DHS College & Career Newsletter

Welcome back, Falcons! Let's keep moving forward. Here are our topics for January:

• Major Events
• Senior Information
• Scholarships
• SAT and ACT
• Junior Information
• Underclassmen Information - Sophomores: check out HOBY below!
• Resources and Contact Info

January does not have as many events as other months, but there are still a few events and dates you should be aware of:

• Sunday, January 26 from 1PM - 4PM: NACAC National College Fair in Atlanta
• Saturday, February 1 from 9AM - 2PM: Greater Atlanta HBCU Fair at Snellville
• Several colleges have application deadlines in early February, including Mercer, Morehouse, Spelman, and UNG
• Aside from application deadlines, many colleges have financial aid priority deadlines in January/February (see senior information below).

Hey, Seniors! Here are a few things you can do in January to make sure you're staying on track for your post-graduation plans:

• TELL MR. CASH YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR SO YOU CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE DECISION DAY EVENT IN MARCH OR APRIL!!!
• Create your Common App account and merge it with your Naviance account
• Write your college application essay
• Even if you have already applied, apply for other colleges!
• THE FAFSA IS OPEN!!! Apply for the 2025-26 FAFSA as soon as you can. We will have a FAFSA night soon, so stay on the lookout for that date. You can also reach out to Mr. Cash for assistance with your FAFSA.
• Check out the DHS Scholarship Newsletter and apply for major scholarships
• Taco Bell Live Mas - 1/8
• Jackie Robinson - 1/9
• JFK Profile - 1/17
• Walton Electric - 1/31
• Opportunity - 1/31
• Some GCPS Foundation Scholarships are still available.
• Visit colleges you're interested in attending
• Submit documents needed for college applications and scholarships

Please note that these dates may fluctuate every year, but these colleges typically stick with time periods consistent with these dates. Also, these are priority deadlines - you can still receive financial aid if you don't complete your application on time. However, there may be less need-based aid available.

• University of Georgia - 12/15/2024
• Georgia College & State University - 1/1/2025
• Georgia Institute of Technology - 1/31/2025
• Augusta University - 2/1/2025
• College of Coastal Georgia - 2/1/2025
• Georgia Southern University - 2/1/2025
• Georgia Southwestern State University - 2/1/2025
• Savannah State University - 2/12/2025
• University of North Georgia - 2/14/2025
• Albany State University - 2/15/2025
• Kennesaw State University - 3/1/2025
• Valdosta State University - 3/1/2025
• Columbus State University - 3/15/2025
• Fort Valley State University - 3/30/2025
• Georgia State University - 4/1/2025
• ABAC (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College) - 4/15/2025
• Middle Georgia State University - 4/15/2025
• Atlanta Metropolitan State College - 5/1/2025
• Dalton State College - 5/1/2025
• Gordon State College - 5/1/2025
• South Georgia State College - 5/15/2025
• East Georgia State College - 6/1/2025
• Georgia Gwinnett College - 6/1/2025
• Georgia Highlands College - 7/1/2025
• University of West Georgia - 7/1/2025
• Clayton State University - 7/15/2025

Many colleges, universities, and scholarships still require test scores for complete applications. To prepare for these tests, use the resources on the College and Career page of the DHS website. The dates for the SAT and ACT are below.

SAT Dates

• March 8, 2025 (Register by February 21)
• March 18, 2025 - SCHOOL DAY SAT. Registration not required. Juniors only.
• May 3, 2025 (Register by April 18)
• June 7, 2025 (Register by May 22)

ACT Dates

• February 8, 2025 (Register by January 3)
• April 5, 2025 (Register by February 28)
• June 14, 2025 (Register by May 9)
• July 12, 2024 (Register by June 6)

The following scholarships have deadlines in the coming days and weeks. If you'd like to search for more scholarships, check out the DHS Scholarship Newsletter.

Reward: up to $25,000

Requirements:

• Students ages 16-26 pursuing higher education, workforce, or community work
• 2-minute video telling them what you're passionate about and how you plan to make a difference

Apply here by the Wednesday, January 8, 2025 deadline.

Reward: up to $35,000

Requirements:

• Be a graduating, minority high school senior
• Be a United States citizen
• Present evidence of financial need
• Demonstrate a record of academic excellence
• Demonstrate leadership potential and a dedication to community service
• Plan to attend an accredited and approved 4-year college/university within the United States or affiliated with a United States based college or university
• Have not accrued more than 25% of credits needed to graduate from college

Apply here by the Thursday, January 9, 2025 deadline.

Reward: Up to $800 for Essay Contest, Up to $500 for Verbal Expression Contest, Up to $400 for Special Open Entry Category

Requirements:

• 9-12 Grade
• Choose a contest and complete their requirements
• Full list of requirements here.

Apply here by the Monday, January 13, 2025 deadline.

Reward: $1,500

Requirements:

• Wisdom Essay
• Fidelity Essay
• High Ambition Essay

Apply here by the Wednesday, January 15, 2024 deadline.

Reward: $10,000 (smaller prizes available for placing top 10)

Requirements:

• Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born. Include an analysis of the obstacles, risks, and consequences associated with the act. The essay may concern an issue at the local, state, national, or international level.
  

Apply here the Friday, January 17, 2025 deadline.

Award: $4,000 for each recipient

Requirements:

• High school senior
• Primary residence served electricity by Walton EMC
• Answer the required questions
• Submit transcript, two letters of recommendation, and letter of acceptance from college

Submit your application once it opens on November 20 to scholarships@waltonemc.com by the Friday, January 31, 2025 deadline.

Award: Tuition, fees, on-campus housing, and meals at one of the Partner Colleges (up to a maximum of $80,000 for a bachelor's degree)

Requirements:

• Undocumented immigrant student with or without DACA or TPS who came to the US before the age of 16 AND before Nov. 1, 2019
• Significant unmet financial need
• 2.5+ GPA
• Intend to relocate to and enroll full-time in a bachelor's program at a Partner College
• Partner Colleges - Christian Brothers University, Delaware State University, Dominican University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Trinity Washington University (Women's College)

Apply here by the Friday, January 31, 2025 deadline.

Award: tuition at a Partner College, renewable each year. At Oglethorpe University, it covers all of your tuition and basic student fees for 4 years.

Requirements:

• Undocumented immigrant student with or without DACA or TPS who came to the US before the age of 16 AND before Nov. 1, 2019
• Significant unmet financial need
• 2.5+ GPA

Apply here by the Friday, February 28, 2025 deadline.

Award: Different scholarship available at every college it's offered at. Some scholarships cover full tuition, fees, and housing.

Requirements:

• Must be of Hispanic/Latinx heritage
• Georgia Colleges: 1) ABAC, 2) Agnes Scott, 3) Albany State, 4) Andrew, 5) Berry, 6) Brewton-Parker, 7) Clark Atlanta, 8) Columbus State, 9) Dalton State, 10) GCSU, 11) GT, 12) Georgia Southern, 13) GSWU, 14) Georgia State, 15) Goizueta Business School at Emory University, 16) KSU, 17) LaGrange, 18) Mercer, 19) Morehouse, 20) Morris Brown, 21) Oglethorpe, 22) Reinhardt, 23) SCAD, 24) Shorter, 25) Spelman, 26) Thomas Univ, 27) UGA, 28) UNG, 29) UWG, 30) Wesleyan, 31) Young Harris

Apply by the deadline at your college.

Hey, Class of 2026! Even though you're not seniors yet, there are still some things you can do now to prepare for your future:

• Apply for scholarships
• Start working on your Common App Essay
• Visit colleges you're interested in attending
• Work with your military recruiter to take the ASVAB and discuss a future with the military
• PARENTS - If you plan to file the FAFSA for federal aid for your student (2026-27 FAFSA), make sure you complete your 2024 taxes.

Even though you're not a junior or senior, you can still take steps now to make and prepare for your post-graduation plans. Here are some things you can do to prepare:

• SOPHOMORE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM OPPORTUNITY: HOBY Youth Leadership is a national leadership development program for sophomores. The Georgia HOBY seminar is in June, but the deadline for application is March 1. Let Mr. Cash know if you're interested in participating!
• Apply for scholarships
• Visit colleges you're interested in attending
• Work with your military recruiter and discuss a future with the military

Well, that just about covers it! If you're looking for more resources about College and Career topics, check these out:

• DHS College & Career YouTube - videos about many college and career topics
• A Falcon's Guide to Succes for Seniors - a comprehensive guide on a variety of topics related to your post-graduation future
• DHS Scholarship Newsletter - a newsletter with even more information about how you can pay for college
• College, Military, and Job Events - a newsletter on upcoming visits from recruiters as well as college fairs, career fairs, and major events at colleges
• Internships, Jobs, and Summer Opportunities - a newsletter on internships, career events, and summer opportunities

If you have any questions about the College and Career program at Dacula High School or your potential post-graduation options, please reach out to Mr. Cash. You can call him at 770-277-4466, and you can email him at john.cash@gcpsk12.org.

Students - if you'd like to make an appointment with Mr. Cash, you can do so through eClass on the Counseling page. This is the same way you would make an appointment with your counselor.

Parents - if you'd like to make an appointment with Mr. Cash, please reach out through email.