The winner of the latest College Raptor $2,500 scholarship is Bronwyn Mogck! I got the chance to interview Bronwyn about her college search journey. We discussed the challenges she faced within the college prep process as well.
Bronwyn’s scholarship winner interview is chock full of helpful tips, heartfelt advice, and a great story about searching for the right college.
Tell us a little about yourself!
Hi! I’m Bronwyn Mogck and I am currently a freshman at Villanova University. I am a biology major following the Pre-Health Professions track. In high school, I was a tutor in my school’s Writing Center and served as Student Body Vice President. I also love working with kids. I was a Sunday School teacher, camp counselor and a page in my local library. For fun, I like to read, run, hike, and go out to eat with friends.
You mentioned in your essay you dream of becoming a doctor! What drew you to that profession?
I have always been drawn to the idea of service and I knew that doing good for others needed to be a part of my adult life. I love that practicing medicine will give me numerous opportunities to help those in need. Furthermore, I took AP Biology in high school. I also had a four-year Biomedical Science course through Project Lead the Way. These classes were always my favorites and introduced me to the idea of pursuing a career in the medical field.
How did your intended major affect your college search process?
My intended major of Biology affected my college process because I needed to pay special attention to the quality of the laboratory experience offered and the internship and research opportunities I would have access to. Additionally, I looked at medical school acceptance rates. While biology is a fairly common major, I still needed to ensure that the science department was strong. Academics come first and researching my major was the guiding factor in my college search.
How did College Raptor help you when it came to understanding financial aid and college costs?
I went into the college application process knowing almost nothing about financial aid, scholarships, or loans. I used to assume that the first amount Google spit out to me would be the number I would pay, but College Raptor gave me an actual, useful understanding of financial aid. By plugging in my parents’ incomes and assets, as well as my own, I was given a much more realistic cost. Receiving this number enabled me to begin planning for my future.
Without College Raptor, I would’ve assumed that every college would give my family endless financial aid. In reality, this was very far from the case. College Raptor also helped my family understand what a large financial impact college was going to make in our lives. Thanks to College Raptor, I filled out my FAFSA early, received a SAR, and began applying for financial aid and scholarships, putting me on the path to attend college and afford it.
Did looking at your net price estimates on College Raptor change which schools you were considering?
Definitely! I was able to add a few schools to my list because I knew they would be more affordable options. Also, I still applied to a few of the schools that College Raptor warned me would be expensive, but because of this prior knowledge, I was able to manage my expectations about expenses and begin to look into scholarship options outside of the school’s own financial aid.
As the oldest of three, what advice will you give your younger siblings when it comes to college?
Although I love my school and am very proud to be a Wildcat, I wouldn’t want to put any pressure on my siblings to follow in my footsteps. I think everyone’s college process should be very specific to them. In order to make the right choice, they need to put a lot of time and effort into researching the specifics of each school. Their college search should consider academics, especially the departments involved with their major, extracurricular opportunities, location, cost, and community.
I would recommend that my siblings use tools like College Raptor to make their college search more detailed so they will end up at a school that fits them well.
Congratulations again, Bronwyn! Everyone here at College Raptor wishes you luck throughout your college years!
Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!
