If you have any questions, please call Sarah Malcom at 770-266-2391 or email semalcom@waltonemc.com.

The Garden Club of Georgia continues to provide scholarships each year to a number of students. Over $65,000 was awarded to 27 students attending Georgia colleges and universities this year. Applicants must be Georgia residents of at least four years. The ideal recipient will be majoring in an agriculture or environmental science related field of study.   All applications are available online at gardenclub.uga.edu . Applications and necessary attachments are due by February 1. 

Kennesaw State University has begun the selection of students for participation in a prestigious academic program entitled the President's Emerging Global Scholars (PEGS) has begun. The PEGS program is the most elite academic program offered by the Honors College at KSU. This program offers a small and talented cohort of high-achieving students the chance to engage in a rich academic environment through special seminars that feature leadership preparation and the discovery of prestigious scholarships. The PEGS curriculum also includes global learning and international travel led by Honors Faculty. We are writing to invite OCONEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL’s extraordinary seniors to apply to join the program in the Fall of 2018.

     While complete information about the program is available at our website, its pillars are:

• Global Perspectives: During the Spring semesters of this two year cohort program, students learn about current global issues. As part of this education, our students travel to South or Central America (program year 1) and Europe (program year 2). Travel scholarships cover the majority of costs for PEGS students.
• Leadership: PEGS students take courses in leadership and portfolio development each Fall. These courses provide students with the foundation for becoming leaders in their professions and communities as well as the preparation to apply for graduate school or to embark upon exceptional career opportunities.
• Community Service: PEGS students are active in giving back to their communities, both here at home and in the countries visited. Our students complete PEGS with a strong record of community engagement.

All of these activities take place in the students' first two years at KSU, helping them become fully prepared for advanced work in their selected disciplines and in student leadership positions. Upon completion of the PEGS program, students seamlessly continue in the Honors College in pursuit of the Honors Scholar designation. Honors College students also receive benefits such as priority registration, Honors housing options, specialized advising, smaller classes, and the opportunity to participate in fun and engaging Honors events.  Students accepted into the PEGS program also receive approximately $1500 in academic scholarships across the two program years. The academic scholarships are provided in addition to scholarships that pay for a significant amount of the costs of travel. PEGS academic scholarships may be applied on top of other scholarships or awards and may be used for attendance-related expenses such as tuition, fees, housing, and textbooks. 

Students accepted into the PEGS cohort of Fall 2018 will share several characteristics: they will have academic GPA's around or above 3.7; they will be regarded as leaders by their teachers and peers; they will evidence track records of extracurricular, community, and/or employment activities. Because of limited capacity in this exceptional cohort, admission into the program is competitive.

Senior students who plan on majoring in an agriculture or natural resources area of study in college, you may be interested in applying for the Polly Hardigree Ward Memorial Scholarship. Applications and all supporting documents must be postmarked by May 4, 2018. Copies of the application can be picked up in the counseling office. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-gJ6g75RDyIVDjyAs0YmQiTKPtxE0AjGFuFmQh8zAco/edit?usp=sharing

There will be a scholarship fair for Oconee County Juniors and Seniors on Tuesday, November 7 from 6:00 - 7:30 at the Oconee Civic Center. Juniors are invited to learn about scholarships available for next school year. 

Jag and Chris Gholson together with the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation are pleased to present the Roy T. Ward Art Scholarship Fund. Two monetary awards will be given to two high school seniors who display artistic merit and who attend either OCHS or NOHS. Scholarship applications will be considered through March 15. You may email questions to jag.gholson@gmail.com  Applications can be picked up in the Counseling Office. In addition to the application, the senior artist will submit three landscape paintings and three additional pieces of work. The first place award is $600 and the second place award is $400. Please submit all items to director@ocaf.com . 

Watkinsville is getting a Burger King, and they are now hiring. Members of the BK management team will be at OCHS during all lunches on Thursday, November 9. You will be able to pick up and application and ask any questions about joining the BK team. 

State Senator David Shafer is sponsoring a essay scholarship contest for high school seniors. Students who enter the contest could win up to $1,500. Please visit https://www.senatorshafer.com/scholarshipessayrules/ . The deadline is January 1, 2018.

Scholarships for Hispanic/Latino students can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7znTAXjGdovU0pmYTdNZHFDbHpkQlExOGtSYTk5NDd4M2tr/view?usp=sharing

The Hill Baptist Church is offering $500 scholarships to qualified students based on academic achievement, and civic/religious involvement. Applications can be found at www.hillchapelathens.org or they can be picked up in the counseling office. Applications are due to the church office by December 1. 

There are still seats available for annual Scholarship Challenge at Mercer University that is coming up on Saturday, November 11.  Seniors and their parents interested in Engineering at Mercer University are invited to enjoy an open house to meet our faculty and students, visit our labs and compete for valuable scholarships. The application is very simple – just to to http://engineering.mercer.edu/scholarship to fill out the form.

Juniors and Seniors are invited to register now for UNG's National Leadership Challenge (NLC) Weekend!   The weekend is run on the Dahlonega Campus and at Camp Frank D. Merrill (Mountian Phase of U.S. Army Ranger School). Students will get to rappel down a rock face, traverse a rope bridge across a rushing mountain stream, negotiate a touch leadership reaction course, and more... all for $115. Students will be mentored by our Cadets, and will learn a lot about life and academics at the University of North Georgia.  If you have any questions about NLC Weekend, please contact out office at cadetrecruiting@ung.edu or 706-867-2918  Did you know that Georgia Residents who participate in the Corps of Cadets can earn the Georgia ROTC Grant worth up to $1500 per year! Apply by visiting this link -  https://ung.edu/military-college-admissions/visit/nlc.php

Students this is a reminder that UNG admissions will be here during Warrior Period on November 1. Berry College admissions will be here on November 2 during Warrior Period. Please sign up in the counseling office. 

Couple of articles from the AJC and New York Times about the increased anxiety our students are experiencing.  

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/magazine/why-are-more-american-teenagers-than-ever-suffering-from-severe-anxiety.html?_r=0

http://www.ajc.com/news/health-med-fit-science/why-more-teens-are-suffering-from-severe-anxiety-than-ever-before-and-how-parents-can-help/cFlF86X6Qvn9IHqBX75jzK/?=435

An infographic about ways to manage anxiety and stress:

On Tuesday, November 7, the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce Education Committee will be hosting a scholarship fair for Oconee County students. This is open to all senior and junior students. Juniors are invited to attend so that preparation can begin for next school year. The event will take place at the Oconee Civic Center from 6:00 - 7:30 PM.  Students may come at any time within that time frame. 

One sophomore student may be selected from OCHS to attend the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership seminar this summer. The seminar will take place from June 8 - June 10 at Georgia College and State University.   This is an opportunity for students to develop leadership skills and become effective leaders. This is also a time for self-discovery and training. Here is a link with to the website for more details - http://www.hoby.org/ . Please see Mr Guthas by October 25 if interested. 

UNG Oconee will host its semi-annual Open House even this Saturday, October 21^st!

Open House is the only Saturday during the semester that we open for campus tours. Along with a campus tour, students can learn more about the Admissions process, Financial Aid, Dual-Enrollment and have an opportunity to hear what to expect out of a college class from a UNG professor! Check in will begin at 8:30am and the event will wrap up by 11:30am.

Students and families can register at www.ung.edu/visit.

An admissions counselor from UNG will be here during Warrior Period on November 1 in the main conference room. Please have your student sign up in the counseling office if they are interested in attending. 

Senior Parents - The FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid) opened on October 1.  If you fill out the FAFSA it will cover the HOPE/ZELL scholarship money or you can fill out the E-HOPE application(and other state aid applications) at  https://www.gafutures.org/hope-state-aid-programs/state-aid-applications/

Worried you are too "wealthy" and wondering if you should fill out the FAFSA?  Here's some advice from a former financial aid officer http://blog.getintocollege.com/video-should-you-fill-out-the-fafsa-if-youre-wealt-hy/

Athens Technical College will be conducting a second class of its 36 Hour Teen Driver’s Education Joshua’s Law class beginning October 30. All information can be located at: 

https://www.athenstech.edu/economicDevelopment/training/driversEd/

 The class is offered to students who are 15-18 years of age. The class can be free of cost for students who apply and qualify for a scholarship. https://georgiadrivers.ga.gov/gohs/gohshome.html

The admissions representative from Furman will be here during Warrior Period on Oct. 12. Please have your student sign up in the Counseling Office if interested. 

The admissions representative from Georgia College and State University will be here during Warrior Period on October 16  in the main conference room. Please have your student sign up in the Counseling Office if interested. 

The admissions representative from Georgia College and State University will be here during Warrior Period on October 16 in the main conference room. Please sign up in the Counseling Office if interested. 

The Mercer University School of Engineering is pleased to once again invite seniors from your school to apply for our annual Scholarship Challenge at our Macon, Georgia campus on Saturday, November 11, 2017.  We plan to award valuable scholarships this fall to high school seniors who are interested in Mercer’s engineering, industrial management and technical communications program.  More information about Mercer Engineering is available at engineering.mercer.edu. 

The Scholarship Challenge is a day where we meet with these students to show them our campus, our labs and technology, and give them an opportunity to meet with our faculty and students.  We use a design problem or a test of math skills to help us make scholarship recommendations.  Your students do not need to have applied to Mercer – this event is open to any high school senior!  We value your insights as you think about your students with strong academic potential coupled with a flair for creative problem solving and teamwork.

1.  The address to the student application ishttp://engineering.mercer.edu/scholarship .

2. Students fill in a short web form with their contact information and some background on their academic interests.  We ask applicants to share with us a teacher or counselor name and email address so please give them a contact person and email that they can use.  This way we can keep in touch with you.

We will take it from there and contact students with details about our event and scholarship opportunities.  We would appreciate having students’ applications by October 30^th.  We expect to offer our scholarships before Christmas so that seniors can make their college plans early.  

Feel free to contact our event coordinator, Dr. Scott Schultz at (478) 301-2840 or via email to Schultz_sr@mercer.edu with questions you might have.  

The University of North Georgia Military Scholarship campaign is now accepting applications. The program enables the most gifted Georgia high school seniors to pursue bachelor's degrees from the UNG, and commissions as second lieutenants in the Georgia Army National Guard after graduation. 

This is a highly prestigious scholarship that is worth approximately $70,000 over four years. There are three scholarships available per Georgia Congressional District. Candidates must be nominated by members of the Georgia General Assembly and have a minimum GPA of a 3.0. The application can be found at https://ungms.ung.edu/apply.  It is highly encouraged that the application is completed by December 31. For more information about the program, visit www.ung.edu/cadet/scholarships.

The Mitchell and Crunk Law Firm is offering a $500 scholarship to senior students. Academic achievements as well as any leadership experiences will be taken into account. The deadline to apply is May 31, 2018 and students must apply online at https://www.mitchellcrunk.com/commerce-ga-adoption-attorney/#scholarship-application . 

The Oconee County Chamber of Commerce Education Committee is hosting a scholarship fair for all junior and senior students. The event will take place on Tuesday, November 7 from 6:00 - 7:30 at the Oconee Civic Center. This will be a chance to learn about various local scholarships that are given to students each year. 

This is a reminder that the ASVAB will be given at OCHS on October 3 at 8:30 in the main conference room. It is not too late to sign up. Please have your students see Mr. Guthas if you would like to take the ASVAB. 

An admissions rep from Augusta University will at OCHS here during all lunches on October 4.

Parents of Juniors, the deadline to register your student for the PSAT on October 11th is 5:00 on September 29th. Registration can be completed at the link below. Please contact Kim Harmelink at kharmelink@oconeeschools.org if you have any questions. 

https://user.totalregistration.net/PSAT/113190

Brewton Parker College presents its seventeenth annual Young Writer's Conference on Friday, October 27, 2017, on the Brewton-Parker College campus.  This workshop has been very well attended in past years and gives high school students who have a passion for writing an opportunity to participate in guided workshops and discussions with professionals in a variety of writing disciplines.  Students are also able to compete for scholarships to attend Brewton-Parker College.  

Schedule

8:00 am Registration - Gilder Recital Hall

9:00 am Welcome

9:10 am Plenary Address

9:30 am Brewton-Parker Admissions and Financial Aid conduct a question-and-answer session for parents and teachers.

9:30 am Students participate in one of eight workshops, producing work to be submitted for evaluation

​12:30 pm Lunch at the Lakeside Grill, Brewton-Parker Student Center

1:30 pm Presentation of Awards Ceremony at the Lakeside Grill

2:30 pm Conference Ends

The fee of $20, which includes lunch and a t-shirt can be paid in-person the day of the event.

Further Information is available at our web-site:

http://bpc.edu/events/young-writers-conference

Due to being out of school from the storm, the admissions representative from Emory has rescheduled to September 25th during Warrior Period to meet with students. The location will still be the main conference room. Please have your student sign up in the Counseling Office if they haven't already done so.  

Washington University in St. Louis seeks candidates for the Danforth Scholars Program. These top senior students who have demonstrated leadership in service, as well as academic excellence, are invited to be nominated. Students who exhibit qualities that embody the essence of William H. and Elizabeth Gray Danforth are especially sought after. This includes maturity, strong moral character, selflessness, and a passion for helping others.  Since the program's inception, more than 47,000 students have been nominated and, from that group, 700 finalists have been named. The nomination deadline is 5:00 PM on November 15, 2017.

Visit https://admissions.wustl.edu/Financial_Aid_Scholarships/First_Year_Academic_Scholarships/Pages/Danforth-Scholars-Program.aspx  for further details. 

Do you have a senior who want a full time professional career after college, but also want to serve part-time in the Georgia Army National Guard? The University of North Georgia Military Scholarship (UNGMS) is an excellent pathway. It pays nearly all college expenses, and recipients actually make $30,000 - $40,000 over four years more than the cost to attend.  There are 42 scholarships available per year. Email
ungms@ung.edu or call 706-867-2918 for an application.  Did you know that Georgia Residents who participate in the Corps of Cadets can earn the Georgia ROTC Grant worth up to $1500 per year!

Camp MAGIK/Camp Erin is pleased to announce its 2017 fall schedule of healing camps for children and teens. Camp MAGIK (Mainly About Grief In Kids)/Erin serves children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or other close family member within the past three years.  Camp MAGIK/Erin will provide an opportunity for children and teens to meet, talk, and process their grief with professional grief counselors. Time will also be spent on play and fun as a way to help the children heal from the experience of death in the family. Activities may include archery, canoeing, a ropes course, nature hikes, treasure hunts, hay rides, campfires, story-telling, and a talent show. Each camp will be divided into two groups, one for ages 7 - 11, and one for ages 12 - 18. Camp MAGIK/Erin sessions are free of charge for the children who attend.  Our Union Point camp is made possible through a generous grant from The Moyer Foundation and a generous donation from Jim McDonald in memory of his mother, Helen Agnes McDonald.  

Applications can be found on our website: www.campmagik.org (under the “join us” tab) More info can be found here.

Want to get ready to fill out the FAFSA or have any other questions about how to do it?  Got to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEnu3BHoR9IYgBnCkqQdgmA for videos describing all of the steps

SAT and ACT dates for this school year  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7znTAXjGdova1BjbzNVUFg4eEk/view?usp=sharing

An admissions representative from Georgia College and State University will be at OCHS on September 5 during Warrior Period. The meeting will be held in the main conference room. If your student is interested in meeting with the representative, please have them sign up in the counseling office. 

An admissions representative from Virginia Tech will be at OCHS on September 7 at 12:30 in the main conference room.  If your student is interested in meeting with the representative, please have them sign up in the counseling office. 

The Watson-Brown Foundation Junior Board is a dedicated group of seven to thirteen area high school students (grades 10-12) whose mission is to preserve local history. As these students are entrusted with $33,000 each spring, we look for the best students to join. These students must be able to attend monthly meetings and commit several hours in the spring to visiting local sites and preparing a presentation for why that site deserves grant funding. This application is due Friday, September 15, including the two reference letters.

The application is available online at http://www.trrcobbhouse.org/junior-board-1/#student-application.

Kaplan will be offering two free live online programs for students preparing for the September 9, 2017 ACT and the October PSAT. Would you please pass this information along to your students and families?

1. SAT Prepathon

The Prepathon offer 6 hours of free, online test prep. 

WHEN: August 27, beginning at noon ET

WHERE: Live Online

REGISTER: Kaptest.com/prepathon

 2. Free PSAT Prep Live Lessons

For the 2nd year, Kaplan will offer free live lessons convering all topics from the PSAT. If your students can't make a live session, they can view the recording of the session as long as they've registered for it.

During this program, Kaplan's expert faculty will cover the most important PSAT content and tackle practice problems in livestreaming, one-hour lessons - all completely free.

Updated info for the Athens Area Human Relations Council Scholarship

The Athens Area Human Relations Council, Inc. invites your high school college-bound seniors to attend our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Orientation which will be held on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at 6:00 pm at the Athens Regional Library, 2025 Baxter Street, Athens. It is important to note that attendance is mandatory. More
information will be shared at the orientation. If a student cannot attend the orientation, he/she need not submit an application. These scholarships are only awarded to students attending high schools in Oconee, Madison, Oglethorpe or Clarke Counties.

The application can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Pl8PGSrey4vkIIjs2iMxE88wBwci0I8LxootgM0L80/edit?usp=sharing

Since 1984, the Horatio Alger Association has awarded over $125 million in college scholarships to deserving students. The scholarship programs provide financial assistance to students who have significant financial need and have exhibited integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity.  Senior students who have a financial need ($55,000 or lower family income) may apply. A strong emphasis will be on students with community/school involvement.   An online application may be found at scholars.horatioalger.org . All items are due by October 25. 

The Athens Area Human Relations Council, Inc. invites your high school college-bound seniors to attend our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Orientation which will be held on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at 6:00 pm at the Athens Regional Library, 2025 Baxter Street, Athens. It is important to note that attendance is mandatory. More
information will be shared at the orientation. If a student cannot attend the orientation, he/she need not submit an application. These scholarships are only awarded to students attending high schools in Oconee, Madison,
Oglethorpe or Clarke Counties.

An admissions representative from Agnes Scott College will be here on September 20 at 1:00 in the main conference room. Please have your student sign up in the counseling office if they are interested in attending.

 GMC’s Milledgeville campus is having an open house Saturday, October 14th. There will be information sessions, general admission and financial aid presentations, campus tours, Military scholarship interviews and a JROTC best raider competition. This is open to potential civilian students and cadets

State School Superintendent Richard Woods seeks 

Student Advisory Council

Download application here

August 11, 2017 – State School Superintendent Richard Woods is seeking middle and high school students to serve on his 2017-2018 Student Advisory Council. These students will meet with Superintendent Woods to discuss the impact of state policies in the classroom, along with other issues related to education, and will serve as the Superintendent’s ambassadors to their respective schools.

Applicants must be enrolled in a Georgia public middle or high school for the 2017-18 school year. To apply:
• Click here to download an application: http://www.gadoe.org/Documents/2017%20-%202018%20Student%20Advisory%20Council%20Application.docx
• Send applications by September 1, 2016 at 5 p.m. to students@doe.k12.ga.us

• Selected students will be contacted via email. All students can check gadoe.org, under News & Announcements, on September 12 at 10 a.m. to see whether they have been selected.

Middle school students will meet October 3, January 17, and April 10.

High school students will meet October 4, January 18, April 11.