More Than a Test Score

Congratulations to our latest Double Your Money Winner Kelly Peterson! Kelly successfully applied for and won the Bethesda Lutheran Communities Scholastic Excellence Award, and because found the scholarship on Zinch, we’re matching it for another $500! We asked Kelly a couple questions about herself and her award, and this is what she had to share.

What is your strategy behind applying for scholarships?

As a very busy person, I look for scholarships that fit me, and don’t waste time with those that don’t. That said, I put time into finding the right scholarships, applying to the one scholarship that you have a great chance of winning is more important than applying to ten that you really doubt you can win.  I try to remember to look for local scholarships that may not be advertised in scholarship search engines too.

What career path do you see yourself taking after school?

Right now, I see myself as an occupational therapist when I´m done with school. I really want a career working with people with disabilities.

What would you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?

During my junior year of high school I planned a miniature carnival for kids with disabilities. I worked hard to come up with activities, to get things donated, and to  train and recruit volunteers. While it was only a day, I got to see what my hard work could do, and learned a lot about organizing events!

How are you more than a test score?

I have passion. I began working with kids with disabilities the summer after my freshmen year, and slowly, it took over my life. If you just looked at my test score, you would not see how I have now devoted my life to working with people with disabilities.

Don’t forget about our scholarship search where you’ll find nearly $2 billion worth of financial aid posted online. Remember to invite your friends to Zinch too, cause with our Win Your Friend’s Scholarship program, any scholarship they win will earn you a check for the same amount!

Congratulations to our latest Double Your Money Winner Ryan Zolyomi! Ryan was awarded the Florida Engineering Society (FES) Scholarship for $1,000, and because he found and applied for the scholarship through Zinch, we’re matching it for every dollar. We wanted to get to know Ryan a little better with a few brief questions, and here’s what he had to share.

What is your strategy behind applying for scholarships?

My primary strategy is to apply to as many scholarships as possible in which I meet the criteria. Probability can only be on my side. I also look for regional scholarships or ones that only have a select group meeting the criteria. For example, some allergy and asthma scholarships have a limited
number of eligible applicants.

If you could start your own company what would it be?

I had never really considered starting my own company, but if I could I would definitely start one that would assist those who are in need. I have grown up always seeking to help the community through Scouting and school activities and hope to continue that in my future. If I was to start a new company, it would have to combine my two passions: furthering the biomedical field and helping others.

What is a special skill or talent you wish you had?

A special skill I wish I possess is the ability to predict the future. If I could predict the future, I would be able to make more informed decisions which could ultimately help not only me but the whole world.

How are you more than a test score?

I consider myself more than a test score because my hard work and dedication does not end with my academics and taking tests. Although academics are very important to me, I strive for excellence in areas such as music and scouting. These activities have shaped my character for the better and in ways that academics alone could not accomplish. Also, by not purely focusing on academics I shift my attentions to also giving back to the community through a variety of community service activities.

Make sure to check out our scholarship search! There’s over one million scholarships and $2 billion dollar worth of financial aid on Zinch, and we’re adding new scholarships every week. College is tough enough as it is—paying for it shouldn’t be.

Congratulations to Victoria Dulaney, our latest Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner!

It’s important to give thanks for the things that matter in life. Whether it’s to friends, family, or success, we should all be grateful for our good fortunes. That’s why we asked you to tell us something you were grateful for that represented your interests, and explain its significance. Victoria’s answer was chosen for showing how her extracurricular activities have helped her grow as a leader and artist.

Here’s her winning essay:
I am thankful for the technical theater program in my school. This program has helped me grow as a person and taught me about leadership over my peers. It also allowed me to design for the theater and then create my designs for all the people who work for and see the shows.

Here’s a bit more about our winner:
I am the third of five kids. I love hanging out with my friends and just doing stuff to help out. I’ve lived in the same town my entire life and I really hope to get out of the state for college.

Here’s a few of our favorite runner’s up:

Adeyinka O. – I am thankful for Poetry. Words and syllables alike wouldn’t be able to speak the volumes they do today without the rhythm that sways behind them. Poetry channels any emotion and can easily become a puzzle in its own, by using similes and metaphors to capture the minds of many.

Abel R. – My thanks goes out to my high school for offering a technology program that allows me to further my knowledge of what Computer Science is all about. Without the technology program at my high school, I would be uncertain of which career to pursue after high school.

Brianna F. – I am thankful for my class called iJAG, which stands for Iowa Job for America’s Graduates. Without this amazing and inspiring class, I would be lost in life and I may have already dropped out of highschool. Instead, I got involved with this class and it turned my life around.

Something to REALLY be thankful for? How about a cool $1,000 towards your college tuition? Apply today for the Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship and you could be our next winner!

Congratulations to Jonathan Mason, our latest Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner!

Who doesn’t love a good field trip? You get to explore new places, meet new people, and best of all, spend some time out of the classroom! Class trips cost money though, so we asked if you had to create a fundraiser to cover the trip’s costs, what would it be? Jonathan’s response stood out to us for finding a fun way to engage his classmates and faculty, while ensuring unwanted possessions don’t go to waste.

Here’s his winning essay:
I believe having a community yard sale would be an efficient way to raise money for a class trip. If all the students, faculty, and parents donate items and combine their efforts, they could sponsor a nice class trip. With the sells and donations received, it would be a fun idea.

Here’s a bit more about our winner:
My name is Jonathan but most just simply call me by my last name, Mason. I am a very outgoing and laid back guy when enjoys the simple things. After graduating high school I want to attend a small to medium sized university, where I plan to study journalism and some sort of sports management. My future goals include becoming a sports journalist, working my way to the radio, and finally to ESPN where it is my dream to have a career.

Here’s a few of our favorite runner’s up:

Lenora V. – If everyone paid $3 to wear their pajamas to school it would not only be a pajama party but it would bring people closer together because they would stand out from the rest. Those in pj’s would bond with others in pj’s resulting in students meeting new people in a unique way.

Tyler H. – I would raffle a new television. There would be twenty tickets per person in our class. There are 168 students in my class and at one dollar a ticket, that is $3360. While a 40″ LED TV at Target is $450, that is a profit of $2910, for our class to do where ever we like.

Nancy A. – If I had to raise money for a class trip, my idea would be to sell origami or paper-mache products. I would sell these because it would require recycling old papers; thus, this would reduce waste. Furthermore, all the paper products would be made by the class making it fun.

Looking for a way to raise funds for your college education? Apply for our Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship and you could be $1,000 closer to your goal. Just fill out the application, write your essay, and click “submit”… it’s that simple!

Congratulations to our latest Double Your Money Winner, Margaret Rivers! Margaret was awarded The Burger King Scholars Award for $1,000 and because she was smart enough to use Zinch to find it, she’s earned herself an additional $1,000 towards her college education. We asked Margaret to tell us a little about herself and her ambitions—check out what she had to say.

What is your strategy behind applying for scholarships?

My strategy is pretty simple, search, search and search some more and apply to everything you are eligible. Starting first with your high school and then branching out to local, county, state and then nationally.

What career path do you see yourself taking after school?

After school I intend to help under represented youth in the legal system, everyone deserves and second chance.

What technology do you think you couldn’t live without and why?

I can’t live without my iPhone. It has all my info in it I would be lost without it. I even dress it up in different cases.

How are you more than a test score?

I am more than a test score, because I have attributes that are not reflected on any test. I have won scholarships where my GPA was the lowest of the winners, but I won the largest award. God has made me uniquely different from everyone else in the universe and that doesn’t show on a test score.

Looking for a way to get ahead on tuition this semester? Hit up our Double Your Money program to find out if you’re eligible for a scholarship match!