What are my chances- Ernie Pyle Scholar?

Hi! I’m a high school junior who intends to apply to IU’s media school, and I want to be an Ernie Pyle scholar more than anything. What are my chances, and what kind of scholarships could I get?

Female, Hispanic, OOS (Florida) International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate.

GPA: unweighted 3.77, weighted 4.76 (whereabouts).

SAT: haven’t taken, but performed well on PSAT and fully expect to National Merit.

ACT: Will take soon.

IB Classes:
HL History
HL English
HL Visual Arts
SL Mathematics
SL Chemistry
SL Spanish
IB Theory of Knowledge

AP: 5 on AP European History, currently taking APUSH and AP Lang. Will take AP Lit and AP Chem next year, maybe others as well ( built into IB classes at my school).

Extra-curriculars: 1) third year journalism student, second year staffer on school newspaper with a page editor position. 2) layout editor position on school magazine. 3) History Bowl member 4) NHS 5) Started own club that designs student newspapers for elementary school children and gives them journalism instruction based on state standards 6) Chemistry Club 7) Film club 8) Ambassador (kind of like a school historian-- works on projects preserving school’s past, gives tours to freshmen and visitors, etc) 9) Former rower (had to quit because it cost too much money). 10) Staffer on local newspaper’s teen paper (died out first year I was on staff. Sad.)

Awards/Accolades/Other: 1) Many, many journalism awards for writing and layout design in newspaper and literary magazine. 2) recipient of a statewide journalism award-- all 9th and 10th grade journalism students in the state of Florida were eligible to apply, and I was one of two winners 3) published in professional newspaper’s monthly feature magazine (it wasn’t a “teen” issue or anything, I was published alongside a Pulitzer Prize winner).

I was told to look into this university by a Pulitzer Prize semifinalist, and I have a lot of ties and have worked with professional journalists in my area. If I don’t become an Ernie Pyle scholar, I’ll most likely end up applying and going to UF because I would do so at basically no cost. My only concern about IU is the weather-- I don’t know how my Florida native self would take it. I’d need to buy many a jacket.

Sorry if this is too long, and thanks for reading/responding!

…bump? This is my number one goal for now and I want to know if I’m heading in the right direction.

Your chances are okay given your impressive journalism ECs, but your GPA is not in line with past winners - get straight A’s this year. Hopefully you’ll also be the managing editor by the time you apply next fall.

“The freshmen honors students of 2013, for example, averaged 1381 in SAT scores, 31.6 in ACT and 3.92 in GPA.”

Keep in mind that the Media School is still a great place to go even if you’re not an Ernie Pyle scholar.

Good luck!