Effingham County High School faculty have worn apple-green “Ask Me About My College” buttons  this week as teachers introduce high school seniors to their own alma maters in preparation for Apply to College Week next week.

The Georgia Apply to College program is an annual event sponsored by Communities in Schools, the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Independent College Association, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, Georgia Student Finance Commission, Technical College System of Georgia and University System of Georgia.

Effingham County High School will host Apply to College Week programs on Nov. 19 and 20, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. each day in the ECHS media center.

Apply to College Week at ECHS will:
• Offer senior students assistance from volunteers, many of whom are from local colleges and universities, businesses and community organizations, as they navigate the college application process.
• Give students to the opportunity to apply for the HOPE Grant or HOPE Scholarship on-site.
• Offer students the opportunity for an immediate electronic transfer of their transcripts.

Students will need to come prepared for Apply to College Day by completing a College Student Prep sheet available in the counselor’s office and by establishing a GACollege411.org student account. For students who already have those accounts, the counselor’s office can assist students with retrieving login and password information.

ECHS Principal Yancy Ford described Apply to College Day as a “great opportunity for our students to get assistance in applying for college and for the HOPE Scholarship and Grant.”

“I hope that every senior student at ECHS will apply to at least one college during this special event,” Ford said. “Our entire faculty wants this talented class of 2014 to apply for college and to use college as a stepping stone to help build stronger individuals as well as a stronger nation.”