<p>Here's my story. I'm a fairly poor African American girl coming from a rural public school in Oklahoma. I am currently a junior. My EC's are pretty good considering my school's limitations. I'm involved in several clubs with a few officer positions (NHS, Drama, BPA, etc.), academic bowl (a good team), and a few community organizations. Further involvement has been a challenge because most community activity in my town is church related, and I'm not religious. I'm a contender for valedictorian and have a 4.0 GPA unweighted. I have not taken any AP tests, but my school offers no AP classes. I am taking some classes at a local university however and am doing well. </p>
<p>My ACT score is a 33 (E:33 M:34 R:33 S:30). I haven't taken the writing portion yet, but am pretty sure I'll do fine on it. I have not taken the SAT. As far as national merit, I haven't received my scores back yet so I'm not sure how likely that will be, but I'm am almost certain that if national merit falls though that I will qualify for national achievement. </p>
<p>As far as my essay, I've got plenty of stuff to write an interesting story. I've dealt with a lot of racism, discouragement from my community, and have overcome some big personal challenges. I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to milk my life to produce something that'll stand out. My Uniqueness is what I'm planning on using the most.</p>
<p>With all that in mind, what would my chances for HYPS be? Unless I get the Gates Millennium scholarship, I am restricted to either local schools or ones that consider me poor enough to pay my entire way, and I just miss the cutoff for most of the lower ivies and non-ivy top tear schools. Any advice on how to improve? Any input's appreciated :)</p>