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Jordan's PlaybookClass of 2030 · Updated June 2026
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Jordan's Playbook

We did the research. Here is what to go after, why it matters, and what to do next.

Our recommendation

Start with University of Mississippi.

Jordan already qualifies for $10,278 in Academic Merit plus the $4,000 1848 Award on Ole Miss’s published resident charts. The two awards combine, bringing the estimated yearly cost to about $17,000 with no scholarship essay or committee decision.

Estimated savings: University of Mississippi could cost about $86,000 less per year than University of Southern California, the most expensive school on your list.

$17Kestimated per year
Do these first

Your next three moves

  1. 1

    Secure Ole Miss’s $14,278 in automatic awards

    $14,278 per year

    FALL
  2. 2

    Bank Mississippi State’s $10,500 as the comparison

    $10,500 per year

    FALL
  3. 3

    Price the Alabama brand premium honestly

    $15,000 more than Ole Miss per year

    DEC 4
Your school order

Where to focus first

Ranked for this student. Compare the price, merit savings, and what your family may pay.

University of Mississippi

Start here

Two published awards combine to $14,278 a year at Jordan’s grades and score. Estimated yearly cost: about $17,000.

Yearly price math, rounded
Published cost$31,000
Merit aid counted$14,000
Your estimated cost$17,000
What that means for you

Fits the yearly budget you gave us.

Send the ACT score. Your student's numbers already earn $2,000/year at 3.5 GPA + 23–28 ACT; $4,000/year at 3.5 GPA + 29+ ACT here.

3 scholarships at this school made our go-after list.

This school says yes to almost everyone who applies. About 97 of every 100 students get in.

Your student's score is higher than most students who got in here.

Four years at this price would be about $68,000, if prices and awards stay the same.

That depends on keeping the scholarship each year. See "Will this last four years?" below.

See why it ranks here

You live in Mississippi. Some awards here are only for Mississippi residents, and your student counts as one.

The middle half of admitted students scored about 21 to 29 on the ACT.

This school does not require test scores.

Fall 2022 admissions data, U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Will this last four years?1848 Award (Mississippi resident supplement): Renewable with the underlying Academic scholarship based on grades or talentsAcademic scholarship based on grades or talents (Mississippi residents): Renewable for up to 8 consecutive fall/spring semesters per Ole Miss's published terms

Why it could work

  • Jordan’s 33 ACT lands in the top $10,278 band of the resident Academic Merit chart.
  • Jordan’s 3.92 GPA clears the 3.5 line that adds the $4,000 1848 Award on top.
  • The estimate uses Ole Miss’s published $31,154 in-state cost and both published awards.

What could change this

  • Apply and send the official ACT score so both awards attach to the file.
  • The resident Academic Merit award caps at the 33 ACT line. A 34 or 35 earns the same dollars.
  • The January 10 scholarship application adds competitive awards like Stamps and Provost on top. It is worth filing.
How sure we are: Strong support from published information. Based on 1 published source.

Mississippi State University

Worth a close look

Jordan’s stats hit the top cell of the published resident grid: $10,500 a year. Estimated yearly cost: about $24,000.

Yearly price math, rounded
Published cost$34,000
Merit aid counted$10,000
Your estimated cost$24,000
What that means for you

Fits the yearly budget you gave us.

Send the ACT score. Your student's numbers already earn $1,000–$10,500/year based on HS GPA × ACT grid (see notes for full chart) here.

1 scholarship at this school made our go-after list.

This school says yes to about 78 of every 100 students who apply.

Your student's score is higher than most students who got in here.

Four years at this price would be about $96,000, if prices and awards stay the same.

That depends on keeping the scholarship each year. See "Will this last four years?" below.

See why it ranks here

You live in Mississippi. Some awards here are only for Mississippi residents, and your student counts as one.

The middle half of admitted students scored about 21 to 29 on the ACT.

This school does not require test scores.

Fall 2022 admissions data, U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Will this last four years?To renew, keep a 3.0 college GPA with continuous full-time enrollment.Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship (Mississippi residents): Renewable for up to 8 semesters with a 3.0 cumulative college GPA and continuous full-time enrollment (12 credit hours per semester at MSU)

Why it could work

  • Jordan’s 3.92 GPA and 33 ACT sit in the scholarship chart’s top cell: $10,500 per year.
  • The estimate uses Mississippi State’s published $34,431 in-state cost.
  • The bill runs about $7,000 more per year than Ole Miss. Campus fit decides.

What could change this

  • Submit ACT or SAT scores. Test-optional admission does not unlock the scholarship grid.
  • Scores from the February test date of senior year are the last accepted.
How sure we are: Strong support from published information. Based on 1 published source.

University of Alabama

Keep as a backup

The $28,000 Presidential Scholarship is automatic, but the out-of-state bill still lands near $32,000 a year.

Yearly price math, rounded
Published cost$60,000
Merit aid counted$28,000
Your estimated cost$32,000
What that means for you

Above the yearly budget you gave us, even in the best case.

Send the ACT score. Your student's numbers already earn $28,000/year here.

1 scholarship at this school made our go-after list.

This school says yes to about 77 of every 100 students who apply.

Your student's score is higher than most students who got in here.

Four years at this price would be about $128,000, if prices and awards stay the same.

That depends on keeping the scholarship each year. See "Will this last four years?" below.

See why it ranks here

Your student is out of state here. This school still publishes awards out-of-state students can earn.

The middle half of admitted students scored about 24 to 31 on the ACT.

This school does not require test scores.

Fall 2022 admissions data, U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Will this last four years?To keep the award, Jordan needs a 3.0 Alabama GPA and must complete at least 67% of attempted credit hours.Presidential Scholarship: Renewable for up to 8 semesters with a cumulative 3.0 UA GPA AND completion of at least 67% of cumulative UA credit hours attempted

Why it could work

  • Jordan’s 3.92 GPA clears the 3.5 requirement and the 33 ACT clears the 32 line.
  • The estimate uses Alabama’s published $60,400 out-of-state total and $28,000 award.
  • Even with the biggest award on this list, the bill is about $15,000 more per year than Ole Miss.

What could change this

  • Apply and send the official score by the scholarship deadline.
  • Confirm the entry-year amount in writing before making a final decision.
How sure we are: Strong support from published information. Based on 1 published source.

University of Southern California

Check before counting on it

Plan on about $103,000 a year. Apply only if USC is worth that price to the family.

Yearly price math, rounded
Published cost$103,000
Merit aid counted$0
Your estimated cost$103,000
What that means for you

Above the yearly budget you gave us, even in the best case.

1 scholarship at this school made our go-after list.

This school says yes to about 10 of every 100 students who apply.

Schools this selective turn away most top students, so treat this one as a long shot no matter how strong the numbers.

Four years at this price would be about $412,000, if prices and awards stay the same.

See why it ranks here

Your student is out of state here. This school still publishes awards out-of-state students can earn.

The middle half of admitted students scored about 32 to 35 on the ACT.

This school does not require test scores.

Fall 2022 admissions data, U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Why it could work

  • The published yearly total is $103,162.
  • USC publishes no GPA or ACT cutoff for its large competitive awards.
  • The family should plan on the full amount until an award is offered.

What could change this

  • Trustee and Presidential are committee-selected awards.
  • USC’s main scholarships do not combine. The student keeps the largest one.
  • Even full tuition does not cover housing, food, fees, books, transportation, or personal costs.
How sure we are: Some details still need checking. Based on 1 published source.
Schools you didn't list

Worth a look before you finish applying

These schools are in areas you're already looking, in a similar range of getting in, and your student's grades and scores already meet a published scholarship line at each one. We checked so you don't miss a better deal.

  1. UMHB

    Texas

    Presidents Scholarship$76,000

    This school says yes to almost everyone who applies. About 96 of every 100 students get in.

    See the numbers

    Published line: SAT 1390 · ACT 31

    To keep it: Maintain 2 GPA

    Published total cost before aid: $56,314 (2026-2027)

    Check the school's page

    Last checked 2026-06-07

  2. Oklahoma Baptist

    Oklahoma

    Founder's Academic$20,000 per year ($80,000 over four years)

    This school says yes to about 49 of every 100 students who apply.

    See the numbers

    Published line: GPA 3.75-4.0 · SAT 1200+ · ACT 25+

    To keep it: Renewable provided the student maintains a 2.0 College GPA.

    Published total cost before aid: $53,620 (2026-2027)

    Check the school's page

    Last checked 2026-07-02

  3. Winthrop

    South Carolina

    Winthrop Premier Scholarship (Out-of-State)$6,000 per year plus an Out-of-State Tuition Waiver ($80,160 four-year value)

    This school says yes to about 79 of every 100 students who apply.

    See the numbers

    Published line: SAT 1340 · ACT 29

    To keep it: Renewable for up to three (3) additional years as long as the student maintains financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress.

    Published total cost before aid: $37,340 (2026-2027)

    This award is specifically for out-of-state students.

    Check the school's page

    Last checked 2026-07-02

We did not rank these against your list, and they may be very different schools from the ones you chose. Rules can change, so the school's own page is always the final word.

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