Ford Motor Company has launched a new scholarship contest on Monday, March 15. Modeled after Ford’s own standard of giving back to the communities in which it works, the two-part scholarship contest is open to high school seniors and current college students enrolled in an accredited U.S. college or university by September 30, 2010.
The contest asks a simple question: what is your heart behind? Ford Motor Company wants to hear what students are doing to make a positive impact in their communities. The first place winner will receive a $3000 scholarship, second place a $2000 scholarship and third place a $1000 scholarship.
Essays will be accepted from March 15 to April 9, 2010 online at www.fordscholars.org. From there, ten semi-finalists will be selected to win an ULTRA HD FLIP Cam for their outstanding efforts. The semi-finalists will then use their new FLIP Cam to produce a 3-minute video illustrating their essay. The videos will be posted to www.fordscholars.org for public voting May 10-14, 2010. The public votes combined with the judging panel will determine the scholarship winners.
Winners will be announced on May 17, 2010.
In today’s economy, many students are opting to take the community college route after graduation. This choice means getting the basic courses out of the way at community college and transferring after two years to a four year institution. Since community college hours are less expensive, the decision can often save families thousands of dollars in tuition.
But, once the decision to transfer is made, it’s often difficult to find the right college and it’s been hard for the colleges to find and recruit those students. Many colleges are now seeing the value of these transfer students and are going after them, much as they do with high school students. As more and more students decide to take this college route, more colleges will recognize this pool of students and begin recruiting them.
A new site, CollegeFish.org (now doing beta testing) is available free for all community college students. It collects information provided by users, including “co-curricular interests, size of institution desired to attend, housing needs, financial need, GPA, anticipated course load, ability to relocate geographically, etc.” This information is then used in an algorithm designed to “rank [five] colleges which provide the best fit for the student.”
If your teen is considering the community college route, bookmark this site and take advantage of the matching services it offers to students. The transfer process can be a bit daunting and complicated, but this will offer a tool for students to help simplify the process.
Each week I will be posting a question that parents ask, along with the answer. If you have a question you would like for me to address, please email me or direct message me on Twitter (@SuzanneShaffer) and I’ll be happy to feature it.
Q. Is it ok for my teen to drop a high school course mid year?
A. Even if your college-bound teen comes to you and says that colleges won’t see their grades and it doesn’t matter, don’t cave. Colleges will make the admissions decision before final grades but they will also request an end of the year transcript. If your teen drops a course it will show there and may raise concerns.
Guidance counselors, with good reason, are vehemently against dropping courses. Some schools even require parents and students to sign a letter acknowledging the risk they are taking related to college admission.
According to Lee Bierer, an independent college adviser in Charlotte, North Carolina, “some students try to get creative and suggest substituting an online course instead of the one offered at their high school and this too is not looked upon favorably.” According to Brown University, “The very fact that they want to take it online instead will raise eyebrows. If they are taking it anyway, why don’t they just stay in class? If there is a scheduling conflict with another advanced course and the school endorses the change for that reason, then we’ll accept that, but if they are simply substituting an online option for an in-class option, we will be less understanding.”
Colleges review the final transcript and use it to gauge future performance based on the strength of the courses your teen takes. If colleges find out that they have dropped courses after they were admitted, it could be seen as grounds for revoking an offer of admission. And honestly, it’s not worth the risk.
Encourage your teen to stick it out. It’s a good lesson in perseverance and it will set a pattern for their college courses when they are tempted to drop them as well. And it will save the disappointment of admission being revoked at the last minute!
It’s no surprise. Twitter is a GREAT social media site to find out the latest college news and information. Set yourself up a “college info” list on Twitter and add these to that list. As you follow them, notice who they are communicating with and who they follow–add some more to that list. Soon you will have a comprehensive Twitter list that will keep you abreast of the latest college news.
Everybody like freebies. Taking advantage of all the freebies that are given away on campus to college students is a MUST. Teaching your kids to watch for them is all part of being an effective parent college coach.. Why pay for something when it’s available for FREE?
It’s no urban legend: Free stuff is doled out on college campuses all the time. But it’s up to you to scout out where to find these complementary goods. From pizza to plane tickets to straight-up cash, we show you what you can get and how to score it … so keep reading.
Free Entertainment Get tickets to concerts, sporting events, art exhibits, theater openings, forums and lectures.
How to score: Use your student ID card as an all-access pass. Every campus has a student union building, and if you’re unfamiliar with it, we suggest you become acquainted, since it’s plastered with bulletin boards announcing free upcoming events for students.
Free Food Get free pizza, soda, snacks or breakfast, depending on the time of day.
How to score: Attend club meetings. “If you look in your student building and sign up for all the listservs, you will know when clubs and residence halls are giving away free food,” says New York University sophomore Doreen Naor. “With breakfast, you can basically always get muffins and coffee, and for real meals, most clubs give out pizza.” Join three clubs that meet weekly, and you’re looking at three regularly scheduled meals.
We also like CampusFood.com, where you can play online games that earn coupons for your next restaurant visit. A few clicks at a mindless computer game, and you can have yourself a free meal. Not too shabby!
Free Cash Earn hard cash (typically from $5 to $10 for about an hour of your time — could be up to $100). No taxes taken out, no checks.
How to score: Participate in a focus group or study, which typically requires very little effort, such as filling out an easy survey. Head over to the campus psychology building, where you’ll find volunteer recruitment flyers.
Focus group companies pay more for your input. If your school is in a metropolitan area, check out focus group centers in need of college student participants. Go to FindFocusgroups.com to scope out opportunities near you.
Free Swag Pick up product samples, coupons, gift certificates and other giveaway items, including iTunes cards, DVD players and even airline tickets.
How to score: “All you have to do is open your eyes and pay attention,” says NYU junior Annie Baer. “There are always people giving away free things [on campus].” Marketing companies often hire student reps to hold major promotions that often include giveaways and contests on college campuses. Next time you see a student rep giving out samples, ask if the campaign offers any other giveaways.
Note: You can get updates about sponsored events and contests directly from the source. By becoming a Facebook fan of brands or products you like, you can get automatic updates about big promotions and giveaways, and be the first to know about any contests they might be hosting.
If you have a college-bound teen who is learning disabled, you will be happy to know that there are specific scholarships set aside for these type of students.
Start by looking at the Learning Disability Organizations in your home state. Those state specific college scholarships for ADHD will be less competitive than national scholarship programs as well, which makes them worth checking out even if the award amounts are small.
Another resource that students and parents seldom think about is scholarship programs that are only learned about through the Disabilities Department at the college that your teen will attend. It is vital that you check in with, and register with this department at the school, and inquire about available scholarship programs for learning disabled students when doing so.
Check into school specific college scholarships for ADHD available for learning disabled students as well. Many colleges offer at least one, if not several, ADHD scholarships for students who are learning disabled, and who will be attending that specific school, or even students enrolled in specific programs of studies - if they are learning disabled. Of course, ADHD Scholarships, although not specific, are considered learning disability scholarships as well.
Make absolutely certain that you check with vocational rehabilitation organizations or departments in your state and county as well. These organizations exist for the purpose of helping those who have been displaced or unable to work and get the educations that they need to find gainful employment - despite disabilities. Often, people mistakenly believe that these organizations only help adults who have already been in the workforce, but this isn’t true at all. They can also appraise graduating high school seniors and college students about scholarship and grant programs available for ADHD or learning disability scholarships.
Many organizations who would otherwise offer college ADHD scholarship programs for learning disabled students fail to do so because they assume that learning disabled students, such as those with ADHD will not be attending college. Today, nothing could be further from the truth, and in many cases, if you contact organizations or businesses that are related to ADHD in some way, you may find that they will help you to fund your teen’s education in some small way.
Here are just a few examples:
I came across an article on WalletPop in their Money College section by a recent college graduate. Pop over there and read her student loan story and make sure you are sitting down when you do:
One student’s losing battle with private student loans
Those student loans are tempting. Here’s the rationalization that sucks in many college students:
All of those statements have some truth in them to some degree. However, it is EXTREMELY important that every college-bound student understand these truths:
Parents–please counsel your teens on the downfalls of having tremendous amounts of student loan debt. Encourage them to be financially responsible and prudent when borrowing money for college. Those loans can shackle them for many years after college graduation.
Our guest blog post today is by Susan Posluszny, the founder of OPTIONS for Career & Life Planning, specializing in unique programs and services to support students with college major and career planning. Susan is a Master Career Counselor with over 25 years of career counseling experience including 18 years as a college career center director. She is the author of In Search of a College Major & Career Direction, an interactive program designed to support teens and young adults with choosing a college major and career path.Her career counseling and coaching practice is located in New Boston, NH. Subscribe to Susan’s e-newsletter, Career Options, at www.collegesandmajors.com
While watching the Food Network channel one day, I happened upon a series called ‘Chefography’. This episode of Chefography featured a biographical account of Wolfgang Puck’s journey to success. I knew little about this renowned chef but I was intrigued since I’d recently been to Disney World and had a great experience at his restaurant, Wolfgang Puck Café, in Downtown Disney. While annual revenue from his cluster of businesses now averages millions of dollars, his father did not approve of his career interest and his early career experiences were quite shaky.
At the tender age of 14, Puck left his home to work as an apprentice in a hotel kitchen. Evidently, young Puck was a bit of a klutz and the chef threw him out and sent him back home to his parents. He was ashamed to face his father with the news of his job loss since his father was against this career choice. Dreading going home, he spent hours on a bridge contemplating suicide while looking over a river that ran through town. Eventually, Puck went back and hid in the hotel’s basement, peeling potatoes for the kitchen workers, until the chef discovered him two weeks later. The chef appreciated Puck’s tenacity and made arrangements for him to apprentice in another hotel’s kitchen. Puck’s career took numerous twists and turns over time as he honed his culinary skills and began his ventures as a restaurant owner.
As I watched this show, I couldn’t help but imagine the emotions that surged through Puck as he contemplated facing his father or committing suicide. It’s natural for children to want to please their parents and fear of parental scorn can weigh heavily on a child. If young Puck had committed suicide, would his father have realized the role his influence played in the choice to end his life? As I reflected further on Puck’s life and career, I couldn’t help but wonder what his father must think of his son’s career decision now that he’s a successful businessman and one of America’s most famous and influential chefs. I expect that he no longer considers his son’s decision to have been a poor one.
Research that I conducted while working as a college career center director revealed that parents are the number one influence in the career and college major choices made by their children. That influence may be subtle, and beyond the conscious awareness of the child, or not so subtle as was the case with young Puck and his father. Now I suppose you could argue that his father’s influence actually helped to lead young Puck to success. You might say that what helped Puck to hang in there, when the going got tough, was wanting to avoid hearing his father say, ‘I told you so’. I don’t know about you, but I can’t help think that there are better ways to influence a child.
As parents, it can be most challenging to support a child’s career decision when it goes against the grain of our own personal values and the future we envision for that child. Yet, we can never know what the future holds and where a chosen path may lead. As children grow, they need to cultivate a sense of self in order to one day make their own way in this world. Along with a growing sense of self, they also need to develop confidence in their ability to take positive action towards their career goals. This includes learning how to identify their career and lifestyle preferences, how to explore career options that match those preferences, and where to go to gain the skills and life experiences that will move them in a direction of their own choosing. Parents can help their children to build self confidence by telling them they believe in their ability to take positive action on their own behalf. Parents can also facilitate a growing sense of self by encouraging their children to engage in activities and experiences that let them explore and reality test their career interests, so that they are making informed choices. Yes, as parents, we are the number one influence in the lives of our children. It’s up to us to decide the form that our influence will take.
If you would like to contact Susan or find out more information about the services she provides, you can contact her at:
Her websites: www.careeroptions4me.com and www.collegesandmajors.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susanposluszny
Email: susan@careeroptions4me.com
The number one question I receive from parents is: Where can my college-bound teen find scholarships? The best place to begin is at these sites and then expand the search to fit your individual student. Follow the trails that the matches give you and search locally as well.
1. Cappex.com–A site created for students to help them simplify their college search, create a profile and search for scholarships.
2. MeritAid.com–The place to go to find merit scholarships and academic scholarships from colleges across the country.
3. Scholarships.com–An extensive scholarship search engine that helps you search and schedule alerts for deadlines.
4. Fastweb.com–An extensive scholarship search website with a massive database of scholarships, along with articles and helps designed specifically for parents.
5. Zinch.com–A free service for students and parents where students can showcase themselves, connect with colleges, and search for scholarships.
6. FastAid.com is the world’s largest and oldest Private-Sector Scholarships, Graduate Scholarships, Worldwide Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants and Free Undergraduate College Scholarship database.
7. SuperCollege is a free database of over 2.2 million college scholarships, grants, fellowships and contests worth more than $15 billion.
8. Broke Scholar is the home of over 850,000 scholarship award listings to help you locate third party scholarships and grant money.
9. ScholarshipExperts has been helping parents and students find scholarships and free college money since 2001 with an updated database of college scholarships and grad school scholarships to provide accurate and timely scholarship information.
10. Xap provides a scholarship search capacity where students can search by name or by profile matching.
Here’s some great tips to help parents help their college-bound teens save some money when they go off to college. Take notes and start implementing these strategies into their lives BEFORE they leave for college.
Living on a shoestring budget? Whether your parents float you funds or you’re pulling a part-time paying gig, here’s how to stre——-tch every precious penny.
Broke — it’s a common catch in student jargon. “OMG, I broke my phone at that rager last night” or “I just broke up with my girlfriend ’cause she was cheating on me with my best bud.” But when used as an adjective, the word describes the financial status of most college kids.
Unless Dad is handing over his preferred platinum card or you strike it rich selling those musty ol’ Pokemon cards, you’ll have to get by on meager means. Here are some painless ways to get major bang for your buck … even if it’s your last buck.
Whether you’re craving a change from the monotonous glop of the dining hall, celebrating a friend’s birthday at a nearby bistro or taking a study break to go for a late-night munch, your wallet will take a hit. Cutting back on these extravagances means getting clever.
Life doesn’t have to be a snore just because your pockets are empty. Money buys neither happiness nor a stellar social life. You can get out and about without tossing around a ton of green.
Enter upscale department stores and exclusive boutiques at your own risk, but you don’t have to totally give up the urge to splurge. Just tone it down a few notches.
Ask not what you can do for your school but what your school can do for you. Universities give back to their student patrons in plenty of ways, so take advantage.
