For the last four years or so, UGA Admissions has given out an award every year to the Georgia High School whose previous year’s class has the highest GPA for their freshman year at UGA. We have a requirement that the school must have a critical mass of students in the freshman group, so the 2019-20 contenders must have at least 10 freshman who enrolled for Fall of 2019. While we celebrate all students who enroll at UGA and their high schools, we wanted to recognize the academic success of these specific students. For 2020, the UGA Director’s Cup goes to Richmond Hill High School, as their UGA Freshman had a 3.86 UGA GPA this past year. Looking back at the last 4 years, here are the winners of the Director’s Cup:
- 2020 – Richmond Hill High School
- 2019 – Winder-Barrow High School
- 2018 – Madison County High School
- 2017 – Whitewater High School
In addition, here are the schools for 2019-20 that had the highest UGA Freshman GPA in the other ranges of total freshmen:
- 5 or more freshmen – (tie) Fannin County Comp. HS/Vidalia HS – 3.87 UGA GPA
- 10 or more freshmen – Richmond Hill HS – 3.86 UGA GPA
- 20 or more freshmen – Cherokee HS (Canton, GA) – 3.81 UGA GPA
- 30 or more freshmen – Johns Creek HS – 3.79 UGA GPA
- 40 (and 50 & 60) or more freshmen – Northview HS – 3.77 UGA GPA
As you can see, there are a wide range of schools that have the top UGA Freshman GPA for the size of their enrolling freshman. These schools range in geography from the North GA mountains (just below the NC border) to more rural South GA to metro Atlanta. The schools range in size from roughly 150 students in the senior class to over 500 students in the class. The mascots range from the Gladiators to the Lions, the Vikings to the Titans and more. There are a variety of differences in these schools, but the commonality is that their students show up at UGA ready to work hard, and that hard work shows in their UGA grades and in their commitment to excellence.
What I guess I am trying to say is that we see wonderful students from all over, no matter the size, location or background of the student’s school. In the admissions review process, we are looking for the students who have worked hard in their high school (both academically and personally), and how this translates into success at UGA. We celebrate Richmond Hill HS and their students, along with all the other wonderful schools and students who help make UGA a great university. Thank you for preparing your students to succeed at UGA, and we are glad they are here!
Go Dawgs!