How to win scholarships

Winning scholarships don't happen by accident. There are strategies those who win lots of money for college use, and in our latest episode of The SKiNNY we share some of those tips with you! There are no shortcuts, but winning scholarships really IS possible, even if you're already in college or looking for money for graduate school. 

Enjoy and please share! :)

The biggest mistake low-income students make when it comes to student loan debt

The biggest mistake low-income students make when it comes to student loan debt, in my opinion, isn't what you might think. 

Sure, taking out too many loans for a private school may not always be the best decision if you can get a similar degree at a public institution for much cheaper (though some private schools may surprise you with how much financial aid they'll offer if you're a great student).

And getting too many loans and dropping out of college before getting the degree that can help open up opportunities which would help you pay back those loans is definitely not good. 

However, the biggest mistake I see students making, especially those who come from low-income backgrounds (like I did), is something different:

It's the misunderstanding of the difference between "debt" and "investment."

Rich people invest. Poor people go into debt. 

If you grew up in a low-income family like I did, in college you may find yourself feeling so burdened from having seen the debt your parents had to endure that you think the number one way to stop being poor is to not get into debt. 

But this can backfire.

To be sure - you shouldn't go racking up credit cards on the fanciest clothes, cars, homes, and things you can't afford. That is still classic debt. 

But your college education is one of the best investments you can make, as long as you are willing to invest the time necessary to do it well and get the degree.

I remember being really afraid of a $1,500 loan I was offered my second year of community college. Loans? Debt?! Yikes!! No no no. Debt is bad, bad, bad. I'm definitely not going to take this loan and instead I'll work more hours - yes!!

But here is what a wise mentor told me: 

Your education is the best investment you can make (especially at a reputable, accredited, public school). If that loan can help you work less, get involved more, and increase your performance in school then it is a WISE investment. 

I decided to take that loan. It allowed me to work a little less and get involved (and study) a little more.

I became president of our Phi Theta Kappa chapter that year and won the $110,000 Jack Kent Cooke scholarship.

See the difference? It was an investment, because it gave me the opportunity earn more money and be more successful in the long run. 

Let me say that again: An investment is something that can make you even more money in the future. 

Debt is something that sinks you deeper into a hole in which the thing that got you into debt CANNOT get you out.

The newest phone, the luxury car, the designer clothes - those things alone don't have power to get you out of debt.

But a college degree, well, even recent reports still show it is the kind of thing that can help you make more money. It's an investment. 

I've always believed that learning and developing your skills is the best investment you can make. Even in my own business I use my credit cards with abandon when it comes to buying important books or traveling to meet amazing people. Even when I'm not sure if those risks paid off in the moment, I come to find out they always do. 

And if you're still not convinced, let me tell you a very short story about an investment a friend of mine made during his college experience.

It goes like this:

My friend went to a college not located in Washington, DC. He was not rich.

He eventually realized he wanted to work in politics.

He learned that getting an internship in DC was a really good way to get involved in politics. To him it seemed only rich kids were getting internships in DC because their parents could afford to pay for them to live there.

He decided that wasn't going to stop him.

He took out a $6,000 loan in college to help fund a semester in DC for an internship in politics.

Today he works in The White House. Literally. For real. The actual White House. Where the President of the United States lives. The President is his boss. 

You get the picture. ;) 

Invest in yourself. Seek out mentors and talk to financial aid advisors before making any big decisions. 

(If you want to learn more, my favorite financial book for young people is The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, and Broke by financial expert Suze Orman. In it you'll also find she agrees with me that college is one of the BEST investments you can make - yes, even if that means taking out some student loans.)

Like any investment, there is risk involved, but the good news about college is you have control over most of the risk, because you're investing in yourself! The best way to reduce risk is to dedicate your 110% to your college education. 

What does that look like? Well, to find out I also recommend investing in some college success books! Invest in your learning and give your best. You are worth it.

Can you get scholarships during your junior year of college?

Below is an e-mail exchange I had last week with a student asking for scholarship help. With her permission I'm sharing the exchange in hopes it can help you too!

Dear Isa,

I am going to be a college junior this fall. I have looked up scholarship information on your website, my school's website, and have attended many info sessions about scholarships at my college.

There are only a few scholarships for juniors and seniors, but a lot for incoming freshman and graduate students. I have looked on FastWeb.com and went to my local library to search for scholarships for my year. What other resources should be used?

Thank you for taking the time to read this email. It is highly appreciated.

Best,

Ashley

Hi Ashley,

To be honest I always had a hard time finding good scholarships online too. It sounds like you are doing everything right so far, especially by attending info sessions at your college.

I had my entire college paid for through direct college scholarships (e.g. ones offered by the university to which I transferred after community college) and the Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship, and I applied for both during my sophomore year; so I'm not exactly the expert when it comes to finding many scholarships during your junior year.

However, my philosophy has always been to get to know mentors and professors on your campus and ask them for scholarship advice, as well as any creative ways to make money on campus (e.g. some groups offer stipends for involvement, like orientation leaders or student government). I did make money my junior year by becoming an orientation leader, and I loved it!

(I also became an SAT/ACT tutor as a part-time job, and was a nanny, which also helped pay the bills outside of tuition.)

Just because you're already halfway through college doesn't mean you can't find ways to pay for it - but it may mean you need to get more creative. And the people on campus are often the best resources (e.g. even the big scholarships I got I learned about from friends in clubs and professors). 

Ask advice from everyone on campus that you can. Be vulnerable about your situation and be willing to invest the time.

And in the end, remember that your education is the BEST investment you can make. Taking out loans or paying out of pocket is NOT a failure (especially if you choose a low-cost and reputable public college). It's one of the smartest things you can do for yourself, so don't get discouraged if you come up short of what you're hoping for when it comes to scholarships. 

The most important thing is that you are putting your 100% into your classes and experiences (e.g. getting involved and internships) so you can make the most of your investment.

Good luck and thanks for reaching out!

Sincerely,

Isa :)

College To-Do List Week 18: Start something on your campus

Want to win scholarships and get the attention of your dream transfer schools? Do this one. :)

See more advice videos at YouTube.com/isaadney!

How to pay for college

Season 2 of TCC22's The SKiNNY is here! Check out the first episode below (only 10min!) to 

1) learn how to pay for college, 
2) find out what you must do every semester to get your money,
3) see the new game show segment, and 
4) see me freak out during a game of Monopoly. ;) 

Enjoy!

5 things you need to win scholarships while in college

For most community college students, searching for scholarships is about taking action to do the right things in college in order to find and win the best transfer scholarships. The tips in this video can also help students who hope to win graduate school scholarships.

How to find the best scholarships without the internet

Scholarships are awesome, but often hard to find. 

Some great opportunities can be found on the internet (like the $1,000 Pearson Prize, application deadline April 19), but endlessly searching the internet is not enough. 

There is a better way, and I share it in this short video from the Pearson Break Through to Student Success video series! :) 

Ask Isa: How do you stand out in a scholarship application?

I recently received the following question from Ask Isa:

Dear Isa,

I am applying for a big opportunity at my university and I just found out it's very competitive. I know you won the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship and I wanted to know, how do you stand out in a competitive scholarship application when it comes to essays?

Sincerely,

Want to Stand Out

My answer:

Dear Want to Stand Out,

I applaud you for asking this question, because scholarships and big opportunities in college are competitive, and essays are a great way to stand out above the rest. 

In addition to winning the JKC scholarship, I also  used to tutor students in scholarship and college admission essays; below are the top three things that will help you stand out above the rest, because they are things most students don't bother with (aka the students who don't win):

1) Read the prompt carefully: Before you even start writing read the prompt a few times and get a feel for exactly what they are asking. Put yourself in the scholarship committees shoes; ask yourself what they really want to know about you from this essay. Then, talk the prompt over with a mentor or professor and start brainstorming what you will write about. After you share your ideas of what you can write about, ask your mentor to be honest and tell you what is most compelling. 

2) Be you: Almost every first draft of an essay I used to get from a student would be generic and boring. I don't say this to be harsh, but it seems to be the default setting. We write what we think someone wants to hear, and end up losing ourselves all together. Your essay should be written in a way that could absolutely not be written by anyone else. It should have your unique voice, style, and (when relevant) life experiences that have made you who you are today. Believe it or not, you are interesting! Be yourself and you will stand out. 

3) Use lots of eyes: Every author has an editor, even the best of the best. Actors have directors. Athletes have coaches. Anyone who stands out for their craft understands that their first attempts are never enough; they understand that they'll only be at their best when they solicit feedback from outsiders. 

Getting feedback is always uncomfortable, but it is a prerequisite for greatness. It is also a prerequisite for standing out in a scholarship essay. Start your first draft as soon as you hear about the opportunity, and leave plenty of time to have at least three people read and edit it for you. Ask professors, mentors, or people who might be familiar with the opportunity (e.g. past winners). 

The truth is, there is no easy way to win a scholarship or prestigious opportunity. Hard work will pay off, and you have to work harder than the hundreds or thousands of others doing the same thing. 

I'll never forget the advice a mentor (and past JKC scholarship winner) gave me when I was writing my first scholarship essays and wondering how I was going to have time to do all of the things I've just listed above: "just think," she said, "if you win this award every sentence you write will be worth a thousand dollars." 

Invest your time in every scholarship application, and you will see results.

Have a question you'd like to see answered on the blog? Submit it anonymously in the Ask Isa inbox! :) 

$10,000 college prize winner shares his story

I recently had the privilege of interviewing recent grad Greg Woodburn about the organization he started in college to donate shoes to those without: Give Running. 

Greg was one of 20 students who won the $10,000 Pearson Prize, an incredible cash award given every year by the Pearson Foundation to students who are giving back. 

You can get inspired to apply by reading Greg's story on the P.S...Blog. As of today applications are not yet open, but should open soon. Keep checking. 

And in the meantime, check out Greg's amazing story and think about what you can be doing right now to qualify for such a prize. 

Even if you don't win, the actions you take to think about how you can give back - in a way only you can - will give you more than you could ever imagine.

Disclosure: I am a consultant with Pearson and am a paid blog contributor for their blog, but am not paid to share my posts or their company on this blog. I share because I am a true fan of the opportunities and want to give you the chance to apply and be inspired as I have been. 

"I Believe I Can Fly..."

I just got back from a conference in San Francisco and it was an incredible experience. You can find all of the inspiration I gathered from this conference when it comes to community college students figuring out what they want to do with their lives in the extra post-conference vlog below. I didn’t think I was going to have time to post a full blog/vlog with the back to back traveling I’m doing this weekend, but I had to give you something.   

So in addition to all of the inspiration I also gained  newfound confidence from traveling by myself. For those of you who have traveled by yourself since you were young this may not apply. But for me I had never even been on an airplane until I was 19. And all my trips since then have been with groups of people.

I am from Florida and have a terrible sense of spatial understanding, so public transportation has always alluded me. In past travels (e.g. England) I relied on my friends to navigate while I followed.

It was my turn to navigate by myself this weekend and it was empowering. To understand, I am someone who used to look at people who traveled alone as amazing independent individuals. I used to think wow, how do they figure all of that out? It seemed so foreign to me.

And now I know. And I feel like I could do anything and go anywhere.

Have you had that “I can do anything” moment in your life? Have you felt that unique sense of independence that reminds you that you and only you are in control of the direction you are going? We often greatly overestimate the power of others to pull us in various directions. When in reality, it is only that we choose to follow.

In community college it can be hard sometimes to gain that sense of independence as many students live with their parents in order to save money. I encourage you to consider transferring to a college where you live in a dorm after you graduate. Start saving up money and applying for scholarships so you can afford to live on campus – it is more possible than you think.

And for now, try going on trips or doing things on your own. I’ll never forget my very first day in community college my western civilization professor gave us all a 5 minute speech on why we all needed to take a weekend and go to England as college students. He said we should just buy a ticket, stay in cheap hostels, and travel around in the inexpensive trains.

I know it all sounds painfully cliché, and in some ways it is, but in other ways, I think those independent excursions of travel and exploration breed new confidence and inspiration. Sometimes things become cliché because they are just good.

So start thinking about ways you can carve out some independence for yourself, such as planning a road trip with friends this summer, or booking a ticket and staying in English hostels this weekend. 

Always remember you are  in charge of your direction. The question is - do you know where you are going? 

Crying in Community College

I cried like a little girl when I first came to community college.

There I was in the crowded advising waiting room, crouched in a corner, hoping that since I’d already been waiting there an hour they’d call my name soon. But they didn’t. I looked around at the fellow students sitting in chairs. They looked harried. Bored. Alone.

My first memory of community college was far from the glorified picture I had imagined. I originally had planned on going to a small private school on the beach that specialized in a particular major. I pictured driving down to the small campus, having my dad unload my stuff, my mom help me pick out my books, and then saying good-bye while I was off to a fun and goofy orientation where I would meet my lifelong friends.

Instead I was crying alone in a crowded room of people who looked forgotten. I was going to college where “anyone” could get in.  But what I didn’t know then that I know now, is that community college is not about “anyone” being able to get in. It’s about “everyone” being able to get in.

If it weren’t for community college I would have either had to defer my college education for a semester, or have had to put my parents in $100,000 worth of debt.

Three weeks before I was supposed to move to my dorm, I received my freshman schedule and the bill for the year - $25,000.

 I grew up in a lower middle class family and we didn’t have a lot of money to begin with. And during my high school years both of my brothers ended up in the hospital. One woke up paralyzed one morning, and weeks later the other had a seizure in the middle of the night. I’m happy to report both brothers are now in perfect health, but the hospital bills, physical therapy, and pills wiped us out.

As a first generation college student, my parents didn’t know a lot about the higher educational world. But they loved me a lot, encouraged my academic pursuits, and in their infinite love for me said they would take out loans for me to go to college wherever I wanted. I guess they were already in debt for such horrible things that going into more debt for something positive didn’t seem like a bad idea. My dad was the kind of guy who sold his car to buy me one, and my mom the kind who lived in a trailer when we were little so she could stay home with us.  

So when I opened my first college bill, my stomach dropped at the magnitude of two five’s and three zero’s staring me in the face. Was I really willing to put my parents in a total of $100,000 in debt so I could go to a private school? I knew the answer before I asked the question.

No.

So three weeks before I was supposed to move away I drove to the local community college and waited in the crowded advising room to choose my schedule.

Little did I know I had chosen so much more.

Though initially I had felt like a failure ending up in a college where “anyone” can get it, I soon realized the privilege it was to get to go to a college where everyone could get in. I met single moms looking to make a better life for their kids. I met people from other countries looking to get an education that they so desperately appreciated. I met former fast-food workers ready to take hold of their piece of the American dream.  I met first generation college students making strides in their family history.

And I met local 18-year-old students who didn’t always have the encouragement or motivation they needed in high school, but who were ready to change and take ownership of their education and their lives.  

This blog is dedicated to all of those incredible students I met in my two years at community college. It is also dedicated to the inspiring students I talk to every day in my job as a Student Life coordinator.

This blog is for any community college student who ever felt like crying during their college experience. It’s for any community college student who wants to get good grades, graduate, and make a difference in the world with their talents. This blog is for anyone who is willing to go the extra mile, listen to the advice of the experienced, and make the most of every opportunity.

This blog will feature the most vital strategies and tips that helped me succeed in community college. It will also feature a lot of advice I wish someone had given me while in college. I will share stories, musings, and interviews with some of the most successful community college graduates I know.

Every blog will come with a challenge or a call to action that is guaranteed to help you reach your goals and break the barriers that sometimes hold you back from the potential you know you have.  How can I make such a guarantee? Because I will never give you a challenge that didn’t work for me.

So with the beginnings of this first blog and the beginnings of your Spring 2011 semester, I challenge you to walk through the doors of your first class and really notice the people around you. Resist the temptation to focus on your phone in those sometimes awkwardly quiet moments before the professor walks in. And start a conversation with someone. Ask them if they’ve heard anything about this class. Compliment them. Engage.

And today’s challenge comes with a bonus challenge for only the truly dedicated. Sit in the front.

Every good thing that happened to me in college happened because of an incredible peer or professor.  Take the time to get to know them. Amazing things will come from those connections.

How do I know? Because I also ended my community college experience crouched on the floor crying. But that time it was because the President surprised me with the announcement that I had won the $110,000 Jack Kent Cooke scholarship. Around me friends I had made while at community college cried for me. Professors who wrote the scholarship recommendation letters hugged me. In that moment the “community” of community college was all around me, and I knew I had made the best choice of my life.

Make your choice to go to community college a great one. And I’ll be here to help in any way that I can.

Signing off on today’s Monday Morning Motivation,

Isa