Chance a Hillbilly from 'Bama!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>**I'm a rising senior and caucasian. I do have Cherokee blood, but IDK if it's enough to make a difference. </p>

<p>**Career Interests: Dentistry, culinary arts, broadcasting. </p>

<p>**School info: Our school first opened in 2005 when I was a Freshman. I'll be apart of the first four-year graduating class. My school became an IB school this past year, however, you have to be a Freshman when you begin the IB program, so I wasn't able to participate in the program.</p>

<p>**School stats:
-GPA: 4.0 Unweighted. 4.083 Weighted. This year was the first year we could take APs, and I got an A in both of those classes (AP US/AP 11 English). Senior year I should have 4 AP classes, and an honors Spanish 5 class which'll be on a 4.5 scale? lol. That's just what my Spanish teacher told me. Anyway, If I get all A's again, I should complete high school with just over a 4.2 weighted GPA.</p>

<p>-Rank: 1/200+ (not sure on exact #, obviously).</p>

<p>**Course Load:
-Toughest offered.
-I'll also be taking a summer class. Something to do with English, History, or Spanish Composition or something. </p>

<p>**Tests:
Eh, not my strong point. I took the ACT in February with minimal prep, and I got a 26. I'm taking again in June and October, so, I'll finish in the range of 26-30 I would think. I know those 4 points can make a huge difference, but yeah. I'm just not a great Standardized test-taker, I suppose. </p>

<p>**EC:
National Honor Society (1 year; Senior year)
-Spanish Club President (1 year; Senior year)
-School Webmaster (1 year; Senior year)
-Varsity football Quarterback. (Freshman year we just worked out because we didn't get a coaching staff in time. Sophomore year I was the Varsity backup (although I did play in some Varsity games), started JV and was the captain of JV. Junior year, I was the starter and team captain and was second on the team in touchdowns---only behind our all-metro WR/RB. Senior year...I doubt I'll play. All of our coaches were fired, and I've had a lot of BS to put up with. We have no coaches currently on staff. Idiots. All I can say.)
-I had a Private quarterback coach for football for 2 years. I would go to school from 8-3:10. Football practice from 3:30 to sometimes 6:30, and then a two hour session with private QB coach after that. I did that in the football season and in the summer for 3-4 times a week.<br>
-Art. I placed 3rd in state for a 2D art contest. I also got honorable mention in state for this "Post Card" contest.
-If I don't play football, I'm either going to do Mixed Martial Arts, play Piano, or play Baseball or Soccer in the spring. </p>

<p>**Community Service (200+ hours):
-This summer I'll get around 150-200 hours with Big Brothers, Big Sisters. I've gotten around 70 at my Uncle's golf course, and another 10 or so with Spanish-club related stuff.</p>

<p>**Hooks (I'm not too sure if all of these are hooks, but I suppose some are possible):
-Possibly region for northern schools. I'm from Alabama.
-I live with my father; he makes around 120k a year, but we use to be poor and nobody else is contributing to my college fund/expenses other than my father.
-Mother has had all sorts of health problems; cancer being one of them.<br>
-Legacy at Marshall University (Yeah, the school in the movie "We Are Marshall). My uncle, aunt, and father all went there.</p>

<p>**Schools (no particular order):
University of Maryland
Vanderbilt
Fordham
Rutgers
Marshall
(In state) - UAB & Auburn.</p>

<p>***********************************************I AM LOOKING TO GET A FULL RIDE, OR ATLEAST PAYING 15K A YEAR OR LESS. My dad's EFC is like 28k a year, but I'm not going to make my only parent pay that much a year. He had 35k in taxes taken out of his 120k that he made this past year.</p>

2

<p>I'd say you've got a good shot at all of those schools. Vanderbilt may not give you the aid that you want, but if you can get your ACT up, it's a high match, especially looking at your rank. Otherwise, it might be a slight reach. Nothing else seems to be beyond a high match, though. Have you thought about taking the SAT?
You may also want to have your counselor talk about any problems the school is having with the football coaches in his/her recommendation. Also regarding your ECs, have you been in Spanish Club for more than that one year? Colleges like to see commitment, so if it's something you've been doing for awhile, be sure to mention that.</p>

3

<p>Yeah, I've been in Spanish Club ever since it started (Soph year).</p>

<p>So, I'll have been in it for 3 years.</p>

4

<p>If you are >1/64th Cherokee you can register as Native American. I would milk that for all it's worth.</p>

<p>Also, many top schools make college way cheaper for people that get accepted, for example, MIT will waive all tuition, room + board AND fees if your parents make less than 60k a year combined. Stanford has someething similar.</p>

<p>I did way better on the SAT than the ACT, so take it!</p>

5

<p>This may be a dumb question, but how do you "register" as Native American? lol.</p>

<p>I'm 1/16th Cherokee, btw.</p>

6

<p>^ That counts. :)</p>

7

<p>You may want to really look into financial Aid packages that colleges offer- I would suggest, if you are looking for some generous aid, to look into Alabama colleges because your grades would place you in a really good position to recieve a full ride at some local universities. My concern is, because the schools you are applying to are out of state, you may not get the best aid- it's very likely you may, but you should pile on more safeties to be assured of that. I always feel there is no harm in applying to more schools as long as it doesn't affect the quality of your other applications.</p>

8

<p>There are no other schools I'd like to go to that are in state.</p>

<p>I don't want to stay in Alabama, really, but if I had to, it'd definitely be UAB or Auburn...and I'd probably pick UAB because it's only an hour-and-a-half away from my current home, and UAB also has a dental school. So, yeah.</p>

<p>I'm very confident that I'd receive a full ride at UAB and Auburn. I also think I could get a full ride at Marshall with ease. They do have a scholarship I'm shooting for that is awesome, but I have to make a 28 on the ACT to qualify. However, I'm sure I'd still get a full ride at Marshall, just not the scholarship that comes w/ all the additional stuff (computer, studying abroad, 'advanced curriculum'). </p>

<p>I heard Fordham doesn't give good Aid for the most part, but I really think being from Alabama could help me out with Fordham.</p>

<p>Vanderbilt...Idk. Tough school to get into, and even if I got into it, idk if I'd receive the Aid that I want. However, they have 3 scholarships that are similar to Marshall's scholarship, so I could possibly get one of those. </p>

<p>As for Maryland & Rutgers...Not too sure what to expect with those.</p>

9

<p>Bama pride! :)</p>

<p>I think you mis-phrased your EC involvement - you want to say something like Spanish Club - 4 years, president 12th. When I first read it, it seemed like you had only been in all of your clubs for one year.</p>

<p>You seem like you're pretty involved, you excel academically and are in some EC's. You might want to start looking toward getting some distinguishing awards. I'd suggest sticking with football senior year - it's your major EC, it's the only one that you've really put in a huge amount of time with, and it's a great example/essay topic of how you deal with adversity (instead of being negative and dismissing everyone as idiots).</p>

<p>You probably are aware of this, but you have to get your ACT score up. You must. I don't know how challenging your school is, and colleges don't either, because it's new; especially at places like Vandy, the ACT is their only way of ranking you nationally, because there's no data on your school's graduates.</p>

<p>Oh, and 1/16 Cherokee is enough!</p>

<p>I don't know if you're a huge Auburn fan or anything, but if it doesn't make you sick to your stomach, look at Bama. They have a great aid program, especially in-state. If you can get your ACT up to a 28, you can have a teacher recommend you to be a University Fellow, which is basically free ride + $8500 a year + a laptop. If it's a 27, you'll automatically get $1600 a year. If it's a 30, you can either apply for University Fellows or Presidential Scholars, which is still full tuition. If you get National Merit, you also get a full ride + a laptop + $1500 a year. You can do University Honors, which is a good program that they're really pouring a lot of money and support into to try to build.</p>

<p>Haha so that sounds like an ad for UA. Really, even though I've rejected the idea of going in-state, I've looked into it, and several of my friends and graduates of my high school (one of the best in the state) are Bama-bound next fall. And if you like AL, it's a sweet deal.</p>

<p>OK, back to what you asked for...UAB I think you have a good shot at. They have a pre-dental program; my mom used to teach dentistry classes there, and she says they have a pretty good dental school that you can probably cross-enroll in. And if you stay (or move) around Birmingham, there's that really good culinary school...name is slipping my mind right now. But there is one.</p>

<p>Vandy, if you can get your ACT up, is within reach, however they seem to be rejecting a lot of Bama applicants this year (a bunch from my school) so be careful.</p>

<p>You should get into Auburn, and even if you can't get full tuition, you should still get some scholarships.</p>

10

<p>I don't think playing football senior year is a must. I've done a lot and overcame a lot with it (and my life in general), so I think I could still write an essay involving my football experience. Plus, here's one way to look at it...How often do you see the starting quarterback reject playing his senior year? Not only just starting, but a chance at all-metro, all-state honors? And all the hoo-rah that you get that goes along with being "the man"? I think you can look at it and say, "This kid is unique. He doesn't care about all the talk, being the big man on campus, or what others think. He just cares about what makes him happy, and if football for Columbia High School was no longer making him happy...I'm glad he took another hobby up that he'd enjoy more. Happiness over "fame"."</p>

<p>It's all a big question mark right now, but that's how I look at it right now. </p>

<p>I know everyone won't look at it that way, but oh well. </p>

<p>***Hey, checkout these Vandy scholarships and tell me what you think of my possibilities of getting them:</p>

<p>Merit</a> Scholarship Programs</p>

<p>I'm referring to the Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship Program, Chancellor's Scholarship Program, and the Ingram Scholarship Program.</p>

<p>Any 3 of those. I don't see any ACT score requirements for those scholarships, and I'd love to have any one of those. Marshall's scholarship and those 3 scholarships that Vandy offer give you the opportunity to study abroad---which I really want to do.</p>

11

<p>Oh...I forgot to mention I'm also in Spanish Honor Society, and this year I should be receiving "Most Oustanding Spanish Student" from our school (only 1 kid per school; should've gotten it this year, but I was honestly screwed out of that. Criteria was to be in the highest level of Spanish at our school and to have the highest grade---I had both of those. I had 97, she had a 93. Plus, I am a prominent member of Spanish club...she's not even in Spanish Club). Favoritism? Yessir.</p>

12

<p>How about Tulane? I heard it gives pretty good merit aid, and it's down south too. LOL. Well, I'd suggest that you raise your ACT to above 30 to give you a good shot at merit aid. After all, merit aid is based on merit.</p>

<p>P.S> Am I the only one who thought Obama when you said 'Bama? XD</p>

13

<p>leftwichqb7</p>

<p>Vandy would not like your tests scores at all.</p>

<p>You would not, no offense, be thought of as overly unique if you formally registered as Cherokee and applied to Vandy. I mean no offense to you at all when I state that. It is just that there are a very fair amount of folks over in Tennessee who are of Native American extraction and all (most especially in Eastern Tennessee). </p>

<p>However, Vandy would like some of your EC's as well as your academic background. So, I would make Vandy my far reach if anything. </p>

<p>I think that your home state of Alabama has some really fine schools, though. So, maybe you should start prioritizing and put your home state schools first (most especially Marshall) and then just work your way down from there, eh? </p>

<p>Lastly, once again, I mean no offense to your Cherokee background. I am from Eastern Tennessee and so I was just giving you a little insider's opinion if you will.</p>

14

<p>What about Wake Forest? They just made standardized tests optional.</p>

15

<p>Marshall's actually in West Virginia. </p>

<p>26 is not my final score. I am certain I will raise it 2-4 points when it's all said and done. I'm actually about to go study now. However, I know it's hard to say anything when my ACT score isn't set in stone.</p>

<p>Tulane doesn't really attract me. To be honest, I don't want to stay down south. Vanderbilt is the only school that really attracts me in the South.</p>

16

<p>Wake Forest actually crossed my mind, Hunt.</p>

17

<p>^^^bump^^^</p>

18

<p>^Bump</p>

<p>Any other high match schools out there for me that are similar to the schools within my original post?
(Preferably schools that are on the Atlantic coast or Northeast).</p>

19

<p>Bumppppppppppppppppp</p>