Excerpts from the Georgia Student Finance Commission on 3/3/11

A bill that dramatically overhauls the cash-strapped HOPE scholarship was approved by the state House this week.  The bill would cut the scholarships to 90 % for all but the brightest students and eliminate paying for books, fees and remedial classes.  Students graduating from high school with a 3.7 HOPE GPA and a minimum of 1200 SAT score or 26 ACT score would be eligible for full tuition.  Those maintaining a 3.0 HOPE GPA would be eligible for 90% of tuition.  The plan would also trim HOPE for students attending private colleges in Georgia from $4000 to $3600.  Additionally, students whose grades slip while in college below the minimum thresholds would have only one chance to win the scholarship back.  This bill must still be approved by the state Senate.

The college representative who provides your tour can color your opinion of the school in a positive or negative way.  When evaluating your experience, try to separate your feelings about the college from your thoughts about the representative.  Great tours can cause you to falsely elevate your opinion, while an ineffective tour can result in an unfair, lowered opinion.  Either way, consider making an additional visit once you’ve narrowed your choices.

Because college interviews have become more infrequent, all essay questions on the application are important. Do not dismiss the short-answer question(s) in favor of focusing on the long essay question(s).  When you don’t complete the short-answer, optional questions, you are conveying that you have nothing of worth to share about yourself with the admissions committee.