Congratulations to Jack Do, recipient of the $1,000 College Raptor scholarship award! Through his essay, I learned more about Jack’s college search journey and the challenges he faced.
Check out Jack’s Q&A below! He has a lot of interesting things to say, and plenty of advice to give for fellow students.
Tell us a little about yourself!
Hello, my name is Jack Do and I am graduating from Archer High School! At school, I am vice president of Mu Alpha Theta and an active member in the Archer Reads team. I love promoting literacy and mathematics among the student body! In my free time, I like to play basketball and volleyball with my friends, and I also love working with children. I teach Vietnamese at my church every Saturday.
What do you plan on studying?
I plan on pursuing a biomedical engineering degree with a computer science minor. Going into the biomedical engineering field combines two academic areas I care most about—medicine and STEM. Not only can I use the skills I enjoyed learning throughout my academic career in math and science, but I can apply it directly into helping others.
What drew you to Georgia Tech?
Georgia Tech’s biomedical engineering program is among the best in the nation, albeit, challenging. The location of the school is optimal for connections and finding employment opportunities as well, in the heart of Atlanta. Furthermore, not only am I close to home with my family, but I can continue to participate in my church community that I grew up in. I can also take advantage of the Zell Miller and HOPE in state scholarships offered.
What was the most challenging aspect of your college search?
The most challenging aspect of my college search was my financial aid. There are many online resources on various blogs and unreliable websites that estimate the financial aid package that various schools would offer. The school’s website is also at times very vague in providing adequate financial aid information and eligibility.
Learning about College Raptor which provided the most concise and accurate financial aid information for all the schools interested onto one compiled database ultimately facilitated the college application process. I only applied to schools that met my financial standards, and College Raptor helped me save time and money when applying.
Which College Raptor tool / aspect did you find most useful in your search?
College Raptor’s compilation of financial information was most useful to me specifically. Not only did the data provide an estimate for how much I would have to pay, but it compared it simultaneously with other colleges. I also found the median starting salary an interesting statistic, which ultimately helped me determine whether or not I could pay off the loans in a given amount of time.
Besides this scholarship, what else are you doing to fund your education?
I’m going to learn how to trade and participate in the stock market. I’ve always wanted to invest and play the stock market because I’ve loved working with numbers and managing money. I also hope to work a few part time jobs throughout my college career, which would certainly help finance my needs as a college student. Other than that, I hope to reach out to more scholarship opportunities.
What’s one piece of advice you’d like to share with students beginning their college search?
Students beginning their college search should start early, talk to their counselors, and dream big! Many big name schools offer need-based financial aid, so paying for school should not be considered as a large factor as it has been in the past. Starting early by reaching out to current students or alumni will provide applicants with a clear picture on the application process and the overall school environment. Then, by talking to school counselors. Students can begin writing resumes and asking for recommendations from teachers, while also requesting transcripts and required documents from counselors early. Ensuring that counselors and teachers have sufficient time to submit them.
Congratulations, Jack! Everyone at College Raptor wishes you success at Georgia Tech!
Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!
