It is important to begin deciding where you would like to attend college with your parents.  Information concerning Georgia and out-of-state colleges may be obtained in the Guidance Office.  These colleges should be where you can meet the entrance requirements and should also be affordable.  Sometimes it is good to apply to three different colleges.  You should visit the campuses of these schools, it possible, to help you make your decision of which college you would like to attend.

Apply early to colleges, especially the four-year colleges.  November 1st is not an unreasonable deadline, especially for Georgia Tech or UGA.  Though Dalton and Northwestern Technical College do not have a very early application deadline, this responsibility should not be delayed.  Applications are available upon request in the Guidance Office from a counselor or the registrar.  Since college catalogs are hard to obtain and are not very plentiful, it is requested that the catalogs not be removed from the Guidance Office and be used just as a reference.  Information concerning obtaining a college catalog can be done on-line at the college web site.

Four year public colleges in the University System of Georgia and most of the four year private colleges require that you complete the College Prep curriculum for admission.  If you do not complete the College curriculum, then you need to go to a two year college (Dalton College, Floyd College, Northwestern Technical College, etc.) and then transfer to a four year college for your final two years.

Before a college will consider you for admission, you must take the ACT or SAT or you can take both tests to compare scores or to determine which test is best for you.   The SAT will be giving a writing assessment starting in March which will be mandatory.  The ACT will be giving a writing assessment starting in February but the test will be optional for this year.  Registration booklets for both tests are available in the Guidance Office.  You can also apply on-line (SAT-- www.collegeboard.com or ACT-- www.actstudent.org) but you will need to have your parents' credit card number for the test payment.

You must complete the registration forms and mail them with the registration fee by the deadlines.  The high school code for LaFayette High is 111-755.

The cost of the SAT is $45 which includes the writing assessment.    Testing center codes and information concerning other testing center locations are listed on the www.collegeboard.com website.

The cost of the ACT is $32.00 without the writing assessment and $47.00 including the writing assessment. It is strongly suggested to take the test with the writing assessment since most colleges now require the test.     

The test center code for LaFayette High is 153840.  The test center codes for the other testing sites are listed in the ACT Registration booklet.  The high school code for LaFayette High is 111-755.

Applying for financial aid is a separate process from applying for admission to a college.  Although some colleges will send an applicant their financial aid form, you should contact the financial aid office for those particular forms to insure that you receive them.  The Guidance Office will have the financial aid packets that contain the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in early January.  The form cannot be completed until January 1st.  The report from the FAFSA will be used by the college to determine if a student qualifies for financial aid.

The HOPE Grant is handled through the colleges but you must complete the FAFSA form.  This form, at this time, serves as an application for the HOPE Grant.

Information and applications for scholarships will be announced throughout the school year.  Most of the local scholarship applications will be announced during the second term when they are received in the Guidance Office.  It will be helpful for you to check with the financial aid office of the college you choose to attend for information and applications for that college's scholarships.  Check with your parents to see if their employer sponsors a college scholarship for employees' children.  Also check with your local church to see if there is any information about any endowment money that is available for prospective college students.

Military recruiters may visit the high school to talk to any seniors who are interested in enlisting in the military after high school.  There will be assigned times for the recruiters to talk to seniors, usually during lunchtime, but arrangements for individual meetings must be made after the school day.  The ASVAB will be given here September 9th for any junior or senior who wants to take this test again to enlist into the armed services.

Employment Information--there are times when the Guidance Office receives information about local job opportunities after graduation.  Announcements will be made about these job opportunities when this information comes to us.

The Media Center or the Career Center has computer access for some of the above information.  In addition, books are available that have information about colleges and careers.  Most of these books are on reserve and cannot be checked out of the Media Center.

A Probe Fair consists of college, voc-tech, and military academy representatives from most Georgia schools and some out-of-state schools.  Approximately 50 colleges and vocational-technical schools will be represented at the fair to answer any of your questions.  College Probe Fairs are scheduled at night for students and parents.