More Than a Test Score

Congratulations to Arpan Prabhu, our Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner for this week! Everyone wants a chance to speak their mind, but we wanted to know if you were given your own radio talk show, what would it be about? Arpan decided to go for something a little different, and once we heard his idea we were more than willing to tune in.

Here is his winning essay:
My radio talk show would highlight the quirky, unusual passions that people are pursuing throughout the world. Whether they hear about a 60-year old belly dancer or an “extreme ironing” fan, my listeners would be entertained and maybe realize they shared the same passions.

Here is a bit more about our winner:
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it is the fuel of my existence. I am an inquisitive person who enjoys thinking and approaching problems from different angles. As such, my pastimes include chess and reading mystery novels. Curiosity has also precipitated my interest in science/business and the innovations that, when used simultaneously, both disciplines can bring.

While we can’t give you a radio show, if you apply for our our Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship we could hook you up with $1,000 towards your college education. Just fill out the application and send it off…how cool is that?!

Congratulations to our latest Double Your Money winner Aziz Almassoudi! Aziz successfully applied for and won a $2,000 scholarship on Zinch, and we’re doubling it. Between wrapping up finals and getting ready for the summer, we chatted with Aziz about this award.

What is your strategy behind applying for scholarships?

My strategy behind applying for scholarships was simply to apply to as many as I could, without spending too much time on a particular scholarship application. Since many of the scholarships that I applied for required me to write an essay, I focused on three or four essay topics, perfected them, and applied to all scholarships that had a similar essay topic. This gave me an edge, and contributed to my success.

After school, what kind of career path would you like to follow?

As a child I have always wondered how things worked, and frequently questioned my surroundings. My curiosity soon developed into a fascination for technology, and today has become a major part in my life and academic identity. I continuously find my self researching and examining contemporary studies, inventions, and innovations. This undeniable eagerness has created, in me, a thirst for being part of these studies on a professional scale, and has created in me an aspiring engineer. In 6 years, I will be 24 years old with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and a M.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering. I see myself working for aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing, or Cessna, side by side with the industry’s finest engineers.

What do you consider your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?

I believe that my greatest strength is my ability to stay focused and undeniably persistent. These characteristics have played a significant and crucial role throughout my high school career and are palpable reasons for my educational success. However, sometimes my responsibilities grow and seem uncontrollable, and lead to my greatest weakness—stress. As I am a high school senior, my duties included college applications, scholarship applications, keeping track of important dates and deadlines, the rigorous work from four advanced placement courses, and a college level science class, not to mention my role as manager of my part-time job, community service involvement, and numerous extracurricular activities. These duties did indeed enrich my high school career, yet also caused me to experience inevitable stress-filled days.

How are you more than a test score?

I am more then just a test score because the aspirations, accomplishments, and beliefs that I posses as an individual are the products of family values, educational experiences, and life lessons. These values are the real factors that represent who I am, not a number that represents my performance on a set given day.

Want Zinch to hook it up? Check out our scholarship search where we have nearly $2 billion worth of financial aid posted online. Because let’s be honest, getting into college is hard enough, paying for it shouldn’t be!

For our “More Than A Test Score” Photo Contest we wanted to see what made you special, and after two weeks, over a thousand entries, and more Facebook action than we could shake a stick at, you sure delivered!

While the submissions period has come to a close, the voting phase has just begun! To make sure you’re able to score as many votes as possible, we wanted to share how you can spread the word on your entry:

First, once you access the “More Than A Test Score” Photo Contest and view your entry, you’ll see a unique URL in the location bar. That’s the link to your submission—be sure to copy, paste, and share that with all your friends and family, it’ll take them directly to your picture.

Next, whenever you vote on a entry you’ll see a little box labeled “Share on my Wall;” make sure you keep this box checked so that your vote will be posted on your Wall and News Stream for all your Facebook friends to see.

The voting phase will last until June 30th, so spend the next week trying to get as many supporters as you can! Users can vote for as many different photos as they like, however voting is limited to once per day.

So now that you’ve shown us what makes you special, it’s time to prove it! Whether you’re planning to email, post, tweet, or shout from the mountain top about your submission, it’s up to you to rack up the votes. Best of luck Zinchers, may the best photo win!

Congratulations to Kathryne Carey, our Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner for this week! Everybody comes from somewhere, and we wanted to know how your hometown has influenced you as an individual. While we received a great mix of responses from small-town countrysides to bustling big cities, Kathryne’s love for the place she calls home (and one of their most famous citizens) packed a one-two punch we couldn’t deny.

Here is her winning essay:
Being from Philly has definitely influenced my personality. Our work ethic is strong. Our key movie being Rocky, we know that life will knock you down, but your ability to get back up and triumph is ultimately what leads you to become a champion.

Here is a little bit more about our winner:
I like reading novels, lemon water ice, peach Snapple, writing poetry and fiction. I am sarcastic and I’d say unique but I refuse to use cliches for everyone is unique in one way or another. I love music and going to shows… I work part time as a CSR at a bank. I currently attend the Community College of Philadelphia but am hoping to transfer soon for Creative Writing. I am eager to further my education!

Want to impress all your friends back home? Apply for our our Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship and you could tell them about the $1,000 you won. Just write your answer, fill out the form and, send…it’s that simple!

Today’s post was written by guest blogger Patrick O’Connor. Patrick is the director of college counseling at Roeper School in Birmingham, Michigan, and author of ‘College is Yours in 600 Words or Less’. You can follow Patrick’s weekly column and subscribe to it at collegeisyours.com.

Now that you’ve solved the “going to college” puzzle, you have lots of free time on your hands. To make sure you are college ready, here are some recommendations on how to spend some of your summertime. Consider these as practice on how to expand your world—that’s the whole idea behind college, so give these a spin, and you’ll hit the campus more flexible that Gumby after a yoga class:

Movie You Must See Before You Go To College

The Shawshank Redemption had the misfortune of being released the same year as Forrest Gump, so it was widely ignored for several years. Now it’s on TNT every month, and rightfully so. A story about redemption, second chances, mistakes, forgiveness and negotiating with the world, this isn’t an easy movie to watch, but it tells a great deal about hope, determination, and always knowing what’s right. It will give you the skills to handle Intro to Econ, eccentric roommates, and more, with ease.

Movie Clip You Must See Before You Go to College

I won’t make you sit through the entire film, but the first scene in The Sound of Music is worth the five minutes and 46 seconds it will occupy in your life. A good reminder that less is almost always more, all you see are the mountains of Austria, and all you hear is the remarkable voice of a young Julie Andrews that will make you wonder why she can sing more effortlessly than you can walk.

Success in college demands an ability to stop and appreciate that which is simple and beautiful. Watching this clip will also help you understand why your father’s adolescence was complicated by having an intense crush on a nun. (And as long as the DVD is in the machine, peek at the puppet scene about a third of the way through.)

Song You Must Listen to Before You Go To College

The second movement of Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp is the finest piece he ever wrote, and all of its potential was realized when it was performed by Jean Pierre Rampal and Lily Laskine. Rampal started life as a pre-med major, but his heart had other designs, and he went on to become the premiere flutist of his time, and all time. This performance reminds you that anyone who believes all works of Mozart are the same has no idea what it means to truly listen to music or to people, and that God made the flute to be played by the French. This should be on iTunes—if it isn’t, cancel your subscription. (Their album of Japanese Melodies is mighty good as well.)

Song Clip You Must Watch Before You Go To College

It took less than two minutes for Ella Fitzgerald and the Manhattan Transfer to find their place in Grammy history in 1983 with a rendition of “How High the Moon” that sounds like they practiced for years, but looks like they met each other behind stage and decided to see what happens. Your goal in college is to work this hard to make everything look this easy—and if you leave college without an appreciation for good jazz, your parents have wasted their money.

Phrase You Must Add to Your Vocabulary

“Ma’am.” Like high schools, colleges are run by secretaries—veteran, organized, unionized secretaries who have a way of doing things that is older than Stonehenge. This level of organization almost always works to your advantage, except at peak times during the year when every student needs help, and their system of order is on the brink of collapse. That’s where you come in.

You: “I need to process this drop and add slip.”

Secretary, peering over her half glasses: “Have you seen your adviser?”

You: “Yes ma’am.”

At this point, you will see her shoulders drop, her pen write faster, and a small smile cross her face. You have made her day, and she will never, ever, forget you.

This is good. Trust me.

Phrase You Must Delete from Your Vocabulary

“No problem.” There will probably be a point where one of these secretaries may actually thank you for doing something. The only way you can get off their good side is to respond with anything but “You’re Welcome.” Practice now.

Book You Must Read Before You Go To College

Realizing I run the risk of raising the ire of every AP English and History teacher, I will none the less offer How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill. Neither fiction nor a scholarly work, it’s more like your Irish neighbor telling you the enriched but true story of the vital role Irish monks held in restoring education to Europe during the time of St. Patrick. You won’t read anything this easy or biased in college, but its story of how modest people can engage in diligent efforts that change history will, I hope, stay with you forever.