College Advising

College advising at Atlanta Classical Academy focuses on academic achievement, extracurricular pursuits, and post-graduation plans, with a particular focus on the junior and senior years.

The journey of college advising at Atlanta Classical Academy will occur progressively, culminating in the junior and senior years. Below, we lay out each year’s primary focus: 9th grade as the Foundational Year, 10th grade as the Learning Year, 11th grade as the Working Year, and 12th grade as the Decision Year. The 9th and 10th grades are a time for building a strong academic foundation and beginning conversations about post-graduation plans. The 11th and 12th grades are when students must work diligently to complete the testing, application, and decision-making process for college. We will provide information and support to students over these four years by notifying them of testing dates, school-sponsored and regional events, and other important deadlines and by advising students on how to use their time wisely in high school and define their future goals and direction.

Since our school motto is virtus, scientia, felicitas, our College Advisor will also serve these ideals. We will urge students to persevere in rigorous high school courses and to apply wisdom and courage in the college application process. We will ask students to remain committed to the pursuit of knowledge by seeking a collegiate environment which will challenge and strengthen them as human beings. Finally, since Atlanta Classical is educating for felicitas or happiness, we will remind students to aspire to settings, studies, and activities which will be most conducive to their flourishing. Our job is not to remake our students in the image of the colleges, but rather to help them find colleges that best suit their talents and aspirations. We do not expect that all students will be best suited to a particular type of college or to college alone. Our goal is to encourage, support, and advise students as they consider their hopes for their lives’ trajectories.

Advanced Placement (AP) Philosophy

We plan to offer a number of AP courses, which you can find on our high-school curriculum overview. However, these courses will never overwhelm our students’ schedules because our school mission and philosophy does not align with some of the AP tests, the Humanities courses in particular. For a more detailed overview of our AP philosophy, click here.

We are aware that the HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships offered in Georgia include AP weighting in their scoring of students’ GPAs. It is important to note that the Georgia Student Finance Commission removes all weighting done by schools in order to achieve uniform results, so that an A = 4.0, a B = 3.0, a C = 2.0, a D = 1.0, and an F = 0. For financial aid purposes, the school GPA is reworked and .5 quality points are added for each AP class. The grade though cannot exceed a 4.0 for any class. Students’ most important duty, then, remains an exemplary performance in their regular coursework, while AP course offerings can provide only a slight increase in the calculation if students choose to take AP courses and do well on the final AP test. For information on how the HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships are calculated in Georgia click here.

In Georgia and beyond, our role is to demonstrate to colleges that Atlanta Classical Academy’s rigorous curriculum in all subjects sets the school apart. We require serious work of all of our students, and we offer AP classes when they align with our curriculum.

College Preparation At A Glance


GRADE 9: THE FOUNDATIONAL YEAR

Student Timeline

  • Focus on your studies. The freshman year can present a challenging academic transition, and it is foundational to your whole high school career.
  • Explore new activities and leadership experiences.
  • Begin conversations with your parents about college options, studies, and finances.
  • Begin putting together your curriculum vitae (CV): an account of your noteworthy activities, awards, community service, and interests.

School Timeline

  • The PSAT 8/9 will be administered to all freshmen in the spring.
  • You will have an introductory meeting with your College Advisor to discuss high school course plans and the habits to develop early.

GRADE 10: THE LEARNING YEAR

Student Timeline

  • Focus on your studies. Your high school transcript should reflect strong academic performance in your coursework.
  • Continue keeping careful records of your accomplishments for your CV.
  • Research an academic, leadership, or service experience to take place during the summer before your junior year.
  • Begin researching colleges and their academic and extracurricular programs. Talk to parents, teachers, and others who may have insight into particular colleges and fields of study.
  • Schedule preliminary college visits when vacation travel permits.
  • Attend all college events offered by the school. Take notes and ask questions.
  • During the summer, participate in employment, leadership, and academic opportunities. You should also make plans for SAT/ACT test preparation.

School Timeline

  • The PSAT 10 will be administered to all sophomores in the Spring.
  • Students will meet individually with the College Advisor to discuss high school course plans, college interests, summer experiences, and extracurricular activities.
  • The school will invite students and parents to general college preparatory events.
  • The College Advisor will provide students with the school’s CEEB code to create an individual College Board account for tracking test scores and strategies for improvement.
  • AP exams will be administered for any qualifying classes.

GRADE 11: THE WORKING YEAR

Student Timeline

  • Focus on your studies. This year is a particularly busy one, so remain committed to a consistently good or improving record.
  • Continue keeping careful records of your accomplishments for your CV.
    Attend local college fairs and college recruiting events at Atlanta Classical Academy.
  • Schedule college visits over school breaks based on a short list of colleges you have developed with your parents and College Advisor.
  • Research regional, national, and college-specific scholarships and continue discussing college finances with your parents.
  • Obtain letters of recommendation from teachers to prepare for early applications.
  • Take the SAT/ACT this year. You may take these tests in the fall, but we recommend using that time for test preparation and focusing on the PSAT. The winter, spring, and summer are the best times for testing, and you may take each test multiple times, although more than three times is not advisable.
  • During the summer, tour colleges to which you are applying and write college essays. You should write your essays while you have time — not in a rush during the school year. You will need to request your high school transcript as well. Most early application deadlines are in early November; most regular application deadlines are in early January.

School Timeline

  • You are required to meet with your College Advisor twice — once per semester — to discuss the state of applications, activities, college visits, and academics.
  • The PSAT/NMSQT will be administered to all juniors in the fall.
  • The SAT will be administered to all juniors in the spring.
  • AP exams will be administered for any qualifying classes.

GRADE 12: THE DECISION YEAR

Student Timeline

  • Focus on your studies — strive for a strong finish.
  • Keep adding to your CV. Even when you have sent in college applications, this will be beneficial for your CV as a whole.
  • Complete scholarship applications — most needs-based and merit-based college scholarships will be addressed in your college application. You should complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal and Student Aid) and CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service Profile) online as necessary for financial aid.
  • Ensure all necessary test scores and transcripts have been sent to colleges.
  • Attend college recruiting events at Atlanta Classical Academy.
  • Finalize any last college applications and send them.
  • You should continue visiting colleges of interest during the fall; reserve any visits in the spring for colleges that have admitted you and between which you are trying to decide.

School Timeline

  • You will meet with your College Advisor in the fall to discuss college decisions and questions.
  • AP exams will be administered for any qualifying classes.