Presley took the June SAT and jumped +160 points to 1060 (Reading & Writing 470 / Math 590). Her Math already meets the College Board college-readiness benchmark — so reading & writing is the whole lever now, and she's only about 40 points from an 1100. She'll self-study over the summer, sit the SAT again in the fall, and reassess. Show how clearing 1100 changes her positioning:

• University of Alabama — moves from a true reach toward a real conversation, and (critically) crosses into Alabama's automatic, stat-based merit territory when paired with her 3.9 GPA. The score is the difference between "dream" and "fundable."
• Ole Miss & Mississippi State — an 1100 lands her solidly in range and unlocks each school's published automatic out-of-state scholarship grid. Guaranteed money, no extra essay.
• University of South Carolina — strengthens a "maybe" into a realistic match.
• Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, FAU — already comfortable on admission; the higher score shifts these from "admit" to "merit-likely," improving her aid package.
• Where it moves the needle least: at her safeties, admission is already likely — but even there a higher score generally helps the money more than the decision.

Every school on this list is currently test-optional for admission — which protects Presley while she works to raise her score.

• When to submit: send a score to a school only if it's at or above that school's 25th percentile. At 1060, her score is now at or above the 25th at her safeties (Georgia Southern, FAU, Valdosta State) and at Ole Miss — so those are submit-worthy today. It's still below the 25th at Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Georgia College — hold those until the fall retake. Coastal Carolina is right on the line. Re-evaluate school-by-school after the fall SAT, and use superscoring where allowed.
• What's holding the number back: her strong Math (590) is doing the work; Reading & Writing (470) is the drag. Raising R&W lifts the whole composite and flips several of these schools to 'submit.'
• What carries weight instead: her 3.9 weighted / 3.8 unweighted GPA and upward trend, dual-enrollment college coursework already completed at Southern Crescent, AP Seminar, multi-year club volleyball plus coaching leadership, lifeguarding, and an authentic personal story.

Presley needs financial aid, and her GPA is already an asset — she's already moved from 900 to 1060, and the last ~40 points to 1100 is where the automatic grids start paying out.

• Automatic / stat-based: Alabama, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State publish scholarship grids — hit the SAT + GPA threshold and the award is guaranteed. This is her biggest lever; the fall SAT converts directly to money here.
• Competitive / application-based: South Carolina, Coastal Carolina, FAU, Georgia Southern, and Georgia College offer competitive merit with early priority deadlines (often November–December) — apply early.
• In-state advantage: Georgia Southern, Georgia College, and Valdosta State are already low-cost, and Georgia's HOPE / Zell Miller scholarships may further reduce cost at GA publics.

Bottom line: prioritize the automatic-merit schools where her numbers can clear the grid after August.

This is Presley's #1 filter: she wants a place with things to do nearby. Here are her schools ranked by surrounding community and things-to-do:

1. FAU (Boca Raton) — South Florida beaches plus Fort Lauderdale and Miami nearby.
2. Alabama (Tuscaloosa) — a true college town with Birmingham an hour away.
3. South Carolina (Columbia) — a real city and state capital with full amenities.
4. Ole Miss (Oxford) — one of America's top-ranked college towns.
5. Coastal Carolina (Conway) — beach and boardwalk right next door.
6. Georgia Southern (Statesboro) — campus-driven, Savannah under an hour.
7. Georgia College (Milledgeville) — historic downtown plus Lake Sinclair.
8. Mississippi State (Starkville) — a lively Cotton District, campus-centered.
9. Valdosta State — campus-driven social life; Wild Adventures and the outdoors nearby, but fewer big-city amenities.