Aside from Mercer University, I have received the following offers:

 

I’d wanted to share this for a while. First of all, I want to say Alhamdulillah for everything.

I was awarded the Presidential Scholarship at Mercer University, which covers 100% of my tuition and fees, and I was also selected for their Honors Program.

Aside from Mercer University, I have received the following offers:

-The Presidential Scholarship from the University of Alabama that almost covers full tuition.

-The full tuition scholarship from Koç University (Turkey’s No. 1 university).

-The Presidential Honorary Scholarship of 14K USD/year from Truman State University, which I believe is the highest scholarship they provided to international students this year, also almost covers full tuition.

-The highest international scholarship offered by Menlo College, valued at $120,000 over four years.

I was also a Matchlighters Scholar in the College Essay Guy’s Matchlighters Scholars Program.

I still have some university decisions to hear back from; we’ll see how that goes, but I am most likely going to commit to Mercer University. I really love the university, and it feels like the perfect fit for me.

Here’s a glimpse of my profile:

I have a 5.00 GPA for both SSC and HSC and an SAT score in the 99th percentile. My extracurricular activities include leadership, internships, passion projects, writing, academics, and business. I hope to major in economics with a minor in computer science.

If I had to order the components of my profile from good to decent, I would order them as follows: 

Essays & Interviews → ECAs → Academics → Others.

Some valuable insights that I gained during the admissions process:

Luck matters a lot in this process, but it’s not the only factor. Work hard so that luck favors you. I could rant for hours about how I DESERVED this university acceptance or that scholarship that I didn’t get because of luck. But you also have to realize that God might have a different plan for you. Be grateful no matter what, and always be open to adapting.

Make sure to connect each part of your application, such as your extracurricular activities, values, and goals, to craft a character that shows the real you. Be authentic and hope for the best.

Research the universities you're applying to and link their mission statements and values to your essays to demonstrate why you would be an excellent fit.

I could go on for hours with the insights, and it still wouldn’t end. If you all want me to further share my insights, I’ll be happy to make a video about them.

Finally, to all future applicants reading this post, no matter how difficult life gets or how impossible things might seem, if you have the tenacity and truly believe in yourself, don't get persuaded by what others think or say. Your decisions are yours to take, and not everyone will perceive things the same way as you would. If you believe that you can accomplish your goals by giving your all, then go for it!

It’s never easy to be a lone wolf and face every challenge alone, which is why communities like BBB and A2C are the perfect resources for people like me. I’m honestly very grateful to be a part of this, and I hope to contribute to this community in the future<3