Choosing a college is one of life’s big decisions, and the process of getting in is an exciting — but often stressful — rite of passage. To find out what that passage is really like, U.S. News visited T.R. Robinson High School in Tampa, Florida, in late April to ask a group of seniors what went into their calculus for deciding on a college.
RHS is a neighborhood school whose International Baccalaureate diploma program attracts about one-third of the student body. Nearly a third are connected to the military, with family members stationed at nearby MacDill Air Force Base.
The school population is diverse: 47 percent of students are white; Hispanics comprise more than 21 percent; and African-American students account for 15 percent. Nearly half qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Eighty-five percent of students go on to college. Here’s how eight seniors found the right fit — and what it took for them to make the cut.
With an eye toward studying mechanical engineering, Watkins was methodical in applying to college. He started with a list of 10 schools and checked them out by talking to college reps who visited T.R. Robinson High School and by consulting the U.S. News rankings.
He whittled the choices to five Southeastern schools — the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, the University of Alabama, Duke University and Georgia Institute of Technology. He decided the last two schools were too far from home and applied to the first three, all of which he visited at least twice and deemed “beautiful campuses.”
He got into all and then calculated “cost, the strength of the engineering program, and proximity to home” to settle on the “just perfect” University of Florida.
He expects scholarships to cover about one-third of the cost. For example, Florida’s Bright Futures scholarship provides up to $101 per credit hour for students with GPAs above 3.0 who go to Florida schools. The rest will be covered by his family and $4,500 in loans.
GPA: 3.85 unweighted
SAT/ACT scores: 660 math, 680 critical reading, 630 writing
Extracurriculars: Student government, Latin Club and Feed America Club, which raises awareness about food insecurity.
Essay: Discussed his desire to pursue a career with NASA or Lockheed Martin and his record of achievement despite his father’s death when he was starting high school.
Good move: He reached out to schools after submitting his applications to verify receipt and to inquire about honors programs. “They learn your name, and it was helpful to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.”
Regret: Not playing sports. A dislocated knee sophomore year prevented him from playing football.
Helpful: Getting off to a strong start as a high school freshman by attending two summer academic programs before ninth grade.
Advice: “Stay on top of the process” to cut down on the stress of dealing with so many details and deadlines.
This story is excerpted from the U.S. News “Best Colleges 2017” guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data.
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How I Got to College: Chase Watkins originally appeared on usnews.com
