The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education announced today that Spring Hill High School in Chapin is one of 26 schools being recognized nationwide as a 2024 School of Excellence for their College Application Month efforts by ACT’s American College Application Campaign (ACAC). 

The ACAC is an effort to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential - this is the fifth year of partnership between the CHE and ACAC to recognize schools for their College Application Month efforts.

"I am so proud of our amazing school counseling department for being recognized nationally for the work they do each and every day for our students. As an all-choice, all-magnet, public high school with no admissions criteria, our counselors are instrumental in guiding our students through four years of high school and helping them prepare for college, military or the workforce," said Dr. Michael Lofton, principal of Spring Hill High School. "Our school counseling department is dedicated to ensuring that our students have the knowledge and tools necessary to apply to college. This has led to 89 percent of all of our graduates attending a two- or four-year college program. I am extremely grateful to have them as part of our Spring Hill family and to work with such a caring, compassionate and professional school counseling department."

This year’s winning schools were key contributors to the national campaign’s success, as reported by the participating state campaigns:

• Spring Hill High School is among 5,854 participating schools that hosted a college application event last fall.
• More than 477,000 seniors submitted at least one college application during events, an increase of more than 10,000 more seniors compared to 2023.
• Students submitted a total of 1,316,688 applications.  

Applying for college can be one of the most intimidating parts of a student’s high school education. This year’s recognized schools worked with students to help them better understand the process, ultimately empowering them to complete an application. 

Every year, ACAC works with coordinators in nearly every state and the District of Columbia to host college application events and reach students in their schools and communities, encouraging them to apply to college. Activities in 2024 included career days and fairs, collegiate tailgates, financial aid workshops, and field trips to colleges, where students could take campus tours.                                                              

“There’s something that’s so rewarding about seeing our state coordinators take part in helping students navigate the admission process,” said ACAC Director Lisa King. “Students feel more confident and empowered to apply to college, and thanks to initiatives like the American College Application Campaign, it all serves as a reminder of the impact we can have.”

College Application Month was first held in South Carolina in 2009 and has become a vital component of state efforts to encourage college attendance. Nationally, the campaign has served nearly 5.17 million students who have submitted more than 10 million applications since 2005. This is the sixth year that ACAC has recognized outstanding schools.

Related content:

• For more information, visit https://impactandlearning.act.org.
• To learn more about College Application Month visit https://che.sc.gov/sccango.