More Scholarships!

Giva Student Scholarship

Giva will award $1000 scholarships to undergraduate or graduate students who write thoughtful essays in answering the following questions:

How will you use your talents and education to make the world a better place for future generations?  What are you career and personal goals and why?

The essay needs to be between 600-1000 words, and must be submitted to our mailing address no later than June 1st or December 1st of each year.  A current resume must also be included with the essay.  Giva will choose the scholarship winners and will award the scholarships by August 15th and February 15th of each year.  Students can only apply once in any 12-month period.

In addition to the scholarship, winners will be entered into Giva's six-month Worldwide Community Ambassador essay program.  Giva will provide a social media platform wherein subsequent essays written by the award winners will be published on the Giva website, as well as other social media.  The essays will reflect the personal experiences, perspectives and aspirations of winners in order to encourage and inspire others.

For more information, visit http://www.givainc.com/scholarships/student-scholarship-worldwide-community-ambassador-award.cfm.

2015 Joye Law Firm Scholarship

Joye Law Firm is offering you the opportunity to win a collage scholarship to help further your education.  Our firm will off six $2,000 scholarships to graduating seniors in South Carolina who plan to attend a four-year institution of higher learning in the fall.  Selection of the recipients is based on the creative entry, school activities, positions of leadership, special honors and awards, community involvement, academic performance, and professional pursuits.

Applicants are required to submit the following materials:

1. A typed or neatly printed application found here.
2. A current high school transcript
3. A creative entry that warns of the dangers of drunk driving and/or distracted driving

Entries may include, but are not limited to, an essay, poem, painting, poster, video, audio recording, web page or other creative entry.  The more creative, the better.

Essays should be limited to 600 words.  Video/audio recordings should be limited to two (2) minutes.  All creative entries must be transported or mailed with the rest of your application.  Entries will not be returned to the applicant.

Application deadline: Tuesday, April 1, 2015

For more information, visit http://www.joyelawfirm.com/scholarship/.  

Academic Outreach Camp

The University of South Carolina Upstate, BMW Manufacturing in Greer, and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System are teaming up for an Academic Outreach Camp to introduce students to exciting and real world applications of mathematics, statistics, and physics.

The camp will emphasize how mathematics and science are used to improve the processes to build things like BMW vehicles and how other industries and organizations, such as healthcare, finance and the armed forces, use similar processes and tools.  In addition to honing and improving team work and leadership skills, students will gain hands-on experience in learning and applying Lean and Six Sigma tools to computerized challenges, physical simulations, case studies, and teaching games.  An in-depth tour of BMW's manufacturing facility and USC-Upstate's Healthcare Simulation Center are included.  Students will also have a chance to improve their driving skills behind the wheel of a BMW vehicle at the BMW Performance Center.

The Academic Outreach Camp will be held June 15-19 and June 22-26, 2015, at USC-Upstate's George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics in downtown Spartanburg.  Participants will be required to attend both weeks.  Students must be rising seniors at the time of application and must apply online at www.uscupstate.edu/bmwcamp.  The camp is free; lunch and snacks will be provided.  The deadline for applications is March 16, 2015.

For questions or for more information, please contact:

Donette Stewart - dstewart@uscupstate.edu or 864503-5280
Tim Ellis - tellis@uscupstate.edu or 864-552-4235

Dorothy Marron Memorial Scholarship

American Leprosy Missions (ALM) is no accepting Dorothy Marron Memorial Scholarship applications from graduating high school seniors residing in Greenville County who intend to pursue degrees that will lead to a vocation involving international service to poor and disenfranchised peoples in developing countries.  Scholarships are $2,000 per year and may be renewed for up to three years.

For more information and the scholarship application, contact Gwen Smith at 864-241-1741 or scholarships@leprosy.org.

Deadline: April 6, 2015

The Ride of Your Life!

For 18 years, the South Carolina State Fair "Ride of Your Life" Scholarship Program has helped launch bright futures for deserving students in our state.  The fair is excited to continue this tradition by awarding these scholarships to deserving students again in 2015.

Any high school senior in South Carolina is eligible to apply to be a State Fair Scholar.  Potential scholars will find a link to the application below.  The completed application, school transcripts, a current photograph, and an essay on your educational experience in South Carolina is required.

Fifty (50) chosen seniors will be awarded $1,500 per year for up to four years.  The scholarships are to be applied toward post-high school education or training in a South Carolina university, college or technical college.  Students pursuing two-year degrees are eligible for the award and are encouraged to apply.

Prospective scholars will be judged on overall school performance and involvement, as well as extracurricular activities, communication skills and aptitude for completion of the application.  Although this is not a needs-based program, when applicable, need will be taken into consideration.

Fully completed applications must be postmarked by March 13, 2015.  State Fair Scholars will be notified in early May.

For more information and for the scholarship application, visit http://www.scstatefair.org/p/about-us/214.

Contact Info: Betsy Cooper at 803-799-3387 or betsyc@scstatefair.org

Silver Pen Writing Competition and Scholarship

The Silver Pen is an annual scholarship opportunity for high school seniors hosted by Cascades Verdae.  The scholarship has four monetary awards of $1500, $1000, $750, and $500.  All submissions will be judged by our retirement community's Resident Advisory Council which consists of successful retired business professionals, educators, and community leaders.

Criteria for Application

• high school senior living within or attending a school within 25 miles of Cascades Verdae (as SFCS students, you qualify)
• a weighted GPA of 3.0 or above
• demonstration of outstanding character, leadership and citizenship
• participation in extracurricular activities
• one letter of recommendation from a high school faculty, and employer, clergy, or community organization

Essay Rules

• Essay must be the applicant's original work
• Applicants may only enter one time
• Six hundred word essay, typed and double-spaced.  Cover page, title and footnotes do not contribute to word count (name of applicant only on cover page)
• Quotations may be used sparingly and sources must be clearly identified

Judging Guidelines

• Research, insight and perspective
• Theme development
• Inspirational quality
• Creativity
• Clarity of ideas
• Meaningful personal connection
• Essays should concentrate on a theme.  They will be judged on originality, scholarship, including works cited, and mechanics, including correct grammar and spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

2015 Essay Question

For almost 1400 years people believed that the Earth was the center of the universe, until one day when Copernicus dared to think differently and proposed that the earth actually revolved around the sun.  In today's world, we live in a society built upon the ideas and advancements of those who thought differently - those who innovated.  Webster's Dictionary defines innovation "the introduction of something new."  To that point, innovation comes in many different shapes and forms - books, technology, fashion, medicine, etc.

While we are exploring new "frontiers" with social media, apps, etc., one must wonder if the age of innovation is coming to a close.  Have all things that can be created, been created?

Do you think that it is easier to innovate now with all of the technological advancements?  Or, do you think it was easier to innovate without modern advancements and thinking?

Deadline for submissions: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY, 15, 2015

For more information and to apply, visit http://silverpen-slc.com/. 

Personal Statements

By now, you may be starting your Personal Statements for your college applications.  It's probably everyone's least favorite part of the application process - you have to brag about yourself without sounding too arrogant, too humble, too cliche, or too boring.  And sometimes the essay questions just don't seem to apply to you or your life.  Despite these challenges, the personal statement is one of the most important components of your introduction into college and "real" life.  It is good to have an introspective look at yourself and your accomplishments before you jump into life after high school.  This is also a practical skill that you will use for years to come.  Job interviews will ask you to know your strengths and weaknesses, to give examples of overcoming challenges or conflicts, and how you would be a valuable asset to their company.  These are basically the same questions that a personal statement asks, and, unlike in a job interview, you can take all the time you need to revise, revise, revise.

The Admissions Blog for Vanderbilt University recently posted about the importance of the personal statement.  I have included the blog written by David Lazo below.
_________________________________________________________________________________
#selfie, Old School Style

Even though the age of the #selfie encourages self-promotion, I believe it is still very difficult for most people to write about themselves. When I have the opportunity to share my observations about reading personal statements in Vanderbilt information sessions, I always make time to ask the audience how many of them keep a written log of their internal thoughts. Few do. Unfortunately, I find that many applicants to college wait until the last minute to compose an essay that can be important in a holistic process like ours.

If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, we should be able to write an essay as easily as we take a selfie. In fact, mastering the ability to advocate for oneself through the written form remains difficult, although it is a critical life skill. I believe that the personal statement serves as one of many ‘firsts’ as you enter the adult world. For example, when applying for jobs, I always slave over my cover letter. Word placement. Tone. Brevity. It all matters.

Certainly the stakes surrounding your personal statement may seem high now, but this exercise is just the beginning of many statements to come. It may start with describing your distinctive fit for a college community, but next you’ll find yourself writing a statement for an internship or your first job after college graduation. Or perhaps you’ll decide to pursue graduate school, and, speaking from personal experience, it is just as important for that process. Composing a distinctive personal statement may always be difficult, but with practice, you can get much better at it.

If you are a high school senior, you have many drafts ahead of you. Your summer months should be used to give yourself the time and flexibility to allow your personal statement to evolve. The first draft of your personal statement SHOULD NOT be the one we see. Much like a seedling, personal statements must sprout and grow. With ample watering (read: editing and revisions), your statement will be one that I remember. And if you happen to be in the midst of college searches but still have some time before you compose an official application for admission, just start writing. About anything. Ultimately, it is not just what you say that will impress any admissions officer, but also how you say it that will distinguish you.

A selfie is unique because it is a one-of-a-kind visual of who you are (or would like to be). However, before the selfie there was the good old-fashioned personal statement. You owe it to yourself to stand out in a competitive process like ours. Here is my challenge to you: Put down the camera phone and pick up a pen this summer – it’s time for a selfie, old-school style.

http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2014/07/selfie-old-school-style/

What is your favorite book?

So honestly, how many of you genuinely love to read?  Or even like it, for that matter?  I've heard all the excuses...English class ruined reading for me; I just read too slowly; books are boring; and so on.  

I was thinking about what topics could be helpful to you rising seniors as you move towards your final year of high school and the college admissions process looms large, and I thought books would be a great place to land.  So I started hunting, and I came across several articles about how reading really should be a part of your lives.  One article from the Washington Post included a interesting anecdote by the author:

It was late June 1991, and I sat upright on the edge of the plush chair in the admissions office, pictures of brick buildings and cheerful coeds adorning the walls.  Nervously I fidgeted with my hands, being sure to make eye contact as my counselor had instructed.  The admission dean fired off softball questions about my high school in attempt to put me at ease.  I was on Day 5 of my first college tour and every campus was starting to look the same.  As I sat in that office, much like the others before, my mind wandered.  Was I in New York or New Hampshire?

I was jolted back to the moment, as the interviewer smiled and delivered the question.  It was the one question that I still remember 20 some years later.  “What is your favorite book?”  A simple inquiry, but one that stopped me in my tracks.  My mind raced.  ’What does she want to hear?’ ‘Should I go the intellectual route?’  'Should I try and be unique?’  'Does this college count a famous author among their graduates?’   ‘Which college am I at anyway?’ I paused for what seemed like an eternity.  “Mama Day” by Gloria Naylor, I offered.  A story of race, family, tradition and relationships, it was the last book we had read in junior year before school let out for the summer, so weeks later it was the only one stuck in my mind.  It is with great clarity that I recall the answer I gave that summer day.  Maybe because it is when I suddenly realized that college would be about books and studying, not just independence and fraternity parties.  Or perhaps it was the first time I started considering what it means to be a thoughtful reader and when I appreciated the opportunity that the space and time that summer provides to explore fine literature.

"I suddenly realized that college would be about books and studying, not just independence and fraternity parties."  Yes, you actually have to learn while you are at college.  The great thing is that everyone is learning together, so you get to have interesting conversations spanning majors, topics, beliefs, and ideas all the time.  Starting the habit of reading now will aid you in these types of situations.  Reading will help you become more articulate, it will improve your vocabulary, and make you a better writer.  It will open your mind to new ideas and different ways of viewing the world and the people in it.  And, in all honesty, it will help you become a well-rounded, knowledgeable, and interesting person (and who doesn't want that?).  


Where to start?  I always ask my friends, family, and coworkers what they have read recently and enjoyed.  They have given me lots of ideas, and I just keep track of their suggestions so when I go to the library (getting a library card is step #2), I can remember what I want to read next.  I also like to look at the New York Times bestseller lists, or those overly dramatic lists you see about the "Top 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die!".  Scan through the descriptions and pick out the ones that seem most interesting to you. 

All that being said, here are some suggestions for places to start reading:

A summer reading list from college admissions counselors
28 Summer Reading Suggestions from College Admission Experts
My Summer Reading List #dukereads
New York Times Bestsellers
Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Novels
30 Books Every Christian Should Read

Now when you are asked in your college interview or application about your favorite book or the last several books you've read, you will have something interesting to say...proving that your dream school would be lucky to have such a thoughtful, well-rounded person like yourself attend their university.

Congrats!

Savannah West - Clemson University

Elizabeth Ellis - Wake Forest University and Washington & Lee University

Congratulations!

Madison Allen - University of Georgia and College of Charleston

Elizabeth Ellis - Clemson University and Sewanee: The University of the South

Adam Long - University of South Carolina

Colin Maier - Clemson University, The Citadel, and University of South Carolina

Summer Programs: South Carolina Business Week

Are you interested in going into business?  This might be the summer program opportunity for you!  And it's FREE!  South Carolina Business Week is the premier youth program of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.  The timely and customized curriculum encourages participants to excel as individuals while becoming integral team players.  Learn skills from leaders in business, education and government; CEOs from some of South Carolina's largest corporations; and experts in economics, diversity, communications, international business, management, and research and development.

THE DETAILS
Who: Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors (top 1/3 of their class)
When: July 13-18, 2014
Where: Presbyterian College
Cost: $50 application fee (program attendees are sponsored by the business community)
Deadline: APRIL 11, 2014

BONUS
Each year, South Carolina Business Week presents four college scholarships totaling $12,000 to deserving students.  The scholarships are: the S. Hunter Howard, Jr. Business Week Scholarship ($5,000), the Ron McNair Leadership Scholarship ($3,000), the Rawl Family Scholarship ($2,000), and the Chelse Ward Elliott Scholarship ($2,000).  Students who receive one of the first three scholarships must attend an in-state college or university in order to receive the scholarship money.  Students are required to submit a separate scholarship application, which will be mailed to them once they are accepted into the South Carolina Business Week program.

If you are interested in learning more or applying for this program, stop by the Student Services Office in the 100 building.  Or visit http://www.scbusinessweek.com/.

Summer Programs @ Stanford

Summer Institutes
At Summer Institutes, students ages 14-17 will engage in a 3-4 week intensive study single-subject courses with instructors and peers who share their talents, passions, and interests.  Coursework is tightly integrated with the social experience in academically themed houses.  Courses in areas ranging from biotechnology to entrepreneurship and creative writing are customized to give students deep exposure and hands-on experience.

Summer College
At Summer College, students from around the world ages 16-19 will choose from more than 125 college courses in 30 academic departments, earning undergraduate course credit and an official Stanford University transcript.  Students in the residential and the commuting Summer College programs credit their own course schedules and experience what life is like as undergraduate students at Stanford.

For more information, visit http://spcs.stanford.edu/explore.

...plus you'll get to spend your summer on this beautiful campus!

Preview Days

On April 3rd-4th, Columbia International University is hosting their Preview Days for prospective students.  If you are interested in visiting or someday attending CIU, this is a great place to start!  You will get to spend the night in the dorms, participate in student-lead activities, and see what it’s like to sit in on classes and chapel as well as meet with professors from different degree concentrations.  

For more information or to register, visit http://www.ciu.edu/become-student/how-apply/undergraduate/preview-days. 

For Parents, On Financial Aid

After being accepted by a college or university, the next big hurdle is financial aid.  The Financial Aid process can feel like a maze of details and forms - merit scholarships, need-based scholarships, FAFSA, additional applications, tax information, grants, loans, and on and on.  So how to maneuver through this mess?  Every year, Amber Thompson our registrar, hosts a financial aid meeting with Senior and Junior parents.  This meeting is led by an admissions counselor from a local college and has proved very helpful in years past.  One of the major topics covered at this meeting is the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  The federal government and many colleges use the FAFSA as a measurement to determine the amount of financial aid your family would need in order to send a student to college.  Below I have included an article from College Make Simple, a website with tips and tricks for the college application process.  This particular tip is about the importance of filling out the FAFSA even if you think it won't make a difference in your financial aid package.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Dear College Made Simple reader,

Every year, a number of families make a huge mistake.

They don’t fill out and submit their FAFSA.

Some are guilty of simple mistakes – waiting too long to submit their application, not correcting errors in an application – but the majority who make this mistake do it on purpose.

They figure they’re not eligible for financial aid, due to income or savings they think is too high. Why bother doing the application, when there’s no money that will come your way?

If you choose not to fill out a FAFSA – no matter what your situation – you could be shooting yourself in the foot. In today’s College Made Simple report, we explain why…

- Scott

Financial Aid Eligibility: Why It’s Always a Good Idea To Submit the FAFSA

Most people who don’t fill out the FAFSA think they won’t be able to get the money. They could be wrong.

Situations change. Jobs are sometimes lost, health issues sometimes arise that prevent work (or drain savings). A new baby might come into the picture – or, unfortunately, a bread winner might pass.

The future can’t be known – but one thing you can know, if you don’t file a FAFSA, you can’t adapt to changing circumstances. Even if you won’t be eligible for aid today – you might be tomorrow.

Further, many merit scholarships require a FAFSA. So even if you don’t qualify from need, you might qualify thanks to achievement.

Of course, if you don’t fill out a FAFSA, you’ll never find out.

Finally, any student loans you might take out require a FAFSA as well. Even if you’re perfectly capable of affording school – sometimes it makes sense to take out a loan anyway.

In some cases it’s to avoid running down retirement savings – or, perhaps, to give a student a fine lesson in financial life as well, even if just with a token loan.

In short, there are a few good reasons to fill out a FAFSA that have nothing to do with need. And, as a type of insurance, everyone should fill out a FAFSA, just in case a family’s financial fortune takes a sudden turn south.

To your college funding & admissions success,

Scott Weingold

Co-Founder, College Planning Network LLC

Publisher, CollegeMadeSimple.com – The free educational resource of College Planning Network

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our seniors on their college acceptances!

Savannah West - Wofford College and Presbyterian College

Samuel Glenn - Furman University and Wofford College

Nicholas Miron - Clemson University

Emma Knight - Presbyterian College, Appalachian State University, and James Madison University

Got Senioritis?

Has spring semester just begun and you already don't have any motivation to do your school work?  Do you just want to sit around in sweatpants and watch TV or hang out with friends?  You might have a common problem among high school seniors called senioritis.  While this is a normal sentiment among high school seniors, be careful you don't get drawn too far down that path.  Just because you have already been accepted into college doesn't mean that your dream school cannot withdraw their acceptance if they are not impressed with your final grades.

So how can you overcome senioritis?  Lots of tips exist out there on the internet, ranging from having a "just do it" mentality to scare tactics about losing college acceptances or scholarships.  But here are some helpful and practical tips from the CollegeBoard:

• Maintain a challenging course load. Urge them to take the most rigorous courses available, including AP courses (for which they can earn credit at many colleges).
• Enjoy their senior experience — responsibly. Encourage them to celebrate the last year of school. They may enjoy cheering at football games, going to the prom, attending graduation festivities, and participating in clubs, sports and volunteer work.
• Commit to an internship or career-focused job. This can help them make informed decisions about their education and career goals. Or they can try out college early by taking a class at a local college in a subject that interests them or in which they excel.
• Keep a calendar of their activities and deadlines. This includes tests, college applications, senior-year events and extracurriculars. Caution them not to overextend themselves.
• Avoid obsessing over the admission process. If they do, everything else, including grades, suffers. It's all about balance and making the right choices.

Hang in there, seniors, graduation will be here before you know it!

Congrats!

Congratulations to all our Seniors as they continue to hear back from colleges!  Here is the most recent list of acceptances:

Chris Verdin - Mercer College

Seth Garrison - Clemson University and University of South Carolina

Samuel Glenn - University of South Carolina Honors College

Phillip Carter - Lander University

Elizabeth Ellis - University of Virginia

Jesse Turner - Erskine College

Keep 'em Coming!

Here is the most recent list of college acceptances for the Class of 2014:

Chris Verdin - Presbyterian College

Madison Allen - Clemson University
Elizabeth Ellis - Clemson University

**Please let us know when you or your student finds out about their college acceptances.  We would love to share their good news on the blog!

Your Online Self

Are you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, or any of the other multitude of social networking sites and how do you portray yourself?

Do you use Facebook or Instagram to post pictures of the wild party you had last weekend?  Do you live tweet about how boring class was or make inappropriate comments about your friends, family, fellow students, teachers, etc.?  Do you use language on these sites that you maybe wouldn't in front of adults like your parents and teachers?

It is important to think carefully about how you portray yourself on the internet.  I'm sure you've heard this all before ..."once it's online, it's never really gone;" "employers can see those pictures;" or "privacy settings are always changing" ... blah, blah, blah, right?  But social media can actually affect your lives now - even in the college application process.


The New York Times recently published an article called "They Loved Your G.P.A. Then They Saw Your Tweets."  This article states that many college admissions counselors (who are often young and tech-savvy) are using Facebook and Twitter and other websites to learn about their applicants' lives.  While colleges do not base their admissions decisions solely on social networking sites, there have been individuals who were denied acceptance due to the content of their personal websites.

So, be careful what you post on the internet.  This doesn't mean that we want to be someone you are not, or to present an untrue version of yourself just for the benefit of admissions counselors or potential employers; however, being wise about your internet use is always a good idea.  Do your best to avoid inappropriate photos, coarse or rude language, gossip, bullying ... basically, if in doubt, don't put it on the internet.

Congrats!

Congratulations to Mike Miller and Jesse Turner on your college acceptances!

Mike Miller - North Greenville University, Anderson University, Liberty University

Jesse Turner - North Greenville University

Are You A Student Leader?

The magazine Leadership for Student Activities NHS & NJHS edition contains a great article with tips for getting into college by maximizing your application process.  The author, Mark Sklarow, notes that colleges and universities are facing a growing list of increasingly competitive applicants and are choosing students whose "collective skills and interests will create an entering class that reflects the academic, social, and cultural mix they want to see on their campuses."  They are looking for student leaders who will bring new and creative ideas and leadership to cultural clubs, academic societies, sororities and fraternities, service organizations, etc.

So how do you show off your skills as a student leader without bragging?  Here are some tips:

• Approach your adviser well in advance.  You can request a recommendation as early as junior year or earlier if either you or your teacher is leaving the school.  But remember that your adviser is busy, so give lots of lead time.
• Give your adviser a list of your activities and the projects you worked on, and share information about what you've discovered about yourself, your fellow students, and your school through  your involvement in school activities.
• Show colleges what you've done in high school, but remember that they are even more interested in how you will use your knowledge, training, and experience to make their colleges a better place.  Look for opportunities in your essay and interview to discuss where you hope to be involved on campus.
• Demonstrate a deep and passionate involvement in a few things.  Colleges are unimpressed by students who dabble in 15 activities.  Rather, they are thrilled with teens who discover what they love to do, get deeply involved, and accept more and more responsibility as the years go by.  Demonstrate how that genuine passion has shaped you as a person and a student leader, and you'll make admissions hearts flutter.
• Bear in mind that different types of schools view their candidates differently.  Small liberal arts colleges see it as their mission to view students holistically, and they spend serious time reviewing essays, letters of recommendation, and talking with students, as well as considering transcripts and scores.  Big state universities have less time and are often driven by data, but students with a genuine story can stand out and convince an overwhelmed admissions counselor to stop and take notice.

Letters of Recommendation are a key way to display this information to admissions committees.  Consider carefully who you would like to write you a recommendation.  Teachers, counselors, administrators, mentors, employers, etc. are all great people to ask -- you want someone who knows you well.  Make sure you chose someone who is able to write a letter that will highlight your accomplishments; convey information about your skills, abilities, and unique talents; provide specific examples of your leadership experiences and your greatest successes; and can write these things honestly. 

Source: Mark Sklarow, "Getting In: An insider shares tips on the college admissions process," Leadership  for Student Activities, vol. 42, no. 3, November 2013.

*Mark Sklarow is the CEO of the Independent Education Consultants Association, a national organization representing school and college advisers who work independently from school settings.