Georg
New member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2026
- Messages
- 15
Hey y'all! I'm a senior from a small town outside Atlanta, and I just got my acceptance letter to UGA with the HOPE Scholarship! 
I'm literally crying happy tears as I type this, because two years ago, this felt impossible.
Let me be real with you: my sophomore year was ROUGH. I was dealing with family stuff, working part-time, and my grades slipped to a 2.8 GPA. I remember sitting in my counselor's office, and she gently explained that I was nowhere near the 3.0 required for HOPE. I felt like such a failure.
But here's the thing—I decided I wasn't giving up. I researched everything about the Georgia scholarship requirements and learned that HOPE uses your calculated GPA based on specific core courses, not just your overall average . That gave me hope (pun intended!). I mapped out exactly which classes I needed to ace, got a tutor for math, and started grinding.
Junior year, I pulled a 3.8. Senior year first semester, 4.0. When my final HOPE GPA came back at 3.7, I SOBBED. My counselor cried with me!
For anyone stressing about HOPE eligibility: check your calculated GPA on GAfutures.org—it might be different than you think! Also, remember you can gain eligibility after 30 college credit hours even if you don't qualify out of high school . There are multiple paths!
To everyone working toward a Georgia scholarship: keep going. It's worth it. I'm heading to Athens in the fall with tuition covered, and I still can't believe it. Any other HOPE recipients out there? Let's connect!
I'm literally crying happy tears as I type this, because two years ago, this felt impossible.Let me be real with you: my sophomore year was ROUGH. I was dealing with family stuff, working part-time, and my grades slipped to a 2.8 GPA. I remember sitting in my counselor's office, and she gently explained that I was nowhere near the 3.0 required for HOPE. I felt like such a failure.
But here's the thing—I decided I wasn't giving up. I researched everything about the Georgia scholarship requirements and learned that HOPE uses your calculated GPA based on specific core courses, not just your overall average . That gave me hope (pun intended!). I mapped out exactly which classes I needed to ace, got a tutor for math, and started grinding.
Junior year, I pulled a 3.8. Senior year first semester, 4.0. When my final HOPE GPA came back at 3.7, I SOBBED. My counselor cried with me!
For anyone stressing about HOPE eligibility: check your calculated GPA on GAfutures.org—it might be different than you think! Also, remember you can gain eligibility after 30 college credit hours even if you don't qualify out of high school . There are multiple paths!
To everyone working toward a Georgia scholarship: keep going. It's worth it. I'm heading to Athens in the fall with tuition covered, and I still can't believe it. Any other HOPE recipients out there? Let's connect!