Chances at SMU - Hunt Scholarship? Honors Program?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Southern Methodist University
1

Hello,

I am a senior at one of the most competitive private schools in my state (TX). I was recently admitted into SMU with a merit scholarship of $120,000, which I’m happy about, but my family despite their income is in pretty deep debt, so I want to apply for the Hunt Scholarship. I wanted to know what my chances are of that as well as being admitted into the Honors College. Here are my stats:

(Good)

-4.03 GPA (3.93 unweighted)
-33 ACT
-Most rigorous course curriculum offered in every subject at my school, tons of AP classes and honors
-4 year varsity tennis starter (captain for three years, made playoffs three years I was captain)
-first freshman ever at my school to be elected captain for a varsity sports team
-demonstrated a lot of interest in SMU
-3 year varsity football starter
-2 years of JV basketball (didn’t play much because I wasn’t good at basketball)
-national honors society
-almost 200 hours of community service, a lot of which was working in emergency rooms in hospitals or clinics.
-spent two weeks in Seattle at a medical conference for aspiring physicians
-paid work as a lifeguard for a year, fully certified in CPR/First Aid
-member of debate team for two years, won rookie of the year award in the first year, qualified for state tournament
-foreign exchange program, hosted two students, one from Vietnam and another from Latvia
-elected senior class representative on student council
-started my own club and served as chairman (scientific research club)
-actor in two theater productions for my school
-felt very strongly about my essay
-no disciplinary record

(Bad)

-Shaky about my recommendations, don’t think I impressed the teachers I asked very much
-Made a C+ in AP Physics junior year
-Negative trend in grades (almost all A’s), but more A-'s and all my B’s and my one C+ were in physics
-white, male, good family income
-did not create a fancy organization or company during my time in high school like others have
-did not do research in high school

what are my chances like? I love brutal honesty. Thank you!

2

I was in the second Hunt class (SMU '98). For years, I have read Hunt admission applications (I am not this year as I needed a break). There is no Hunt profile, per se. The Hunt Scholarship is looking for future leaders. At most, you can base that on what a candidate has already demonstrated. Admittedly, few high school seniors have had the opportunity to show a lot of leadership. That being said, in the years I have read applications, I have personally read about many interesting and exciting applicants. Your background fits the bill of what would be considered. That does not mean that you would make the cut. It merely means that your application is likely (read that word again, “likely”) being read by a group of readers. The readers then, blindly, submit who they think make the best applicants. Said another way, the applicant pool is divided so as no one reader reads all applications (thank God). All applications have multiple readers. I don’t know how the other readers score any other application. The highest applicants are then invited to campus for interviews. Then, based upon the hated “holistic” approach, the top candidates are awarded a Hunt Scholarship.

Do you have a chance? Sure. In fairness, your application would be similar to several others in the queue I would read (were I reading). Something in your file would have to make you stand out. The above cannot and would not do that.

I hope that helps.

Go Ponies.