Included in this Issue

• It is time for you to get involved more...
  
  
• My student is back home, now what? more...
  
  
• Avoiding the sophmore slump more...
  
  
• GCSU office of admissions more...
  
  
• Career connection more...
  
  
• University housing more...
  
  
• Financial aid office update - office of financial aid more...

Newsletter 004 | Summer 2008
www.gcsu.edu/parents 

   It is time for you to get involved [top]
    Debbie Callas
     PFA Chair

Time goes by fast and all of a sudden your son or daughter is an adult, making decisions for themselves about classes, driving, socializing and life in general. This becomes glaringly clear when the doctor tells them to fill out a privacy form. Now everything you know about them is the past and not necessarily the future. Even so, the future is bright for them especially here at Georgia College & State University (GCSU). With the third highest SAT scores in the state, Best College accolades from US News & World report and The Princeton Review as well as an amazing Parent & Family Association (PFA) to join, GCSU rocks!

What's not to like at GCSU? Georgia College has an awesome campus, great classes, plenty to get involved in and professors and staff that care. GCSU cares about your student, and you feel it as soon as you arrive. Your son or daughter will flourish here with very little worries. It was the same caring staff and faculty that thought it was important to start the Parents & Family Association. As Parent Coordinator for the past two years, I have met many of you, answering your emails and questions pertaining to your students, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment with you. However, my term is up and one of you will have the opportunity to serve as the new PFA Coordinator. This goodbye is bitter sweet, bitter that I must go and sweet that I've had a wonderful experience working with the university and you. I took pride in being the face of your association. Joining the PFA gives you the opportunity to meet other GCSU parents and families. You also get to know that you are not alone in this student college experience as a parent. Now it is your turn to get entrenched with the association! To apply for the position of Parent Coordinator contact Allia Carter at allia.carter@gcsu.edu.

Don't forget to join us for our Annual Parents Day event on Saturday, October 28th. All undergrads and their families are welcome. I would strongly encourage you to register by Friday, October 10th. To register and to get more information, go to http://www2.gcsu.edu/parentsday/.

I wish you and your student the best for 2008 and beyond.

Debbie Callas

    My student is back home, now what? [top]
    Tony Madero
     PFA Member

As college students finish the school year and head home for the summer break, two worlds will inevitably collide. A more confident and independent version of your son or daughter will arrive and shock everyone when they don't want to spend every minute talking about the past school year. After fending for themselves for nine months, they may not necessarily embrace an intrusion into their way of doing things. While this can be traumatic for everyone involved, it doesn't have to be. With a little research and preparation, this visit can be productive and beneficial for both the student, and the parents as well.

Some common pitfalls and survival strategies are listed below:

There is a huge difference between school breaks and an entire summer. The temporary nature of a break can make your "advice" more tolerable as the student knows he or she will be returning to school in a few days anyway. An entire summer can seem like a lifetime if boundaries and ground rules are not established early on - even prior to the summer break beginning. Communication and flexibility are key during this planning phase and during their actual visit.

Knowing in advance that your student will probably exhibit a more independent personality will allow you to take it in stride. Take steps to foster and strengthen their independence and personal resolve. These are both important attributes that will serve them well as they finish school and beyond.

Don't become discouraged that your student is constantly texting or instant-messaging school friends. These relationships are extremely important and should not be downplayed. Encourage them to stay in contact with school friends - even invite some to visit.

Give them room - as in a "room with a door." A little privacy goes a long way after spending the last nine months sharing everything with a roommate. Your student will appreciate and benefit from the solace and comfort of returning home to "their" room or at least a place they can unwind for awhile.

Don't plan a daily schedule for your student that starts the day he or she arrives home. They have been living by a schedule and will not relish the idea of being tied down to certain places at certain times. Plan ahead and ask how involved they would like to be and decide what family events they would like to participate in. With that said, be flexible and don't hold it against them if they decide to back out for whatever reason.

The subject of money will most likely come up during your student's visit. More free time may trigger the request for more money. Once again, open communication regarding limits and expectations will lessen the stress involved with these ongoing "negotiations." Some students choose to participate in summer employment to offset the additional drain on their (and your) finances. If you're lucky, you can find a student - intern program in an industry or business area that may possibly move them closer to completing their degree.

By the time you and your student smooth things out, he or she will be departing for school again and a new set of challenges will emerge. And don't be too hard on yourself if this summer visit turns into a total disaster, there's always next year!

    Avoiding the sophmore slump [top]
    Dr. Bruce Harshbarger
     Vice President for Student Affairs

Is it real? People talk about the "Sophomore Slump" in many fields, from professional sports to Presidential administrations. But the second year is often a special stumbling block for college students - after all, that's the setting in which the term was coined. What about the sophomore year seems to bring different challenges from the first?

On college campuses, there are always special services for the new students. A great deal of attention goes into those crucial transitional issues and services. And there's a lot of excitement with the move to campus and development of a whole new peer group. But despite the ongoing availability of key services on campus, college students typically don't perceive the same level of support at the start of the second year as they did the year before.

The sophomore year brings issues all its own - academic issues such as the pressure to commit to a major, the desire to clarify career goals, and the need to build relationships with mentors - and relationship issues such as the need to branch out and relate to new and different groups of people as the number of friendships "back home" begins to decrease. Here are some tips for strategies that you can suggest to your student as she or he begins their second year:

ACADEMIC CONCERNS

Pressure to commit to and succeed in a major:

• Students, with their advisors, should outline a plan for completion of a degree - Setting a three-year plan of action is not only valuable in itself, it's a way of thinking through all the options within the major while building a relationship with the advisor.


• Students should look into joining a student club within their major - Majors are not only schedules of courses; they're communities of peers. The more connected your student is to that community, the better he or she may be able to judge how well they feel they fit there.

Uncertainty about career goals:

• Students should establish a folder for résumé materials and draft a beginning résumé - Yes, it will make things easier when the time comes to create the final version, but just as with degree planning, it's an opportunity to assess the journey in progress.


• Students should explore internships, cooperative education, and other career-related experiences
  - Seeing a career field from the day-to-day perspective of its professionals is a valuable addition to academic preparation.


• Students should read and talk about career options at the GCSU Career Center
  - The GCSU Career Center is on the second floor of Lanier Hall, and provides individual career advising, assistance with resumes and interviewing skills, workshops, and guidance through the graduate school application process.

Feeling a need to build relationships with mentors:

• Students should schedule "non-mandatory" visits with professors and advisors - There are times at which a student needs an advisor's signature on a form. But those students who come to visit when they don't need something signed are the ones who are remembered. They're also the ones who know where to turn for support and how to explore new interests.

RELATIONSHIP CONCERNS

Wanting to connect with more and different types of people:

• Students should seek campus leadership opportunities - Opportunities for leadership in campus organizations abound at GCSU, and they're not only ways to meet new students and faculty, they're ways to expand life and career skills.


• Students should attend programs in disciplines other than their own major - Declaring a major shouldn't be the end of exploring new interests. The typical college student changes majors, often more than once, just as the typical professional changes careers.

Wanting to experience new communities and groups:

• Students should begin considering study abroad for their junior year - No educational experience is more powerful - period. GCSU's International Education Center in Lanier Hall can help.


• Students should live on campus to maximize opportunities for campus involvement - All the best intentions can't re-create the community, the connections, and the involvement in campus life that living on campus provides.

   GCSU Office of Admissions [top]

The Office of Admissions has completed another increasingly-competitive admissions season with close to 3,900 freshman applications received for our 1100 seats in the Class of 2012. Approximately 2,100 students received acceptance packages, which equates to an acceptance rate of 53.8%.

Top Ten Feeder High Schools for GCSU - Applications Received:

1.	Milton	97
2.	Brookwood	91
3.	Roswell	90
4.	Northview	77
5.	Harrison	74
6.	Collins Hill	73
7.	South Forsyth	70
8.	Parkview	68
9.	Tie: Lassiter/Star's Mill	65
10.	Tie: Grayson/McIntosh	63

Top Ten Feeder High Schools for GCSU - Acceptances Offered:

1.	Milton	51
2.	Roswell	47
3.	Northview	43
4.	Brookwood	42
5.	McIntosh	41
6.	Star's Mill	39
7.	Lassiter	35
8.	Tie: Parkview/Alpharetta	33
9.	Collins Hill	32
10	Tie: Harrison/South Forsyth	30

At the peak of the admission cycle, GCSU's increase in freshman applications reached nearly 16%, and the increased competition made the admission decisions far more difficult this year. For those applicants who we were not able to accommodate in the freshman class, our admissions counselors worked with students, parents and school counselors to develop transfer strategies to help the students hopefully reach their GCSU goal after a brief "detour" at another college or university.

Speaking of transfer applicants, those numbers are currently up as well. Although the transfer admission deadline is not until July 1st, we already have 619 transfer applicants for Fall 2008.

Finally, 2008 will be a very memorable year for the Office of Admissions - not only for the caliber of our applicants - but also for the fact that our office is moving to the historic Newell-Watts House. This commanding federal period house (circa 1825) sits at the corner of Clarke and Greene Streets, diagonally across from the Old Governor's Mansion. The Newell-Watts House will become the workplace for 14 full-time staff members, as well as student workers and student telecounselors. Director of Admissions, Mike Augustine, states that he and his team are certainly looking forward to the move to their new GCSU "home." "Since we currently have office space on two different floors of Parks Hall, this will be the first time in many, many years that the admissions staff will be together in one place. And we are truly excited to help make the Newell-Watts house a showplace for the university and a campus highlight for our visitors and guests."

   Career Connection [top]
    Mary Roberts
    Director, University Career Center

While your student is enjoying his or her time at GCSU, you are probably wondering what your student plans to do after graduation. It will certainly be here before you know it! The University Career Center shares your interest and has implemented a variety of programs and services that supports students throughout their entire GCSU experience so that they make a smooth transition from college to career. One of our newest services is Career Connection, an online system that allows students to search for jobs, register for campus interviews and workshops, and research companies attending our career fairs.

The reasons for students to use Career Connection are endless! This resource will keep your student in constant contact with the Career Center from freshman to senior year by providing the following resources:

• Job and internship postings from employers who are specifically interested in GCSU students and alumni.
  
• Employer database to help students with researching potential jobs and internships.
  
• Campus interview, workshop, and career fair registration and schedule during fall and spring semesters.
  
• Resume referral system for students who upload a resume to their profile.
  
• On-line resource library with resume examples, job and graduate school search tips, internship information, and more!
  

Parents and family members should encourage their students to register with this new system so that they get a head start on the job and internship search process. In a good economy, the job and internship search can take 6 - 9 months; therefore, developing a resume and researching jobs and internships at least a year before the student needs one is imperative for a smooth transition from college to career. To register with Career Connection, students should visit www2.gcsu.edu/career and link to "Career Connection Job and Internship Database." Students can contact the University Career Center at 478-445-5384 or in 232 Lanier Hall to make an appointment to discuss any of their career planning needs.

   University Housing [top]
    Cindy McClanahan
    Housing Marketing Coordinator

With the majority of our students now at home for the summer, University Housing is now focused on preparing for this coming fall.

On August 16th, we will once again open the doors of the residence halls and apartments to our new freshmen and returning upperclassmen. One thing our students are sure to notice is a host of helping hands ready to assist them with moving in. This fall we will launch the new Cat Crew program. Cat Crew organizes volunteers from the GCSU students, faculty and staff and the Milledgeville community to welcome the students and help ease the burden of moving in to their new on-campus home. If you are interested in volunteering for Cat Crew, please contact Cindy McClanahan at (478) 804-4690 or via email at cindy.mcclanahan@gcsu.edu.

Financial aid office update - Office of Financial Aid [top]

The Financial Aid and Scholarship application season for 2008-2009 has begun! The GCSU Financial Aid Staff encourages students to review the processes and deadlines to avoid missing out on aid opportunities.

Applying for Federal Student Aid

• Students and at least one parent can apply for or obtain their forgotten PIN (Personal Identification Number) with Department of Education at www.pin.ed.gov in order to e-sign application
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov (must be completed annually). Students should have their and their parent's 2007 Federal Tax Returns available to complete this application.
• Consideration for federal aid programs (grants, employment and loans) as well as Georgia's HOPE Scholarship program.

HOPE Scholarship

• Students choosing NOT to apply for federal aid (FAFSA) may apply for the HOPE Scholarship program ONLY by visiting www.GAcollege411.org.
• This is a one-time application will remain active at GCSU from academic year to year.

Students can review their
on-line Financial Aid Award Letter

• Go to myCATS.
• Enter User Name and Password; then Login.
• Choose "Student" tab.
• Under "PAWS Link" on the left, choose "PAWS Main Menu."
• Select Student & Financial Aid.
• Select Financial Aid.
• Enter the Bobcat DEN (Detailed Eligibility Notification).

The Business Office's web page has been updated and the new tuition and fee rates for FY08 are now available at: http://www.gcsu.edu/businessandfinance/businessoffice.html