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She applied to 90 colleges and universities, and 72 of them sent their acceptance letters to her. Now, Ja’Leaha Thornton of Belle Glade, FL, is sharing her journey through the college application process and words of encouragement for her fellow seniors.
“I know the process of applying could be kind of overwhelming to many, and instead of stressing myself out, I decided to make it a competition…and see how many I can actually get into,” the high school senior told Good Morning America. “I wanted to broaden my horizons and explore some different schools outside of my state.”
Thornton simultaneously used the Common App and the Common Black College Application to apply to various colleges, utilizing her application fee waivers. The most she spent on fees was $20.
She had several institutions in mind regarding which to attend, like her dream school Howard University and the University of Florida. In the end, Thornton made her decision and will be attending Xavier University in Louisiana.
“I was nervous about opening the letter because, like, this is one of the top schools, and I already made a mistake with sending the wrong college essay,” she said. “And when I opened the letter and actually got accepted, I was like, ‘Wow, like this is options for me now. I’m not only considering Howard or UF; I have this school, and I have options.’ So it was very exciting.”
While in college, she plans to major in pre-medical psychology and minoring in chemistry. She also plans to study abroad in Asia and go to medical school after graduating. As for her career, Thornton wants to pursue a career in forensic psychiatry.
“At first, I was looking into becoming a child psychiatrist….but the more I looked into it, I became more interested in working with the people who have committed crimes and trying to get them back on the right track, studying their stories and seeing how we can apply that to life,” she said.
Thornton will be graduating on May 24 from Glades Central Community High School as her class valedictorian with a 4.9 GPA. The advice she has for others embarking on the same journey is never to hold themselves back.
“Shoot beyond the sky because it’s a world out there, and it has so much for us to explore, so don’t limit ourselves,” she said. “Go beyond what’s in front of you and don’t take advantage of time. Use your resources and your opportunity.”
As for her support system, the Florida teen said her family, friends, and mentors had been a solid foundation for her.
I just wanted to make sure I give special shoutouts to my family, especially my mom, my great grandmother, my grandmother, and my uncle,” the Glades Central Community High School senior said. “They have been the solid foundation for me. I believe in the saying ‘It takes a village to build a child,’ and that was my village.”
“Also, my school family, my guidance counselor, my teachers, and my friends,” she added. “Pretty much everybody that helped me through the journey. I’m just excited for the next steps of my life.”