Advanced Academy of Georgia

Advanced Academy of Georgia

File:UWGSeal.png
Type	Public
Established	1995
Dean	Donald R. Wagner
Director	Michael Hester (interim)
Undergraduates	80
Location	Carrollton , Georgia , USA
Colors	Blue and Red
Website	http://www.advancedacademy.org/

The Advanced Academy of Georgia is a residential early college entrance program at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia. It was established by Dr. Beheruz Sethna in the 1995–1996 academic year.

Academics

The Advanced Academy does not focus on a specific discipline, and therefore requires a minimum GPA, minimum SAT and ACT scores, and that its applicants be on the College Preparatory track. The program traditionally accepts students during their high school junior and high school senior years, though younger students considered to be exceptionally gifted have been accepted in the past.

While enrolled, students are free to pursue whatever discipline they want, provided they meet the credit requirements for graduation at their high-school. This often means that in-state students must take two classes to fulfill each required high-school credit, as the Georgia State Board of Education regards 3 credit hours as being worth .6 Carnegie Units. However, most students are able to not only meet these requirements, but often earn additional credit hours, if not graduate from high-school a year earlier than their peers.

Student Life

Students are housed in Gunn Hall, a dorm on the south-eastern corner of campus. Previously housing both young Academy students and typical college-aged honors students, Gunn Hall is now dedicated solely for housing Academy students and support staff.

Since the students are housed together, they often form strong relationships during their time in the program. The administration of the program encourages this sense of community, providing (and enforcing) activities such as Thursday Night Dinner, at which guests come and speak to the students of the Academy on a variety of subjects, and regular events in Gunn Hall and around the campus specifically for the Academy students.

Several events for Academy students have become yearly traditions. Among these are "Formal" (a prom), a collaborative poetry and music performance called "Coffee House", and "The Decathlon". The last of these is a very significant event for many current and former Academy students, in which the second and third floors of Gunn Hall compete against each other in many different events, including sports, board games, a scavenger hunt, and an engineering contest, known as the "Challenge." The Decathlon tends to inspire a great deal of camaraderie among the residents of a floor, while creating a great deal of competition between the floors as a whole. The Decathlon generally takes place on the weekend immediately preceding Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January and serves as a time of reunion for former students and housing staff, who often come and stay in Gunn Hall for the weekend and participate alongside current students in the competitions.

Notable alumni

• Ajay Pillai '08 - The youngest person to ever graduate from a University System of Georgia institution with a 4-year degree. Pillai came to the Academy at the age of 13, graduated with an honors degree in biochemistry at the age of 17, and went on to attend the Medical College of Georgia the following semester.

References

• Advanced Academy General Information and FAQ, (2006). Academy Info and FAQ Retrieved August 28, 2006
• Advanced Academy Introduction, (2006). Introduction to the Academy Retrieved August 28, 2006

External links

• The Advanced Academy of Georgia