Required Sixth Semester* Data

* Sixth semester is defined as the third semester prior to graduation, which is typically the end of a student's junior year (summer term not included).

Note: Starting with data collected for the 2027-28 processing cycle, ISAC will conduct a single annual High School Data Collection Process that supports both the State Scholar Program (SSP) and Direct Admissions – or, One Click College Admit (OCCA). Because the data collected will serve both programs, submissions must include all data elements required for each program. This page discusses the SSP process. See the High School Data Collection Guidance for SSP and OCCA page for details regarding how data is used for the OCCA process.

Required Data
    High School Information
    Test Scores
    Class Rank and GPA
Exceptions Reporting
    Transfer Students
    Disqualification Codes
    Early Graduates
Methods to Submit Sixth Semester Data
    Batch Upload (via Excel spreadsheets)
    SSP Updates
User Guides and Resources

Student test scores, unweighted Grade Point Average (GPA), class rank, and class size gathered during one academic year are data elements used to determine State Scholar Finalists for the following academic year. Test scores are gathered from the testing companies for the ACT and SAT exams taken during the student's third and fourth semester prior to graduation. ISAC requests the required sixth semester data* from high schools. Data can be sent electronically via the SSP/OCCA system. An e-Message, which provides an overview of the delivery process, is sent to high schools in the spring to announce the start of the new high school data collection cycle.

Required Data for SSP

Schools must submit the following required data for the entire class – this is not only required for OCCA processing, but also ensures that the most comprehensive pool of students possible is considered during the SSP selection process and reduces the risk that a qualified student(s) is inadvertently omitted.  Be sure to provide the applicable disqualification codes for students who do not meet the eligibility criteria and any other Exception Reporting information that applies.

High School Profile Information

High schools must include the following information.

  • The high school’s six-digit ACT code
  • Class size at the end of the sixth semester
  • GPA scale (4.0, 5.0 or other) The GPA scale reported and the unweighted GPA calculated must be consistently applied for all students reported.

Test Scores

Test scores from the ACT and SAT exams taken between August 1 and June 30 (during the student’s third and fourth semester prior to graduation) are reported to ISAC by the testing organization. For students who have multiple scores, only the highest score will be used to determine SSP eligibility.

Class Rank and Grade Point Average (GPA)

As part of the State Scholar eligibility process, high school counselors must provide either the sixth semester* unweighted class rank (if the school ranks) or the unweighted GPA (if the school does not rank). Weighted ranks and GPAs cannot be used to determine State Scholar eligibility. Submit only sixth semester data. The unweighted GPAs reported must match the GPA scale that is submitted with the School Information (for example, if the school information indicates a GPA scale of "4.0," the school's sixth semester data should not include a record with the GPA listed as "4.3").

Class ranks are calculated by ISAC (for schools that do not rank) so that the class rank for the lowest GPA equals the total number of students being ranked. See the following sample of how ranking is assigned when more than one student has the same GPA.

ISAC-Assigned
Class Rank		        GPA      
1 99.3
2 98.9
2 98.9
4 98.1
5 97.9
5 97.9
7 97.4

The same procedures should be applied by schools that do rank.

Exceptions Reporting

Information regarding transfer students, disqualification codes or early graduates should be provided only if those exceptions apply. Instructions for exceptions reporting is included in the User Guide for High School Programs.

Transfer Students

Provide transfer information ONLY when a student transfers out of the high school after the sixth semester.

Disqualification Codes

If a student is not eligible to be designated as an Illinois State Scholar, indicate the disqualification code in the appropriate fields in the Batch Upload file or, if revising an existing record, using the SSP Updates option. The codes and the corresponding reasons for disqualification are as follows:

  • E – not a citizen or eligible non-citizen, and does not meet the criteria of the RISE Act;
  • F – not a resident of Illinois as of June 30, 2026 (provide updated address);
  • H – not scheduled to graduate from high school by September 1, 2027;
  • I – already in college/already graduated high school (does not apply to early graduates);
  • J – not in the top half of the class; or
  • O – deceased.

Early Graduates

The majority of high school students graduate in four years at the end of their senior year. However, some students graduate early (for example, at the end of their junior year in 2026 rather than as a senior in 2027). For students who graduate early, the required academic data submitted should be based on the end of the student’s 4th semester, which would be the end of their sophomore year.

Methods to Submit Sixth Semester Data

High school counselors who want their students to be considered for designation as an Illinois State Schola submit their required sixth semester data via the SSP/OCCA system. Contact Partner Services (at [email protected] or 866.247.2172) with questions.

First, a school must be registered to utilize the GAP Access portal.

  • The high school principal must activate a GAP Access account as the Primary Administrator and establish the appropriate SSP/OCCA access level for all impacted staff. Instructions for establishing access to SSP/OCCA processing are found on the GAP Access page.
  • After reviewing the GAP Access Portal User Guide, high school principals can begin the process of creating and activating GAP Access accounts by going to the GAP Access Login page and then clicking on the "Not registered yet? Register here" link (which appears immediately below the "Login" button).
  • Two-factor authentication is required for both School User and Administrator accounts every time a user logs in to the GAP Access portal. Refer to the GAP Access Two-Factor Authentication User Guide for instructions.

The next step is to transmit the sixth semester data to ISAC by uploading an Excel spreadsheet that follows formatting specifications prescribed by ISAC. Be sure that only sixth semester data is submitted.

Batch Upload (via Excel Spreadsheets)

The required sixth semester data must be submitted directly to the SSP/OCCA system by uploading an Excel spreadsheet. The Excel spreadsheet must be created using the SSP and OCCA Data Exchange Layout, using the formatting specifications outlined in the SSP and OCCA File Upload Template. The sample template of the Excel spreadsheet also may be accessed in the right-margin menu of this page or by selecting the Guidelines and Samples tab from the SSPState Scholar and One Click Admit: File Upload screen in GAP Access. If you want to use the template to create your Excel spreadsheet of sixth semester data, remember that you must first save the template to your computer. Enter the data into the file on your computer, save your updates, and then submit that document via the SSP system.

Refer to the User Guide for High School Programs to learn how to upload the file, view when the file is validated, and correct errors.

  • When the Excel spreadsheet is ready to submit, log in to the GAP Access portal to access the SSP/OCCA system, and then follow the on-screen prompts to upload your file to ISAC.
  • Once the file has been uploaded, the file validation process will begin.
    • The validation process will take several minutes (5 minutes minimum) so allow enough time and then click the “Refresh” button to check if the validation is complete.
    • After validation has competed, the file will have one of two statuses: “Validated” (no errors) or “Validation Errors Found” (with errors),
      • If the file status is “Validated” no further action is required.
      • If the file status is “Validation Errors Found,” the errors must be corrected before any students on the file can be considered for State scholar designation. Instructions for correcting errors are provided in the User Guide for High School Programs.
    • Note that file validation is different from data processing. Validation verifies that all records in the file are complete (no missing fields) and formatted correctly. Schools are notified each year when the data processing cycle, during which State Scholars are named, begins.

Note: If you need to update previously-submitted information, corrections must be made in your school's master student data file (i.e., the file you initially submitted to ISAC). Update the applicable student records in the master file and then reupload the entire corrected master file via the GAP Access portal. Do not upload a file containing only the corrected student records, as this will overwrite the existing data in the system.

SSP Updates

Selection of 2027-28 State Scholars will not be finalized immediately at the close of data collection on July 1, 2026. Schools may have additional opportunities to make corrections to SSP-related data, before the selection process begins and while ISAC staff review submitted data after receipt of ACT/SAT test scores. Communications will be sent to high schools in fall 2026 to provide an overview of the SSP Updates process and other updates.

User Guides and Resources