Please do not think that you need to be valedictorian or salutatorian in order to receive this scholarship.
Trust me, with pools as big as 57,000 applicants and only 1,000 awarded - there are going to be a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE, number of applicants with great stats. And in the end? It doesn’t really matter as much as really looking for individuals who can overcome obstacles and actually distinguish themselves as a potential future leader of America.
I know a scholar who didn’t have the best grades at first - and no, she was not a valedictorian or salutatorian - and she didn’t have the best start with high school. However, she took it upon herself to turn her entire high school academic career around and completely changed her academic record for the better. These were her obstacles - and she managed to overcome them and really showed her growth as an individual.
When all of you guys are focusing on the numbers, all you're doing is psyching yourself out.
Statistically speaking, if the Gates Millennium Scholarship was like a lottery, a 1,000 award rate out of 57,000 applicants in the 2015 school year equates to a 1.75% chance for each scholar.
But in reality - the Gates Millennium Scholarship is NOT A LOTTERY. Put your time and effort into your applications, make yourself stand out, really convey who YOU are as an individual and why YOU should deserve this scholarship and you can raise your chances exponentially!
Godspeed!