The Forty Acres Scholars Program is proud to announce the 52 finalists for the Class of 2028. Admissions invited around 1,300 students to apply. Out of the 850 applications received, 120 semifinalists were chosen to advance to a video interview.
This year’s finalists come from six U.S. states and have been admitted to eight different schools and colleges across the University. Many of them participate in nationally recognized organizations and competitions such as DECA and UIL. Many are also valedictorians, athletes, team captains, musicians, and student body presidents. Some are founders of nonprofits, school organizations, and online platforms; published authors; business owners; and researchers. They spend their time participating in countless hours of community service, leading clubs and organizations in their schools, and interning across the nation.
From February 29 to March 2, 2024, these exceptional high school students will join us on campus to participate in Finalist Weekend. Activities will include visits with their admitted colleges, a mock class with a UT professor, campus and college tours, panels with current Forty Acres Scholars, optional daily activities, and an individual interview.
The Forty Acres Scholars Program inspires and nurtures visionary leaders and helps them use their talents to benefit society. Our scholars demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a track record of outstanding academic success. Most importantly, they have passion and a desire to live out the core values of The University of Texas at Austin. The three tenets of the program are community, connection, and discovery. The program is a transformational adventure that helps individuals reach their full potential, and, alongside academic achievement, focuses on personal development, relationship building, and gaining perspective. In the only program of its kind administered by an alumni association, Forty Acres Scholars develop a unique relationship with their alma mater and graduate with an extraordinary network of Longhorns standing behind them.
Scholarship funding provides for tuition, a living stipend, a book stipend, an enrichment stipend, and program activities.
Meet the finalists:
Ashley Abrahams
Prosper High School
Prosper, Texas
Anjum Alam
Lone Star College System
Houston, Texas
Anna Kate Albritton
Highland Park High School
Dallas, Texas
Astrid Allen
Kinder High School for the Performing & Visual Arts
Houston, Texas
Myshae Allen
Central High School
San Angelo, Texas
Awas Amin
Carroll Senior High School
Southlake, Texas
Nnenna Anyadiegwu
Trinity Valley School
Fort Worth, Texas
Alison Beanblossom
New Trier High School
Winnetka, Illinois
Nicole Beres
Carroll Senior High School
Southlake, Texas
Peyton Bono
Highland Park High School
Dallas, Texas
Emma Corbell
Lone Star High School
Frisco, Texas
Blair Davis
St. John's School
Houston, Texas
Matthew Freel
Kingwood High School
Kingwood, Texas
Rithvik Gabri
Cistercian Preparatory School
Irving, Texas
Catherin Guerra
Grulla High School
Rio Grande City, Texas
Rishi Hariharaprasad
Louis D. Brandeis High School
San Antonio, Texas
Alexander Hernandez
Energy Institute High School
Houston, Texas
Dabeluchi Isiofia
Veterans Memorial High School
Corpus Christi, Texas
Lindsey Karkowsky
The Kinkaid School
Houston, Texas
Lucy Katz
Episcopal High School
Houston, Texas
Sanjana Kavula
Emerson High School
McKinney, Texas
Rizwan Khan
Plano West Senior High School
Plano, Texas
Walton Kunu
The Village High School
Missouri City, Texas
Sophia Li
Greenhill School
Plano, Texas
Eshaan Mani
The Kinkaid School
Sugar Land, Texas
Varun Manickam
Bellaire Senior High School
Houston, Texas
Macy McAfee
Stratford High School
Houston, Texas
Anagha Menon
Seven Lakes High School
Katy, Texas
Aubrey Menz
Boerne High School
Boerne, Texas
Michael Murphy
St. John's School
Houston, Texas
Grace Nelson
Round Rock High School
Round Rock, Texas
Michael O'Connor
Saint Viator High School
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Chioma Olorondu
George Ranch High School
Richmond, Texas
Eeshwar Parasuramuni
Frisco High School
Frisco, Texas
Riley Pierce
The Altamont School
Vestavia, Alabama
Trinity Power
Frisco High School
Frisco, Texas
Rohan Ralli
Centennial High School
Frisco, Texas
Nikhil Reddy
Carroll Senior High School
Keller, Texas
Akhil Samavedam
Westlake High School
Austin, Texas
Sandeep Sethuraman
BASIS Chandler
Chandler, Arizona
Paisley Smith
Cedar Creek High School
Cedar Creek, Texas
Luke Sotelo
Antonian College Preparatory High School
San Antonio, Texas
Katie Szlauko
Allan Hancock College
Pismo Beach, California
Chiamaka Uwalaka
Carnegie Vanguard High School
Houston, Texas
Prisha Vithalani
Plano West Senior High School
Plano, Texas
Landon Von Minden
La Grange High School
La Grange, Texas
Zachary Wagner
Grassfield High School
Chesapeake, Virginia
Kai Weaver
Heights High School
Houston, Texas
Andy Wei
Stephen F. Austin High School
Sugar Land, Texas
Kyle Xu
Flour Bluff High School
Corpus Christi, Texas
Jeannette Yang
Greenhill School
Frisco, Texas
Kathleen Yu
Seven Lakes High School
Katy, Texas