A New Adventure

Greetings parents & students!

I have been in my new position as the high school guidance counselor for a little over four months now. I can say without a doubt that I feel truly blessed to serve in this capacity. God's timing is perfect and I know He has placed me here for a reason. Having been a teacher at here for twelve years, it is rewarding to now be with some of the very same students I taught as they navigate their high school years. Being in this position allows me to see the full picture of what we do to invest in the lives of our students here at Hickory Grove. Thank you for your words of encouragement and your belief in me as I learn and grow as a counselor.

I will be updating this blog often with information related to academics and guidance. Students can check here for important dates and deadlines and discover exciting opportunities to increase their learning through summer programs, community involvement, and other educational events outside of the normal school setting. Please feel free to contact me throughout the year as questions related to guidance come to mind. Dr. Similton and I will do all we can do to point you in the right direction.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Upcoming Opportunities:

*USA Gap Year Fair, Charlotte, NC, February 10th, 1:00 - 4:00 PM - Registration is now open.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/usa-gap-year-fair-2019-charlotte-nc-registration-48834692881?aff=eivtefrnd

*Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy is offering a one-week Pharmacy Camp this summer for high school students that are interested in investigating a career as a pharmacist. The application deadline is February 1, 2019. 

https://www.samford.edu/pharmacy/bulldog-pharmacy-camp

*Duke Summer Session - Applications are due by April 15th.

https://summersession.duke.edu/high-school-students

*Bank of America Student Leaders Program - Application is open November 11th through February 1st.

https://about.bankofamerica.com/en-us/what-guides-us/student-leaders.html#fbid=X9irSN-hOlq

Tracey Bennett
High School Guidance Counselor

Charlotte College Fair | March 18 | 12-4pm

Parents and Students,

On March 18, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) will be providing a free College Fair for high school students in Charlotte. This will be a great opportunity for you and your high school student(s) to attend, gather information about colleges he or she may be interested in attending, ask questions of the admissions representatives at those colleges, and learn more about the college admissions process. With about 200 colleges in attendance, this event is sure to give you a wide range of colleges from which to draw information!

This event is being held at The Park Expo and Conference Center on Sunday, March 18, from 12-4pm. You can learn more about the event, from where to park to which colleges will be attending, by visiting their website: https://www.nacacfairs.org/charlotte.

This Spring is also a great time - especially for our Juniors - to continue the college planning process. I am available to meet with you and your students to help in this process! Please contact Michele Wilson in the High School Office to set up an appointment.

Sincerely,

Greg Lineberger, M.Ed.
High School Counselor

Christian College Fair - Thursday, September 28

Are you considering a Christian University?  A Christian college or university can provide many of the benefits you've experienced at HGCS - a tightly knit family environment, smaller class sizes, strong moral values, like-minded fellowship - while not withholding a true college or university experience.  Christian colleges and universities also vary in size, from small to large, with programs to fit every student.

I would encourage every student at HGCS to at least consider attending a Christian college or university, and to investigate the options that are available.  You will never know what college is best for you unless you at least become familiar with what is available!

This Thursday, September 28, from 6:30-8:30pm, Charlotte Christian School will be hosting a Christian College Fair.  

Before you come, click on the link below and download a barcode.  The barcode will allow you to quickly give your information to colleges or universities you would like to learn more about.  If you forget, there will be computers available for you to use upon arrival, but it will save you time to do it before you come!

You can get more details about the fair, including which colleges and universities that will be in attendance, and pre-register (get a barcode) by clicking here. 

College Planning for Seniors

Seniors and Parents,

As September 1 quickly approaches, college application season is about to be in full swing!  Many of you have already begun to submit college applications (many private schools are already accepting applications), and many of you are beginning to fill out the Common Application.

As we enter this season, I have some (hopefully) timely and helpful advice for you:

1. Colleges and Universities have 100% of their seats and scholarship dollars available right now.  Applying as early as possible (early September in most cases) gives you the best opportunity for getting in and getting scholarships.  After the early admissions deadline (usually sometime between October 1 - November 1 depending on the school), admissions will become more selective, meaning you will have to have a higher GPA and SAT or ACT scores in order to get in.  
2. Early Decision vs. Early Application or Early Action.  "Early Decision" is a binding agreement between you and the school that, if you are accepted, you are obligated to enroll in that school.  Several rules apply here, including the limitation that you can only apply "Early Decision" to one school.  "Early Application" or "Early Action" is non-binding and typically no further rules apply.  This form of application simply means you are applying at the earliest possible time and can expect to receive an admissions answer sooner.
3. The Common Application.  The Common Application, or "Common App," is a college application used by many colleges around the US.  Several NC schools use it, including UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Wilmington, NC State, and Appalachian State.  For a full list of schools that use the Common App, searchable by state, click here.  It is important when filling out the Common App to properly identify Hickory Grove as your high school.  The best way to do this is to use our school code (sometimes referred to as a CEEB code).  The code for Hickory Grove is 340661.  Some organizations have us listed as "Hickory Grove Baptist Christian School" while others have updated their database and have us as "Hickory Grove Christian School".  Either of these is fine.  Also, make sure to enter my email address correctly so that I can upload your transcript and complete your counselor recommendation in a timely manner.  My email is greglineberger@hgchristian.org.
4. How to request your Hickory Grove transcript.  Your high school transcript contains your personal information and grades, which are protected by law.  In order to grant us permission to send your transcript, and to instruct me on where to send it, please fill out our official high school transcript request online.  You can find the form on our website www.hgchristian.org, or you can use this direct link.  Transcripts will be sent within 5 business days, by electronic means (when available) or by US Mail.  Once a college receives your transcript from us, it sometimes takes them up to 2 weeks to process it and add it to your account.  
5. Class Rank.  At Hickory Grove, as at many smaller private and public schools across the US, we do not rank our students.  With a graduating class size of only 80, providing a student's class rank to a university unfairly represents the majority of our students.  Therefore, if an application asks you to indicate your class rank, there will usually be a box to check that says "N/A" or something similar.  If no such box exists, or if you are asked to type in a numeric value for class rank, type in "0" or "0 of 0" for your class rank.  The only exception to this policy is for Military Academies, which do not waiver in their requirement that schools provide class rank.
6. Requesting Teacher or Administrator Recommendations.  All recommendation requests need to be made in person before you submit the recommender’s information to the school or Common App.  It is very helpful for you to also present a resume to the recommender, along with specific recommendation instructions, so that the recommender can write the best possible recommendation.  
7. Community Service Hours.  We do not have a community service requirement for graduation, but we do generally recommend students complete and document approximately 50 hours of service per year.  Missions Week at HGCS can contribute about 12 hours to this number each year, while the senior trip to the DR generally includes about 24 hours of service.  A community service log sheet is available for students to pick up in the High School Office.
8. When to submit the FAFSA.  The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is recommended for each high school senior.  Parents can submit the FAFSA as early as October 1 of senior year.  Go to www.fafsa.gov for more information and to begin the process.
9. NC Free Application Month.  Each year in November, many colleges and universities in NC participate in Free Application Month sponsored by the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC).  For 2017, the College Application Month runs from October 28 to November 24.  This can be a great opportunity to apply to schools you would not otherwise apply to, such as schools that are not in your top 5-8 choices.  Because College Application Month occurs after the early application deadline at many schools, it is not recommended for your top choice schools.  

SUMMER VENTURES in Science & Mathematics

Are you looking for an academically rigorous summer program for your current 6th-11th grade student?  It is not too early to begin thinking about your plans for this coming summer!  The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics offers several summer programs that are academically rigorous and enriching.  There is a cost for some of their programs, but other programs, including the Summer Ventures program, are application based and state funded, so there is no cost to you!  For more information, visit their website!

Christian College Fair - September 26

Are you considering a Christian University?  A Christian college or university can provide many of the benefits you've experienced at HGCS - a tightly knit family environment, smaller class sizes, strong moral values, like-minded fellowship - while not withholding a true college or university experience.  Christian colleges and universities also vary in size, from small to large, with programs to fit every student.

I would encourage every student at HGCS to at least consider attending a Christian college or university, and to investigate the options that are available.  You will never know what college is best for you unless you at least become familiar with what is available!

On Monday, September 26, from 6:30-8:30pm, Charlotte Christian School will be hosting a Christian College Fair.  I will be there to welcome you, show you around, and answer any questions you may have.  

Before you come, click on the picture above and download a barcode.  The barcode will allow you to quickly give your information to colleges or universities you would like to learn more about.  If you forget, there will be computers available for you to use upon arrival, but it will save you time to do it before you come!

You can also get more details about the fair, including which colleges and universities that will be in attendance, by clicking on the picture above (or by clicking here).

I hope to see you there!

North Carolina College Application Week - November 14-18, 2016

UPDATE:  Free College Application Week has been extended until Tuesday, November 22 at 5:00pm!

Did you know that North Carolina has a free application week?  Every year in November, the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) hosts a free College Application Week!  From November 14-18, 2016, high school seniors in NC can apply to any of the participating colleges and universities and the application fee will be waived.

In order to participate, you must submit the application to the university using the online college application service on the CFNC website.  You can learn how to create an account by visiting the CFNC website.  More information about the NC College Application Week can be found here.

Download or print this 1 page guide by clicking here.