Scipio breaks school record for scholarship offers
By Melissa Rollins, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
Throughout high school when Savoris Scipio thought about applying to college he always had one specific school in mind: the University of South Carolina-Columbia. Little did he know that he would exit high school having been accepted to more than five dozen colleges and universities.
Scipio was a member of the Mayo High School Class of 2018. He said that a running competition among the school’s students led him to a record number of acceptance letters and scholarship offers.
“We have a competition to see who can get the most money and we wanted to beat last year,” Scipio said. “I wanted to put my mark on beating the other class. The total was all of the money that I was eligible for at the schools I applied to. I was surprised because I didn’t think it would be that big: $4 million. I didn’t think it would be anywhere near that.”
Scipio said that he had a strategy when filling out applications.
“I mostly looked at schools that needed a fee waiver and I used my ACT fee waiver,” he said. “Some didn’t need fee waivers and I also applied for them, just to bring up my total. For some schools I was accepted but you had to go deeper into the application process to get to the scholarships.”
Having been offered more than $4 million in scholarships, Scipio carried a large part of his class’s $16.5 million total.
Even with 67 other choices, his dream school ended up being the perfect one for him.
“The University of South Carolina was the school that I’ve wanted to go to since ninth or tenth grade so I was more adamant about going there than anywhere else; I had my scope set on that,” Scipio said. “I knew that they had a bunch of stuff in the arts and I wanted to do graphic design so I started looking at that. They also have a great music program and I want to minor in music. Either one I decide on, I’ll be in a great program.”
Scipio said that his family was excited for all the opportunities he was offered and was happy that he will be venturing out on his own in Columbia.
“My family was very excited for me,” Scipio said. “They didn’t know the exact total (scholarships or schools) so when that came out they were very surprised. My mom is okay with me venturing out as long as I know that if I need anything I can always come to her. She feels, and I feel too, that college teaches you to be on your own. It is a learning process and if I need anything mom is there, dad is there, grandma and grandpa are there to back you up. It isn’t a hard thing, it is just getting used to it and adapting to the culture of college. My sister went to Francis Marion so if I need anything she is always there.”
While intending to major in graphic design, he is wide open to any career options that come his way.
“I would like to do anything and everything with graphic design; I love everything with Photoshop, Adobe Suites, Illustrator.”
Scipio said that his advice for incoming freshman would be to find out who they are rather than being who others want them to be.
“It is going to be hard but they’ll find what they want to do and who exactly they are,” Scipio said. “They don’t have to base their opinions off of other people. The more they go through high school, they’ll find out who they are, what they want to do and how they are going to carry that on in other people’s lives.”
