While it has become customary for star scholar-athletes to schedule press events to announce their college destinations, Ramsay IB High School senior Jacari Dillard is not an ordinary case.
The valedictorian for the Class of 2024 has earned admission to more than 25 colleges, including three prestigious Ivy League universities, namely Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. He has four full rides and more than $2.5 million in scholarship monies on the table.
If the media covered academics in the same manner as athletics, Dillard would be rated a five-star scholar.
“I am humbled and beyond thankful for the amount of support I have received across my high school journey,” said Dillard in a Facebook post. “The past four years have been a life changing experience, and the college admissions process has been nothing short of a whirlwind.
In addition to valedictorian, Dillard earned the title of Mr. Ramsay and served as Class President on the Student Council. He became the youngest STEM Ambassador at Southern Research, a role usually reserved for college students. And he's an award-winning filmmaker!
According to his mentor, Carl J. Thomas, MPA, retired college admissions director and current board member of the College Choice Foundation, Dillard is among the top one percent of students he has evaluated.
After “much thought and prayer,” Dillard made his official decision regarding his post-secondary destination on April 29. And he’ll be taking his from Birmingham to Boston, where he'll attend Harvard University!
