A York County high school senior will be attending a private university next year on an almost full-ride.
Her dedication and knowledge on how to apply for assistance is paying off in a big way.
York Country Day School senior, Conchita Garcia, wants to attend American University, in Washington D.C. next year. She says, “It’s s really politically involved school and that’s something I want to be a part of.”
Garcia plans to study communications and the Government. But attending her dream school raises questions. She says, “Will I get in? Will I be able to afford it?”
Garcia got in. And paying for the estimated $58,000 a year university is also attainable.
Garcia says, “I got an estimate for my FAFSA, filled that out in February and applied for State grants, still waiting and applied to a few other scholarships.”
Garcia applied for grants early. According to her college counseling director, Jake Doll, the earlier you apply, the better.
Doll says, “If you’re a junior this year, now’s the time to get cracking. You’ll be getting into your Senior year, thinking about the application process for college.”
Doll says there are hundreds of scholarships available. He says, “You might not be the ultimate scholar or athlete, but you can write and submit an essay that will be meaningful about citizenship, how and why an event or person is important to you.”
Garcia’s been awarded nearly $53,000 for her first year at American. That’s almost a full-ride. And it’s a reward that’s out there for anyone willing to try.
She says, “It’s definitely possible. People just need to be well-informed and go to people. It’s not always going to come to you, you need to go out and ask.”
Many school counselors are available throughout the year to help you through the application process. They’re also resourceful when it comes to what scholarships to apply to and how to get a hold of them.