Information
The Georgia Academy of Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (GAMES) is a joint-enrollment program offered by Middle Georgia College to top-performing high school juniors and seniors. GAMES students are given the opportunity to spend their last two years of high school at Middle Georgia College, during which they will earn their high school diploma AND their Associate Degree in fields of math or science. Students majoring in engineering will not be able to complete the requirements for an associates degree in two years , so many of our Engineering students either (A) elect to major in math or physics to receive their Associates Degree and then declare Engineering as a major at their four year college, or (B) simply transfer to a four year school without graduating from MGC with an Associates Degree. In addition to the full time staff, community leaders help provide direction for the Academy. The National Advisory Committee for GAMES is made up of college presidents, politicians, and leaders in business and education.
Rising high school juniors and seniors are elgible for the program as long as they meet the stringent admission criteria. A younger student that exhibits remarkable abilities may be considered for admission if he/she places in the top 5% nationally on the SAT. GAMES students take all of their classes at MGC with regular college students. There are no special classes for GAMES students. However, the Academy does sponsor special workshops on study skills, time management, and test taking skills to help students adjust to college-level classes. There is also a college-orientation class required of GAMES students to help the students adjust to life on the college campus. GAMES students are treated as regular college students in every aspect of college life while on campus. GAMES students are allowed to be members of the student government, write for the student newspaper and/or yearbook, as well as hold jobs on campus such as working as a laboratory assistant, personal assistant, or in the various offices on campus.
Although the GAMES students take classes with regular college students, the living arrangements of GAMES students are seperate. GAMES students live in Grace Hall, a residence hall set aside strictly for GAMES students. Within Grace Hall, there is a live-in dorm mother and a live-in activities director, as well as resident assistants. Only GAMES students are allowed access to Grace Hall due to the fact that the locks on the outside doors are unlocked by students swiping their Middle Georgia College ID cards. Therefore, the door locking system will not open for students not living in Grace Hall, i.e. non-GAMES students. Within Grace Hall, the sexes are kept seperate. Males are in one wing of the building, and females are in the opposite wing of the building. There is no in-room visitation allowed between the two sexes. There is also an enforced curfew. Grace Hall is equipped with fiber optic data lines giving students the ability to be connected to the internet 24 hours a day.
The possibilities for GAMES graduates are endless. GAMES students have been accepted to Emory University, Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins to name a few. Despite their young age, GAMES students have proven to be academic and social leaders on campus. At the 1999 Honor's Day Ceremony, GAMES students took many of the top awards. GAMES students have served as student government representatives, Homecoming Queen, and editors of the yearbook and student newspaper.
Several goals of the Academy are to offer an accelerated education for bright, motivated high school students who have a demonstrated interest in pursuing careers in math, engineering, or science, while providing the students with the companionship of peers. Also, the Academy encourages students to develop the creativity, curiosity, reasoning ability, and self-discipline that lead to independent thought and action, and to aid students in developing the academic integrity that will enable them to benefit society.
The purpose of the GAMES program is to provide an academically enriched residential learning environment in mathematics, engineering, and science to selected students who are motivated to accelerate their high school and college graduations. The Academy will allow these students to receive an Associate of Science degree at the same time that they receive their high school diploma. This will save students and parents time and money. By accelerating these students' progress toward a four-year degree, the state will save funds. Upon graduation, Academy students will transfer to universities as rising juniors to complete their bachelor's degrees. The end result of the GAMES program is to keep the best minds of math, engineering, and science in Georgia. With the increasing demand for scientific and technological expertise, Academy graduates will significantly influence and contribute to the development of business, industry, education, and research in Georgia. Developing our best minds and talents through this program can help make Georgia more competitive with other states and the United States more competitive with other nations.
