Resources

Woodward's school code for the SAT and the ACT is 110797.

To register to take the test

• College Board (for the SAT Reasoning Test and the SAT Subject Tests)
• ACT (for the American College Test)

SAT Reasoning Test

Beginning with the spring of the junior year, all juniors are strongly encouraged to take the SAT Reasoning test twice as a second semester junior and once as a senior. You may register or re-register online at College Board. (Sophomores and freshmen, see below.)

Non-standard information and dates

SAT Subject Tests (formerly the SAT II)

The SAT Subject tests are generally required by only a small number of the more selective colleges, but students should check the requirements of each college they are investigating to see if the Subject Tests are necessary and, if so, which individual tests are required. If the junior needs to take these tests, consider taking the SAT Subject Tests in May or June, no later than junior year as the tests will not be offered again until October. NOTE: Some colleges that require the SAT Subject Tests for Early Decision applicants will not accept testing after the October date.

SAT Subject Tests for AP Students in grades 10-12

For those students completing AP courses that have an equivalent SAT Subject test, consider taking the SAT Subject test in May or June of the year you finish the course.

ACT

Virtually all colleges will accept the ACT in place of the SAT; therefore, we encourage Woodward students to take both tests and evaluate which is your best testing instrument. The ACT is usually offered one week after the SAT, so there is no scheduling conflict. Register online at http://www.act.org/. For a more in-depth review of the ACT vs. the SAT, look in your Woodward Academy Online College Handbook available through Edline.

SAT/ACT Information for Sophomores and Freshman

We would like to discourage freshmen, sophomores, and first semester juniors from taking the SAT/ACT prior to the spring of their junior year. The SAT and ACT are junior tests and students will not score their strongest until their late junior and senior years. Taking these too soon can be discouraging for the student who may assume he/she is not a good test taker when, in fact, they have not been exposed to the material they need for the exam.

Yes, we agree that practice is a good idea, but that is why we give the PSAT each year. A serious scrutiny of the PSAT results each year can yield weaknesses to work on. For additional practice, use College Board's The Official SAT Study Guide.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Many students will need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. The HOPE Scholarship requires either the FAFSA, eHOPE, or a special form provided by the college. The FAFSA: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ is usually available around December 1st but cannot be filed until after January 1st. In addition, many students will file the CSS Financial Aid PROFILE. On the College Board's web site for Parents in the Pay For College section, you will find lists of colleges that use the PROFILE as well as the online registration. The PROFILE can be filed any time.

To file the FAFSA, both student AND parent will need a pin. Request your PIN early in the fall of the senior year at http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp. This process often takes 10+ days and will hold up your FAFSA when you apply.

HOPE Program

The Georgia HOPE Program provides scholarships for graduating seniors who will attend college within Georgia who have at least a 3.0 high school GPA as calculated by the Georgia Student Finance Commission. This scholarship covers a portion of tuition for any eligible PUBLIC college in GA – OR - a monetary award in scholarship dollars to offset tuition for those students planning to attend a PRIVATE college in GA. All three application forms (FAFSA, GSFApps, and GTEG) for HOPE are available on the (GSFC) Georgia Student Finance Commission website. Many of your questions about HOPE, necessary forms, or the application process will be answered on that website, or you may call GSFC at 770.724.9000.

The HOPE Scholarship Program is a merit-based scholarship program with specific academic and grade point average eligibility requirements for Georgia students who will attend college within the state of Georgia. A student who graduates from an eligible high school with a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale in all attempted coursework in English, mathematics, science, social science, and world languages as calculated by the Georgia Student Finance Commission will be considered for an award. Regardless of the curriculum track, grades in coursework that is classified as "Advanced Placement" will be weighted by the Commission when calculating the grade point average for HOPE Scholarship eligibility, but with no additional weight to a 4.0. Grades for Woodward Academy Honors or Enriched Prep courses will not be weighted in these calculations.

Weighting for the HOPE Scholarship

SEMESTER GRADE	ADVANCED PLACEMENT	HONORS PREP/ ENRICHED PREP/ COLLEGE PREP
A	4.0	4.0
B	3.5	3.0
C	2.5	2.0
D	1.5	1.0

Zell Miller Scholarship

The Zell Miller Scholarship Program utilizes the grade weighting above, but for this award the student must graduate from an eligible high school with a minimum 3.70 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale in all attempted coursework in English, mathematics, science, social science, and world languages as calculated by the Georgia Student Finance Commission. Additionally, to be eligible the student must receive a minimum score of 1200 combined Critical Reading and Math on a single administration of the SAT at the time of graduation OR receive a Composite scale score of 26 on a single administration of the ACT at the time of graduation OR be named the high school Valedictorian or Salutatorian. The student must attend college within the state of Georgia.

Both the HOPE and the Zell Miller are unique scholarship programs in the state of Georgia that reward students' hard work with financial assistance at any eligible Georgia public or private college or university. All guidelines for eligibility for the HOPE and ZELL MILLER are determined by the Georgia State Legislature and put into effect by the Georgia Student Finance Commission. The awards for these two scholarship programs differ in eligibility guidelines and also in renewal requirements as well as in the amounts awarded to offset tuition. Room and board expenses are not covered.

For the most current information on the HOPE, the ZELL MILLER, and the TEG (Tuition Equalization Grant) see the Georgia Student Finance Commission website http://www.gsfc.org/ orwww.gacollege411.org.

A question for Woodward students and parents

With the recent changes in the HOPE Scholarship Program, should my student take College Prep en lieu of Enriched Prep or Honors classes? Each family should answer this question based on their student's future aspirations. Typically some 70-75% of Woodward graduates will attend college out of state and the Georgia HOPE program does not apply to those institutions. The Upper School advises students to take the most rigorous programs appropriate for their academic standing. Colleges and universities weigh this choice heavily in their decisions and students will continue to benefit from the superior challenge when they earn strong outcomes in these classes. A review of admissions requirements and advice from various Georgia colleges and universities will give insight into the most desirable levels of high school coursework for competitive applicants.

Search and Career Information

• College Board - Register for the SAT and send SAT and AP scores to colleges. Also has a college search, career information (MyRoad), a scholarship search, an essay evaluation service, a grade calculator, etc.
• Peterson's Guide - With the exception of registering for the SAT, the Peterson's Guide has many of the same features as College Board. It is a good general site with information on summer programs and study abroad.
• Princeton Review - The Princeton Review also is a good general site with many of the same features as above.
• U.S. News: Colleges and Careers - U.S. News Education has sortable rankings and a good search engine for making a tentative list of colleges. It also provides the Campbell Interest Inventory to help determine possible careers. Look in Careers and Work.
• NCAA - This resource is a real MUST for athletes. It provides the rules for visitation. Please apply through the West Hall Counseling Office by the end of your junior year. Also NCAA sports can provide lists of colleges by division.
• NCAA Clearing House - Register to play college sports, preferably during your junior year.
• The Admission Game

Career Planning

• Occupational Outlook Handbook - This resource describes various careers, including their outlook for the future, salary ranges, and education needed.

Educational Data

• College Opportunities online

Types of Schools

• Academic Common Market
• Art Schools
• Canadian Colleges / Studying in Canada
• ChristianColleges.com
• Colleges That Change Lives
• Hillel, the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Tours

• Campus Tours - Virtual tours of many major campuses. Also may be available on the college web site.
• College Visits

Learning Disabilities Resources

• LD Online
• National Center for Learning Disabilities

Paying for College

• Fin Aid.org - Offerings on everything from scam alerts to scholarship searches.
• Fastweb - A free searchable scholarship database that enables you to locate sources of financial aid.
• HOPE Scholarship - Find information for the HOPE Scholarship and other Georgia student financial aid programs. Complete the necessary forms for GSFApps and GTEG forms from this site, or secure printable forms for completion and mailing.
• College Scholarship Service - CSS Profile collects more specific information about your family's income to determine eligibility for aid. Typically required for many private colleges. Check with the college financial aid offices to see if the CSS Profile is required.
• College Answer - Learn about college costs, options for paying, savings plans, and financial aid. A scholarship search tool also is available. This site is sponsored by Sallie Mae.
• FAFSA - A federal government site with extensive information about the college aid process. The site includes an express interactive version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
• Jewish Educational Loan Fund - Interest free loans for college for Jewish students who need final dollars for attending post-secondary institutions. The application deadline for loan application is April 15 of senior year.
• Sallie Mae - Interactive calculators to help forecast college costs, estimate aid eligibility, education loan payments, and more.
• National Association of Student Financial Aid
  Administrators