"The Experience"
Identifying Scholarship Scams
Author: petersons, Category: College Scholarships & Financial Aid
With thousands of scholarships out there, how do you know if that too-good-to-be-true scholarship is just that? You have to check it out! In many cases, there will be red flags that should trigger your spidey sense and help keep you from getting trapped in a web of deception and disappointment.
The fee factor
Some things are obvious once you know what to look for, but others can be hard to unearth. If you find yourself receiving scholarships that seemed to just magically appear, be on the lookout for the following: Read the rest of this entry »
Choosing Your College: Housing
Author: petersons, Category: College Search
Food and sleep. Sleep and food. More sleep. More food. Somewhere in there are classes and a social life, too, but when it comes to the basics (sleep and food!), your living arrangements in college will have the most influence on the quality of both. They’ll play a significant role in your access to activities and classrooms, as well.
So, what is it that you want…food at your fingertips and surroundings that are never quite fully asleep, or do you prefer to heat up ramen when the need hits you as long, as you can always catch your ZZZZZs? Well, you know what they say: Location! Location! Location! Read the rest of this entry »
Scholarship Myths
Author: petersons, Category: College Scholarships & Financial Aid
Have you heard about the alligators lurking in Manhattan’s sewers? They’re not there! In reality, this is just an urban legend…a myth…and myths exist everywhere, even in the land of college scholarships, where skilled mythmakers churn them out.
There are a lot of valid reasons why scholarship myths take hold, but unfortunately, those myths often keep students from applying for awards they could very will win. It’s not true that they’re only for valedictorians or the very poor — academic institutions offer vastly different award programs with a wide variety of eligibility requirements.
Fortunately, many people who deal with undergraduate financial aid go out of their way to address these myths, and one of those people is Marvin Carmichael. As past Chairman of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), he’s familiar with the misunderstandings people have about scholarships and financial aid. He’s since brought his expertise into his role as Director of Financial Aid at Clemson University. Read the rest of this entry »
A Word of Warning: Scholarship Scams
Author: petersons, Category: College Scholarships & Financial Aid
The lure of free money can turn even the smartest student or parent into a gullible victim of a scholarship scam. After all, an award may just tip the scales in your favor when it comes time to pick a school and pay for it. Unfortunately, with very few rules or guidelines, the private scholarship business is full of swindlers. Illegitimate programs take advantage of the loose rules surrounding award criteria, timetables, application procedures, and decision-making processes and when it comes to getting their mitts on your money, it’s game on!
For every ten students who receive legitimate scholarships, there’s one who falls prey to a scam. Read the rest of this entry »
Choosing Your College: The Student Body
Author: petersons, Category: College Search
Ever hear somebody say that college was the best time in their life? Most likely, that has a lot to do with the friends they made along the way. Whether it’s in a classroom or a dorm room, part of the fun of college is meeting new people — and regardless of where you go, you are going to make friends. Keep in mind that not all colleges are the same, and neither are their students. Large schools and those in large cities are more likely to enroll students from a wide range of ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds. Others, especially small schools and those in rural locations, tend to have a more homogeneous student body.
Give some thought to the type of people you want around, where they may be from, or how many are male versus female. It’s also OK to think about what sort of values the students and the schools reflect. If you’re conservative, a more liberal college may make you uncomfortable (unless you’re looking for a chance to learn about others’ experiences and perspectives), or vice versa. The people you meet during your college years will influence you in ways you may not even imagine! Read the rest of this entry »
Choosing Your College: Getting In
Author: petersons, Category: College Search
Want to know a secret? Rankings aren’t what college is really about. Just because a school is ranked first doesn’t mean it’s the best — and it definitely doesn’t mean it’s the best for you.
So how do you find your match? Making sure you’re aligned with prospective schools’ academics is a good place to start. This includes things like entrance criteria, SAT/ACT scores, and the high school GPA of admitted students. While stats like these are just guidelines, thinking about them helps ensure that you’ll end up in a challenging and rewarding academic environment.
Remember, you’re choosing your college as much as your college is choosing you. As long as you seek schools that suit you, there’s no need to stress. Read the rest of this entry »
The Late-Bloomer Syndrome
Author: petersons, Category: Getting Started for College
By Howard and Matthew Greene
It’s never too late to go to college!
If you’re a senior who hasn’t thought much about college, you might just be beginning to think about what you’re going to do after graduation. Take heart: it is never too late to apply to college. There is still time to complete testing and application requirements, and to show grade improvements that can help with admission in the spring. You might even consider a post-graduate or gap year to help you apply to college a year after high school graduation.
We are often asked at this time of the year, by seniors but also by concerned juniors and sophomores, about whether it is possible to overcome earlier poor high school performance and lack of focus in order to get in to college. The answer is absolutely “yes”! Let’s focus on seniors, for members of younger classes can learn from this discussion — and have much more time to take our advice to heart. Read the rest of this entry »
Starting Out at a Two-Year College
Author: petersons, Category: Getting Started for College
Many students attending two-year colleges start out knowing that they will eventually transfer to a four-year school to get their bachelor’s degree. There are several reasons you may want to consider this route, too.
Things to think about
Upon graduating from high school, you may not have defined career goals. Not wanting to put your education on hold, you may prefer to avoid paying huge tuition bills while trying to “find yourself.” As the cost of a university education escalates each year, the option of spending your freshman and sophomore years at a two-year college can be a great way to get started.
You may also consider attending a two-year college if you are unable to meet the initial entrance standards required by the four-year school of your choice. Some of these standards, such as a specified grade point average (GPA), standardized test scores, or knowledge of specific academic subjects, can be remedied at a two-year college. Students who have opted to do this praise the community college system for giving them the chance to be academically “born again.” Read the rest of this entry »
Geographic Diversity: Public vs. Private Schools
Author: petersons, Category: Getting Started for College
By Howard and Matthew Greene
Public schools
Public institutions, those that receive a significant proportion of their operating budget from a state’s government, usually give admission preference to in-state residents. These institutions also charge lower tuition to in-state students.
Some public schools restrict the proportion of out-of-state students admitted. UNC and the University of Illinois are examples. At schools like these, one does not typically gain an advantage by applying from out-of-state. This does not mean, however, that no public institutions recruit from out-of-state. However, schools like the Universities of Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Vermont have built their reputations by including 30 percent or more out-of-state students in each incoming class. They appreciate the diversity, talents, and dollars that these students bring to campus. Read the rest of this entry »
Increase Your Chances of Winning Scholarships
Author: petersons, Category: College Scholarships & Financial Aid
Think you have to be the star quarterback or have straight A’s to get a scholarship? Think again. The reality is that there are huge numbers of scholarships, grants, and other prizes available to students with less than stellar grades or athletic abilities, but with other qualities and experiences that qualify them.
Pique your interest? Truth is, by following some basic tips you can greatly increase your chances of tapping into the billions of dollars available every year to students just like you!
Find out what’s available
You would be surprised to discover how much free money is available for those who just look for it. Make your search thorough and ambitious. The Internet, local library, your school, and local businesses and service organizations are great places to search for many different types of awards — some of which may reward large sums of money with very little competition, simply because people don’t know they are out there. Read the rest of this entry »