The Honors Academy was developed to offer academically-talented, gifted, and highly motivated students the challenges and opportunities needed to compete in the college admissions arena. The goal was to highlight these students’ abilities, encourage them to challenge themselves even more academically, and build their self-confidence. Since the Honors Academy was established in 2009, data show higher ACT scores, higher scores on state End-of-Course tests, and more students taking and passing Advanced Placement exams, which earns students college credit while they are still in high school (and saves parents the tuition costs of those courses in college)!
Factors Used to Determine Honors Academy Acceptance
1. The student’s grade history is the top priority.
2. Academic teacher recommendations
3. The student’s one-on-one interview with Honors Academy teachers
4. The student’s attendance record
5. The student’s discipline record
Please refer to our FAQ for further questions!
Colleges determine admission based upon three major factors (see Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Vanderbilt):
Student grades, colleges typically would rather accept a student with a slightly lower GPA and numerous honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses than a student who has taken much easier classes throughout high school.
The academic rigor of the student's high school courses, and student ACT scores.
How does the Honors Academy help?
Rigorous classes – all of our courses are either Honors, AP, or Dual-Enrollment.
ACT preparation – We have teachers who are trained in the nationally renowned ACT Princeton Review Program. Every course from freshman to junior year integrates weekly ACT review. Before the February ACT test, juniors spend more than a week reviewing for it in every core class.
We have seen improvements in our students ACT scores since the founding of the Honors Academy, click here to see the gains our students have made.
We offer 11 AP courses and 4 dual-enrollment college courses.
Students are able to take a maximum of 8 AP courses and 3 dual-enrollment in the Honors Academy. If students pass every AP test and dual-enrollment class, they could earn from 28-49 hours of college credit at UGA.
We have seen massive improvements in our students AP scores since the founding of the Honors Academy, click here to see the gains we have made.
The Honors faculty meets by grade-level once a week to plan together and discuss strategies to help every student reach their maximum potential.
The Honors faculty strongly believes in the motto of “Push with Support.” Each Honors teacher will strive to offer a rigorous academic environment, but will also provide support and remediation for students who struggle.
In addition to a dedicated faculty, smaller class sizes and like-minded students allow academy students to more easily focus and reach their academic potential.
AP classes are offered in all academic years, starting in freshman year.
Dual enrollment math classes are offered in the junior and senior years, allowing students to complete three college math courses in high school.
Honors students participate in electives such as Band, Chorus, ROTC, art, and all of our athletic teams.
Freshmen participate in Creative Inquiry, a problem-solving project for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
Freshmen and sophomore students spend a week computer coding in math class.
AP District – Because of the Honors Academy’s success on AP examinations, in addition to Lafayette High School, the Walker County school district was named an AP Honor District in 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014.
GADOE Recognition – Because of the Honors Academy’s success on AP examinations, Ridgeland High School was named an AP Humanities School, AP STEM School, and an AP STEM Achievement School by the Georgia Department of Education in 2015 and 2016.
Besides preparing students for acceptance into and success in top colleges and universities, the Honors Academy helps students develop study skills and time management skills, reading comprehension ability, writing fluency, and advanced math and science reasoning skills.
Honorsacademy students in all grades take annual college visits to top colleges in Georgia and the regional Chattanooga area.
The Honors Academy also takes an annual field trip to a major city or area of the United States that deepens students’ understanding and appreciation of that local culture, in addition to participating in fun activities.