More Than a Test Score

We are excited to announce our Pwnd Computer Science Zinch Scholarship and our Easy as Pie II Zinch Scholarship winners!

Congratulations to Randy Inglefield for winning the Pwnd Computer Science Zinch Scholarship.

Here is a little bit about him:

“Creative, somewhat hyperactive (ADHD), video game enthusiast. Mom disappeared early, dad unknown, my brother and I have grown up on a farm with my widowed grandma who is just about out of money. I work part-time to help (so not many extra-curricular activities) but it won’t be enough for college. Am graduating HS a year early so no SAT yet, but am pre-accepted to a great (and expensive!) game development college where I will learn to design games that are just fun, educational games maybe for disadvantaged kids, and even games that help teach disabled people to use their prosthetic limbs.”

Congratulations to Noah Hutton for winning the Easy as Pie II Zinch Scholarship!

Here is a little more information about Noah:

“My name is Noah Hutton. I like to get as involved as I can while still keeping my sanity. I am involved in all of my school plays, I am a member of my schools tech crew, and a member of The International Thespian Society. I was awarded my schools award for Best Tech Work of the year. Next year I will be my envirothon’s team captain, my senior class treasurer and an ITS officer. I am also very involved in my school’s athletic programs. I have participated in J.V. football, varsity track and field, and varsity cross country. I am my school’s top runner. My family is also involved in foster care.”

Congratulations to Randy and Noah!  And thank you everyone for participating!

Be sure to check back next Tuesday to see the winners of the Do No Evil and Super Student Stimulus Scholarships!

We are grateful to our Zinch students and know no better way to show it than scholarships.  So, we would like to invite you all to join us for a little fun in our Creative Genius Scholarship.

We are looking for the top THREE creative geniuses.  For this scholarship we will award three $1,000 winners.  The deadline is Monday, Nov 30, midnight MDT. The winner will be announced here the following Friday, Dec 4.  This scholarship is open to ANYONE who would like to participate.

This scholarship requires you do two things: post an image or video PLUS a link to your zinch profile on our Zinch Facebook Fan Page.

You can post either an image or video that displays how creative you are.  This could be a film you made, a piece of your artwork, some of your photography, etc., or it could be a photograph of something that you made, did, or otherwise. Or you can just make a video telling us why you are a creative genius.

You can pretty much do whatever you want as long as it is in video or picture format and reflects your creative genius.

Of the three winners we choose:
- 1 will be a high school genius
- 1 will be a college/grad school genius
- And the 3rd winner will be whomever has the most “likes” to their post when the judging occurs.

How to participate…

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Dusted this one off from the Zinch archives. Happy Thanksgiving!

There may be a lot of things looking grim about college (acceptance, tuition, student loans) but the good news is that smart applicants have more and better choices. As you begin to turn in your college applications for next fall remember some of these tips to being smarter about your college applications.

1. Apply as early as possible. Many colleges read applications as they come in. As you can imagine deadline day sees a lot of applications. Allow your application to be set apart by arriving early.

2. Try to keep C’s off your transcript. C’s tend to have the pop off the page effect for admissions officers. If you plan to take an AP course but think you will probably get a C, don’t take the course. It is better to keep as many A’s and B ‘s on your transcript as possible.

3. Visit the campus of the school you would like to attend. Colleges keep record of students who come for campus visits. This shows you are proactively looking into the college. Plus you get to see the campus and get a better feel as to if it is the right school for you.

4. Have a stranger critique your essay. They will more easily be able to tell you where you need improvement. If you are writing about what makes you unique or different ask your closet friends what they think. They can probably give you a better idea of what makes you special.

5. Think outside the box when writing your essay. Admissions officers see loads of essays that talk about world peace, the best parents or scoring the winning goal that if you choose a topic like this your essay will have to be perfect. Write about something that you have a passion about, don’t write about what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. By being yourself, you will stand out and have a better chance at acceptance.

To read some more interesting tips on getting accepted and choosing a college, check out this article.

The day to get all your Christmas gifts has got to be on Black Friday which is the day after Thanksgiving. Finding the killer deals on all the gifts you plan to buy will save you so much money. There are some easy steps to follow as you prepare to get all there is to get out of Black Friday.

First. Decide what is that you want to purchase. Decide what you want to get mom, dad, the sibling and maybe your BF or GF. If you know what you are after you can hunt down the best price. Be sure to do this for you more expensive gifts, these are the ones you want to get for cheaper.

Second. Go online and search “Black Friday Ads” or “Black Friday Deals.” You will see a number of sites that will provide listings of all sorts of stores Black Friday deals. Be sure to look through the ads for the stores within your shopping area. Search specifically for the items on your predetermined list. Maybe you will even get some inspiration on what to get someone. You can also give these Web sites your email address and they will notify you when new ads come in.

Third. Once you have identified the stores that have the best deals for each of your items find out their store hours. Many times for Black Friday stores will open in the middle of the night or early in the morning. This may not sound like the most fun, but just think about all the money you can save by sacrificing a little sleep.

Fourth. Make it fun! Take some friends or family along. If you have to wait outside a store take some blankets, hot chocolate and some card games for entertainment. Maybe you’ll come away from the experience with some good shopping fight stories. You never know what people will do for a killer deal.