Frequently Asked Questions
In this section, we have provided some answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the program. Please feel free to contact us if your question is not answered below.
- What is the Georgia Apply to College program?
- Why should my school hold a Georgia Apply to College event?
- Does the Georgia Apply to College program provide a way for students to apply to college free?
- What would I have to do to get ready for an event?
- What does the GAC Committee do to help me find volunteers for my event?
- Do I HAVE to do ALL of the activities and follow the timeline included in the Site Coordinator Handbook and in the Guide for Preparing Your Students?
- Can my school complete the registration if I am not sure when in November we will be able to hold an event?
- Who can I speak with in order to learn more about the Georgia Apply to College program and what it takes to hold a successful event?
- Ok, I want to participate! What do I do now?
What is the Georgia Apply to College program?
Georgia Apply to College (GAC) is part of the American College Application Campaign, a national initiative of ACT's Center for Equity in Learning to increase the number of students accessing postsecondary education. In support of GAC, each year the Governor has proclaimed November Georgia Apply to College Month.
During the month, Georgia high schools use activities to build school excitement around going to college and set aside a day (or days) during which all seniors have the opportunity to focus on completing at least one application for admission while receiving the encouragement and assistance of specially trained high school, college and community volunteers.
Why should my school hold a Georgia Apply to College event?
By holding a GAC event, you will provide your seniors with a designated time to focus on applying to college early in their senior year while receiving assistance from trained volunteers. GAC events generate excitement about going to college throughout your school, and can help create a college-bound culture for your students.
Does the Georgia Apply to College program provide a way for students to apply to college free?
No, the purpose of the Georgia Apply to College program is to provide students with the opportunity to apply to college while receiving assistance from specially trained college and community volunteers. The purpose of the Georgia Apply to College program IS NOT to provide an opportunity for students to apply to college for free.
Some colleges may decide on their own to waive application fees, and some schools never charge an application fee for online submissions. However, the GAC program has no knowledge of fee waivers and is unable to provide a list of schools without application fees.
Students are encouraged to take advantage of other fee waivers for which they may qualify, such as the College Board or ACT fee waiver. Students should check with their college of interest to determine which forms of fee waivers are accepted and the process for applying using a fee waiver.
What would I have to do to get ready for an event?
- Designate a Site Coordinator for your school and register your event.
This person will be the primary contact for GAC. The Site Coordinator will be responsible for planning a successful event and is typically a member of the school counseling team (but doesn’t have to be). If the Site Coordinator is someone outside of the school, we will ask for confirmation from the school that they are involved in the planning and support the event. We also recommend that a back-up Site Coordinator be designated to help with the planning. The Site Coordinator must be provided on the registration but it can always be changed later, if needed. Once you are ready, register your event. - Schedule a date, time, and location for the event.
Schools may hold official GAC events anytime during the month of November. Schools are encouraged to hold events during regular school hours. We have found that many seniors who could benefit most from participating often do not attend after school events. Most schools utilize media centers or computer labs for GAC events. Each student will need a minimum of 60 minutes on a computer in order to complete an application and more time is always better. The event date and time must be provided on the registration but it can be changed later, if needed. - Find volunteers for your event.
We provide resources in the Site Coordinator Handbook to help with this. We share event information and, for those schools requesting it, Site Coordinator contact information, to help interested volunteers connect with participating schools. We also use our contacts to encourage volunteer support of local events. - Assemble an Apply to College team at your school.
Most of the Site Coordinators from previous years have shared with us that forming a team or committee has been extremely helpful while planning Georgia Apply to College events. The team can include other counselors, teachers, parents…anyone who is interested in helping your seniors. The Site Coordinator will be the head of the team. - Help all seniors prepare to participate in the event by researching colleges, admission requirements, and gathering needed information.
What does the GAC Committee do to help me find volunteers for my event?
The GAC partner agencies and organizations make a coordinated effort to spread the word about the Georgia Apply to College program to potential volunteers across the state. This includes sharing event information with colleges and universities, Chambers of Commerce, community organizations and others in the state.
Do I HAVE to do ALL of the activities and follow the timeline included in the Site Coordinator Handbook and in the Guide for Preparing Your Students?
Absolutely not. The materials that we have developed are designed to help make it as easy as possible for a school to plan for and hold an event. It is up to you to decide which activities will work best at your school and to adjust the timelines to meet your schedule and your school’s calendar.
We only ask that all of your seniors be encouraged to take advantage of your event and that your seniors do some college research prior to your event, to get an idea of which colleges will be the best match for them and where they would like to apply. A number of schools have found the best way to hold successful GAC events is to start small the first year and then to add additional activities in following years.
Following their Georgia Apply to College event, schools are required to submit the GAC Event Data Summary Sheet. The GAC Event Data Sheet, as well as the Student Sign-out and Volunteer Sign-in Sheets. All of these supplies and materials are available to download after registration.
Can my school complete the registration if I am not sure when in November we will be able to hold an event?
Yes. Schools registering to participate in the Georgia Apply to College provide their event date when they complete the online registration form. Schools can change their date if a conflict arises. However, since event date information is posted on our website, it is important that schools notify us of needed changes as soon as possible.
Who can I speak with in order to learn more about the Georgia Apply to College program and what it takes to hold a successful event?
You are always welcome to contact Georgia Apply to College by emailing us at GAC@gsfc.org.
Ok, I want to participate! What do I do now?
Register your Georgia high school for the 2024 Georgia Apply to College program.
