Academic Guidance 


Welcome to the Guidance Department! This page will provide you with information to enhance your Piedmont experience. It is the Guidance Office's goal to assist students in their personal and academic development. The following services are provided:


Personal counseling and referrals for additional help - one on one and small groups

Study skills and academic counseling - tracking and advising of students

Career counseling - interest testing, resources

College counseling - personal assisting and monitoring of student's application process and financial aid/scholarship search

Find out about: Senior Year Calendar, Colleges, and Career visits


The Road to College

  • 9th Grade

    This year begins your transcript, which will be sent to colleges in the fall of your senior year.


    Set goals for your high school years to include awards, honors, community service, and extra-curricular activities.


    Remember the Georgia HOPE Scholarship GPA derives from all courses taken in the core areas of Math, English, Social Studies, Science, and Foreign Language.

  • 10th Grade

    If your GPA isn't where you want it to be, get help with study skills from the Guidance Office or your teachers.


    Begin selecting a few extra-curricular activities that you wish to sustain over high school. This is better than a one-year commitment to a dozen activities.


    Begin researching college and scholarship opportunities. The Internet has hundreds of informative sites. Be careful – do not pay anyone who offers to find scholarships for you. There are a lot of scams out there!


    Visit college campuses when you are out of town. Call ahead for

    an appointment or tour. Spring break is a great time to visit college campuses.

  • 11th Grade

    Establish a GAFutures  and, Attend the College Fair hosted by Piedmont Academy in the fall.


    This is your final research year. Attend all Piedmont meetings with college representatives.


    Visit campuses. Ask questions of college students you know: "Why did you pick this college?" "What do you like best?" "Least?"


    Research regarding merit scholarships. Sources include parents' business and civic groups, Internet sites and colleges themselves. Notice competition essay topics - consider working on these over the summer.


    Plan to take the SAT twice and the ACT once. You may test better on one format than the other. Colleges use scores for monetary awards.


    By year's end, select 10-12 potential college choices, then narrow down your list and begin applications to those choices.

  • 12th Grade

    Be ready to apply to 3-5 colleges. The standard formula is 1 reach (a bit of a stretch given your GPA and SAT scores), 3 reasonable schools (you fit in their admission parameters) and 1 safety school (you are quite certain of admission here).


    Release your transcripts on GAFutures to the schools you are applying to. These bright yellow/green forms are on the shelf outside the guidance office. Your first three transcripts are free and each additional copy is $5.00


    If you are close in score to scholarship or admission qualifications, take another SAT or ACT to reach that goal.


    Line up any recommendations you need. The writer needs two weeks notice to construct an effective, thoughtful letter.


    Check all submission deadlines carefully! Missing one could seriously impact the application process.


    If you have questions, email the college directly. They appreciate a proactive student.

    You are eligible.