An Arkansas student has gotten accepted to more than 50 colleges, received 5 full rides, and earned over $1.3 million in scholarship offers

By BOTWC Staff

An Arkansas student has gotten accepted to more than 50 colleges, received 5 full rides and earned over $1.3 million in scholarship offers.

Toriona Coakes is a senior at Stuttgart High School in Arkansas. Recently, the star student took to social media to share her accomplishments, revealing she had been accepted into all 54 of the colleges she applied to and received more than $1,379,000 in scholarship offers.

After her tweet went viral, she took to Twitter to answer questions about her process and give tips to other students looking to follow in her footsteps, revealing that she actually paid $0 in application fees. 

“I used the Common Black College Application, where you pay a one-time fee to apply to 60 HBCUs, and the Common App. I qualified for fee waivers for both of these applications and didn’t have to pay anything,” Coakes wrote. 

The teen spoke with Because Of Them We Can, noting that she had actually received five full ride scholarships to Tennessee State, Kentucky State, Delaware State, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and Philander Smith College. 

“[I want to major in] political science with a minor in English to pursue a career as a criminal defense attorney,” Coakes told Because of Them We Can. 

While she has been amazed at all of the feedback she’s received, Coakes shared that it was her determination that led her to success, tweeting: 

“I play sports, work, created a business, go to high school and college classes, maintain a 4.0, big sister to small kids, plus keep up with my social life and mental health and still make it happen.”

Coakes has narrowed down her options but won’t be announcing her chosen school until decision day on May 1st. Whatever she decides, we know it will be the best choice and any school would be lucky to have her as part of their student body. 

Photo Courtesy of @TorionaLatrice/Twitter