the “haha” is not necessary, it’s not punctuation :), better lose it now before you start communicating with colleges.
A hook is being/doing something the college needs. Some are known (legacy, athlete, URM, development) and some are unknown (you can’t predict if they’ll need a bassoon player when you, the bassoon player, apply.)
Being an entrepreneur is not a hook. If neither parent graduated from a 4-year college then you’re considered first gen and it’s a hook at some colleges.
However, it doesn’t sound like being first gen caused you a lot of hardships shaping you as a person with grit, inner resourcefulness, etc. An example of overcoming hardship is a kid who was homeless, he depended on others to drive him to a place where he could catch a bus; if the other person was short on cash for gas, then he had to walk for 2 hours and would arrive late, and he didn’t want to reveal he was homeless so he was penalized. Obviously walking when temperatures are in their teens isn’t great, since you sweat - and sweat, being water, can freeze, and when you’re homeless you also don’t have the proper clothes and shoes, so you are in physical pain the whole time and can get sick. And of course because you do get sick but can’t see a doctor or buy drugs, and your living conditions aren’t quite what you need to recover, you miss more school, which you then have to catch up upon. Getting good grades becomes a heroic feat, going to school a test of perseverance, staying healthy and optimistic and thinking about college requires depths of energy and hope. This is what is called “overcoming obstacles” and it’s only a hook at some colleges.[and yes, the kid above did get into college and is currently attending a school he loves, after much angst and getting rejected from his first choices, all of which were less selective than UVA or BC.]
At colleges that take first-gen status into account, they WILL count the fact your parents are probably clueless about the process and thus that you show more independence than most in the process.
Do you attend a public or a private school?
The fact you had to work for what you have will be important (and it will serve you well in college, because without work ethics it’d be harder to succeed) but it’s not the same as having to overcome hardship.
For this level of school, raising $200 will not be impressive (they’re used to amounts in the thousands - like the kids who raised money for veterans by recycling phones, or the one who organized a carwash advertised throughout town…) The bar is really high. However, your personal interest is apparent in the little blurb above - keep working on that “voice” and the amount doesn’t matter for a real, personal interest, rather the fact you raised money for a cause you believe in is what matters. For Stanford though you’ll need to have made a lasting impact - we’re talking resarch or raising awareness in your town with real numbers quantifying that impact.
Would you qualify for Bright Futures? (Beware, the thresholds for qualifications have been upped considerably - it used to be that for a minimum award you needed ACT20, but it’s been pushed to 26, meaning 80% Floridian students don’t qualify anymore.)
You need to start by investigating various campus environments. Visit the large public university nearest to you, a large private (UMiami? UTampa?), and a LAC or two, to start with (Eckerd, Rollins…) Figure out what type of environment you want, how far you can go from home, etc. Ask your parents how much they will contribute for your college (keep in mind that in their time, it was possible to “work your way through” college but it’s no longer possible, so you need to know how much they’ll contribute.) Learn what your budget will be and run the Net Price Calculators. Cross out any college that doesn’t fit the budget. Know whether you’ll need to pursue merit aid or not. Take the ACT as often as need - the threshold for merit at most public universities is 32, but that’s basic for Stanford (75% have that or higher) and just allows you to pass the first cut.
If you tell us
-your parents’ budget
- areas you’re interested in (humanities, science…)
- current GPA and scores
we’ll be able to suggest colleges to look into.
In addition, borrow from your library or read: Princeton review’s guide to the colleges (succinct, covers the top 10% colleges in the country for stats AND vibe - vibe is very important). For details, Insider’s guide or Fiske guide are good tools.