Any advice or insight please. I really need some help.

Archive The Gates Scholarship
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<p>Hello and thank you for reading this, I recently submitted my application and I really really want this scholarship, but i mean who doesn't right?. Lately I have been worried sick about whether or not I will be awarded this scholarship and I am becoming really anxious because it's such an amazing scholarship that I really would not know what to do if I didn't win. I know that it is a possibility but I would rather not think about the negatives lol. Any way I am writing this to ask if you guys can give me an idea of where I may stand for receiving this scholarship. I will post all of my credentials below. Please anyone that has received this scholarship or knows a great deal regarding this scholarship please give me your honest opinion.</p>

<p>My GPA is a 3.65 Unweighted</p>

<p>My awards/ accomplishments are 2 AP Scholar Awards, Outstanding Junior Award, Principal's Honor Roll Award, Varsity Volleyball Player Award, Outstanding Volunteer Award, and POSSE Scholarship Finalist.</p>

<p>My community service consisted of me volunteering at a homeless shelter where I would prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the residents, clean the dorms, go out to various places and collect donations for the residents. I would also clean the kitchen, help the employees with their work, which ranged from filing papers to shredding papers, basically any clerical work, and finally I would go to the Family Resource Center and play with the kids that lived at the shelter, we played board games and sometimes we went outside and to get them active. I also helped them with their homework and tutored them.
My community service also consisted of me participating in a Beautification day at my school where we cleaned up the campus and planted new plants around the school. Also, In the sigma beta club I assisted in restoring a playground and planting trees around the playground for the kids in the community to enjoy.</p>

<p>My leadership positions are Team manager for the Girl's Volleyball team at my school, Team captain for the Boy's Volleyball team at my school, Vice President of the Sigma Beta club, Treasurer of the Sigma Beta club, and Class Leader for my academy class at my school.</p>

<p>I wrote my essays as thoroughly as possible and put all my effort into this application. Do you think that I have a good chance of winning this scholarship, I think I do but I think that I would feel more at ease hearing, well in this case reading, it from other people lol. </p>

<p>I am a very well rounded student, I play Volleyball and Basketball, take only AP and Honors classes, and pass them with nothing lower than a B, I am in the Sigma Beta Club, and my academics are solid. I also received a 26 on my ACT (I know it's not amazing, however I tried my best and I am not disappointed in my score.)</p>

<p>Can you provide any feedback please? I know it's a lot but I would greatly appreciate it; I have really been worrying and stressing myself out.</p>

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<p>You have a lot of very good community service activities. Your GPA and ACT score shouldn’t affect a whole lot. AP and honors classes will show rigor. Your extracurricular activities show involvement, and your grades will show that you can balance everything very well. </p>

<p>Honestly, from your activities, you are a good candidate–but what really matters is how you conveyed your true self and stories in your essays. Some people are perfect candidates, but fall at this part; they write their essays blandly/vaguely or show no “good” true self qualities. </p>

<p>When I was applying, I listed not even a quarter of the activities you had mentioned. My GPA was almost a 4.0 and I had an average ACTs score. I think what really got the readers interested in me was my uniqueness and high hopes for the future. It REALLY matters how one writes his or her essays. Honesty, dedication, passion, and ambition are all qualities one should truly show in the essays. The other stuff you listed on your application are not strong deciding factors; they help the readers understand your rigor and types of service and activities you do.</p>

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<p>@diffuse Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to me, I really appreciate it!(: and yes in my essays I explained everything thoroughly and showed my ambition, dedication, and passion. I believe my essays are well written and give a great inside look as to who I really am </p>

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<p>That’s great! You have a good shot at it, then! But keep in mind-- you can recycle your essays and apply for many other scholarships. I ended up being offered an interview for a scholarship and full ride to my university, but declined it because I had received the Gates at the time! Always have backups. :)</p>

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<p>@diffuse Thank you for your help (: now I’ll just sit back and pray that i get it lol I’ll come back here and let you know what happens</p>