In order to earn a traditional Gwinnett County high school diploma, students who entered high school AFTER 07/2011 must earn the required 23 credits (see below):
Area of Study:
I. English/Language Arts: 4 credits
II. Math: 4 credits
III. *Science: 4 credits
IV. Social Studies: 3 credits
V. **Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE), and/or Modern Language/Latin, and/or Fine Arts: 3 credits
VI. Health & Physical Education: 1 credit
Electives (4 units): 4 credits
TOTAL: 23 credits
*The 4th science unit may be used to meet both the science and elective requirement.
** Students must complete three units in a pathway to complete a CTAE pathway and take an end of pathway assessment. Students interested in attending a University System of Georgia college/university must complete two years of the same foreign language to be admissible as a freshman.
Grade promotion is based on the number of Carnegie Unit Credits that a student earns year to year. Students earn .5 credits per class, per semester. Paul Duke STEM High School students take seven classes during the day and have the opportunity to earn 3.5 credits a semester, or 7 credits a year.
Promotion 9th to 10th: 5 Carnegie Units
Promotion 10th to 11th: 11 Carnegie Units
Promotion 11th to 12th: 17 Carnegie Units
Graduation: 23 Carnegie Units
You've reached your senior year and the finish line is within sight. Avoid 'senioritis', a drop in motivation and, consequently, grades, that is sometimes experienced by seniors. The best medicine for this affliction is hard work and concentrating on your future. Speaking of which, don't forget to save your money. Check out the Net Price Calculator to get an estimate of what it will cost to attend the college of your choice.
Check your HOPE GPA to ensure you remain on track to be eligible for the HOPE Program.
Review the graduation requirements, as well as the admissions requirements of the colleges you are considering.
Some colleges require the CSS/PROFILE, a supplemental financial aid form, in addition to the FAFSA. Find out if your schools will need this supplemental form.
Check your schedule to make sure you are enrolled in the appropriate classes that make sense for your plans after high school.
If applicable, make military contacts (check your selective status for financial aid purposes).
Check your transcripts to make sure you are on track to have all the credits you need to get into the colleges that interest you.
Register for the October/November SAT I, SAT Subject Test and ACT tests. Register to take ACCUPLACER if you plan to attend a school within the Technical College System of Georgia.
Take another look at your list of colleges, become familiar with the application process, double-check the deadlines and make sure they still satisfy your requirements. It's not uncommon for students' goals to change as they get closer to graduation.
Give any recommendation forms to teachers, school administrators, counselors and mentors with mailing instructions. Make certain that your portions of the forms are filled out completely and accurately.
Most early decision and early action applications are due between October 1 and November 1. Keep this in mind if you intend to take advantage of these admissions options and remember to request that your high school send your official transcripts to the college on time.
If you are planning to attend college in the fall, complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) which is now available October 1. Filling out the FAFSA is the first critical step in applying for federal and state grants, loans and scholarships to help pay for college.
Make a final list of schools that interest you and keep a file of deadlines and required admission items for each school. Many students like to have a "dream school" and a "safety school" as well as two or three others.
Take the SAT or ACT tests. Have the official scores sent by the testing agency to the colleges or universities that have made your final list of schools. Register for SAT I or SAT Subject Tests in December or January.
Get started on any essays to be included with your applications. Give your essays to others (teachers, parents and friends) for feedback.
Attend college fairs. PROBE Fairs are held around the state in October and November.
If you're interested in serving your country after high school, maintain contact with your local military recruiter.
If you completed the FAFSA, you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within four weeks. Make the necessary corrections and return it to the FAFSA processor.
Participate in Apply to College Month if your school offers it. If you’re planning on attending a Georgia school, you can submit your college application online through GAfutures.
If you are applying to schools outside of Georgia, apply through the school’s website. Be sure to check your college and financial aid applications thoroughly. Having someone else review with you can help catch any errors.
Continue with college planning. Review and follow significant deadlines and distribute recommendation forms.
Be sure to consult with your school counselor and search for scholarships. Not all scholarships are for top students and athletes. There may be a perfect scholarship for you — it's worth doing a little research.
Check with the financial aid office of schools you are applying to for specific information on scholarships and costs for tuition, fees, room and board, and any additional financial aid information they require.
Submit all applications with January 1 deadlines.
Watch your inbox/mailbox if you submitted an early decision application. Early decision replies usually arrive in December. If you do get an acceptance letter and choose to accept the school's offer, you should withdraw any other applications.
If you haven't already done so, check your graduation status, make sure your official test scores are being sent to the colleges to which you are applying, schedule any remaining required interviews and take the necessary SAT Subject Test, if required for admissions.
Become familiar with resume writing and start thinking about how you're going to spend your summer. Summer is a great time to earn money to help pay college expenses and gain work experience. Ask your counselor about internships, and start researching the summer job market in your area.
If you haven’t done so, complete and submit your college financial aid applications and the FAFSA. You can also complete the GSFAPP, the alternative application to apply for the HOPE Scholarship and the Zell Miller Scholarship.
Observe deadlines for admissions, financial aid, testing, orientation fees and housing deposits.
If you don't already have a good computer, investigate purchasing one for college. You or your parents can subsidize the cost of a computer for college in your student loans. Some schools provide students with laptops or tablets as part of their admissions package.
Request your high school send your official transcripts to the colleges to which you are applying through your My GAfutures account.
Contact the admissions office of the colleges to which you have applied to make sure that your information has been received.
Keep an eye out for financial aid workshops and seminars, for both you and your parents. There is a lot of help out there when you're looking for information on financial aid.
Complete your college scholarship applications.
Maintain good grades and check your preliminary HOPE GPA to see if you are on track to be eligible for the HOPE Program.
Check your selective service status for financial aid purposes, if applicable.
You will probably receive responses from the colleges you applied for admissions by April 15.
Decision time! You should decide on a college by May 1. Notify that school by sending your commitment deposit check. Many schools require that your notification letter is postmarked by this date. This should ensure your place in the entering freshman class. Notify the other schools to which you were accepted of your decision and withdraw your application.
Continue to search for scholarships.
Compare your acceptance letters, financial aid and scholarship offers. These are all important things to consider when choosing a college.
If you were placed on a waiting list for a particular college and have decided to wait for an opening, contact that college and let them know you are still very interested.
Take AP exams for any subjects you studied in high school. Be sure to check needed scores for the school you've chosen.