Greetings to all. I am intending to major in either Biophysics or Neuroscience with a minor in either Linguistics or Spanish. I have been given priority by Duke in selection for the FOCUS Program which really interests me due to its interdisciplinarity. I am also enticed by DukeEngage. Due to my abusive relationship with my father, I submitted a CSS non-custodial parent waiver and was successful in getting his requirements waived by Duke, Middlebury and W&L. Duke expects me to pay $2600 (potentially $4800 without the included work-study. I would prefer not to do work-study since the FOCUS program is already intensive). As it relates to Middlebury, I am not yet sure of the aid amount. I really love W&L and my tuition and housing fees have been covered by them and I am only expected to pay
$3400 if I don’t do work-study or apply for loans. FSU’s presidential scholars program has offered aid somewhat, but I still have to pay around $6000. I am however fascinated by the $12000 given for travel experiences.
Overall, I am a lover of sports and school spirit, I grew up in a Caribbean country, and tend to cherish diversity and the varied experiences of individuals. I adore the sciences and languages, in fact I love just about any subject. Furthermore, I love serving others as well as being immersed in foreign cultures. All schools have reached out to me with specific individuals from their respective admissions departments telling me what they liked about my application. I am really in a fix and would love to get some feedback.