Upcoming High School Senior here in dirt town Arizona. Tiny high school with little prospects, and virtually no outreach in terms of scholarship funding. I am in the top 10% of my class (I may get to top 7 at the end of this year), and I currently have a 3.83 GPA, unweighted (School refuses to weigh GPA’s despite the fact that almost all my classes are taken via dual enrollment at the community college). The aim of the citizens of Maricopa, AZ is very menial, they want us to graduate high school early, and get an associate’s degree and enter the work force as soon as possible, or transfer to in-state. I wouldn’t mind by I want to major in Food Science, possibly doubling with Horticulture Sciences, which aren’t offered as a Masters at any of the colleges here in Arizona. My question to you all is to help me organize my situations as to which colleges are a reach, safety, or match, and which you think will provide the most financial aid. Thank you so much. Any scholarship advice would help too ;).
Specs:
3.83 GPA Unweighted, around 4.5 Weighted
29 on ACT, 29E, 28M, 31R, 29 S (plan on retaking)
1360 on PSAT
Most all my classes since junior year are college-level dual enrollment.
African-American
130,000 yr. Family Income
Lots of volunteer service, and more to be completed this year.
An active member in church volunteer staff.
Founding member of AquaPonics club in freshman year.
(EDIT: Also neither of my parents received a degree from college, although my father almost received his bachelors’s)
Colleges in Question:
University of Florida (Dream college)
Ohio State University
Cornell University (I know this one is a long shot)
Alabama A&M
Texas A&M
UCLA-Davis
Deleware State University
University of Kentucky (Last resort choice, but if it helps me this college is in the city and state I was born and raised in, til we moved in 2012)
Once again thank you for any positive or constructive input, I certainly need all the help I can get.