When you’re 17, chances are you’re more worried about what you’re doing on Friday night or, hopefully, what college you’ll be going to in the future. Yet Steven Ortiz, a 17 year old from California, worries about what his next trade will be.

Steven traded his way up to a Porsche in just two years by bartering on Craigslist. Starting with an old cell phone to an iPod, a MacBook Pro, a series of dirt bikes, cars and trucks, it took a lot of patience and skill to eventually be the owner of a Porsche. It makes you wonder what you’ve done in the past two years and what you could have been doing instead.

We’re not recommending you start gathering up old cell phones to see what you can end up with in two years, but if Steven sells his Porsche, who knows, maybe he could pay for college?

The college admissions process is a hassle, and students everywhere know this. Sometimes they get help from those who know the process best, sometimes they figure things out themselves and other times they sing about it. Maureen Silva is a zinch student and recent high school graduate who chose to do all three.

Hear her take on college admissions and financial aid through song below. We love the creativity put into this song!

Whether you are just starting high school, beginning your senior year or just graduated it’s time to start the college admissions process.  Many students find this process overwhelming because they don’t know where to start or they’re worried they won’t get into the school of their choice or they didn’t have any idea that the process could be this complicated.  But don’t worry.  This post will give you some basic tips to help get you through this process with as little stress as possible.

Tip #1 Don’t wait until your senior year to start planning for college.  Colleges look at your college resume for extra-curricular activities and other molding experiences.  By your senior year it’s oftentimes too late to add these types of experiences.  You’ll want to make sure that you add rigor to your schedule as well.  Many of the large universities are now requiring 2 years of another language.  They will soon start requiring calculus, pre-calculus, trigonometry, etc.  Taking AP or dual credit classes is also a good way to increase your chances of getting into the school of your choice.

Tip #2 Take your college admissions tests early to ensure you can get your very best test score.  Students typically find that they test better on one test than the other so it’s important that you take both the SAT and the ACT.  That way you can figure out what test you did better on and then you can take it again if you feel you need to improve your score.  It’s also a good idea to take them both in your junior year so that schools can start evaluating your profile early. If you are worried about doing well on these tests you should check out Grockit or Kaplan Test Prep to help you prepare.

Tip #3 Apply early.  By applying early it shows initiative.  It makes it so that you don’t have to worry about deadlines and also allows your profile to be reviewed and processed sooner.  When you are applying it’s a good idea to make sure you learn all of that school’s requirements and timelines so that you don’t miss anything.  Also, make sure that you send a resume and a personal statement with EVERY application.  Even if it’s not required.  Providing a document with your strengths only gives a school one more reason to say “yes” to your application. 

These three steps will give you the boost you need to get accepted to the college of your choice and prepare you to take the plunge into higher education. 

School’s out.  Summer’s here.  It’s time to unwind from a long year of school. What better way to do that unwinding than on that perfect summer vacation you’ve been dreaming of all year. The question is how to take your dream vacation on a student budget? 

The answer is simple, creativity! With a little bit of research & ingenuity you should be able to find discounted travel packages, student specific discounts and other deals designed with the young traveler in mind.

The first thing to check into is student discounts.  You can find student discounts all types of things such as air travel, train travel, hotels, theatre tickets and museums.  You just have to know where to look.  The easiest way to find these is to stop by a nearby travel agency that works with students.  Most college campuses have one on or near campus.  It’s always a good idea to speak with a travel agent rather than search the internet.  There are a lot of mischievous people out there that will try to take advantage of you with those “too good to be true” travel deals.  So make sure you check the legitimacy of any deal before moving forward.

Accommodation costs can be the most expensive portion of your vaction so if you can find a way to stay for less the better off you’ll be. There are several types of accommodations that can really save you money, such as youth hostels, vacation rentals and hotels that offer student discounts. Hostels are inexpensive living areas where visitors typically sleep in dormitory like areas with bunk beds.  They also typically serve breakfast.  If you’ve never stayed in a hostel it’s definitely something you should try.  But if you are going with a big group of friends then a vacation rental may be the thing for you.  They are fairly inexpensive and you can split the bill between your group members.  Both options usually have kitchens so you can prepare your own food which also helps to keep your expenses down. 

These are just a few ideas and options that you can consider to decrease your vacation costs. As you use these tips & tricks you will find that your dream vacation will soon become a reality.

You’ve got the grades. You’ve got the activities. You’ve got the wide array of interests, the killer essay, and the teacher and neighbor who will tell every college in earshot how great you are. But, if you’re like a lot of students, when it comes time to fill out that “Volunteer” section of your scholarship and college applications, you may be stretching to come up with a few good examples. Well, don’t worry – not only is volunteering a painless way to help out in your community, it’s also easier than ever to find volunteer opportunities that you can do today, tomorrow, or anytime.

Scholarship America’s Dollars for Scholars program is just one organization that’s always looking for student volunteers. Many of our chapters, led by adult volunteers, need student help for events, awards nights, and general chapter business, and a lot of them even give scholarship consideration to their student volunteers. And they’re not the only ones; check out volunteermatch.org or createthegood.org to find volunteer opportunities that are tailor-made for your interest and availability.

Once you get started, you may find volunteering to be addictive, too. When you find a cause you’re passionate about and start working on it, even for a few hours a week, you’ll have a wider, more worldly perspective on it almost immediately – and when your awesome application gets you into your favorite college choice, you can check out the same resources and connect with people on campus who’ll help you take the next step.

Whether it’s helping fellow students, supporting younger kids, or serving those who are less well-off, volunteering can be much more than a field to fill out on your application.

Building a resume can be very intimidating but it is a critical part in getting hired for that perfect job.  

HR professionals and hiring managers often receive hundreds of resumes for any given position.  With hundreds of resumes to sort through at a time, they will likely only spend 10-30 seconds per resume, which means you have to make your resume stand out. 

The very first thing that you need to do even before starting your resume is to determine your objective.  Your objective should clearly state what type of job you are looking for and the skills necessary to do that job well.  For helpful questions to determine what type of job you are looking for, refer to our article Finding a Summer Job.

Once you have determined your objective you can start building your resume around that objective.  Remember that the most important roll of the resume is to obtain an interview.   You need to be clear and concise.  Think of it this way, if you were the interviewer what job qualifications would you be looking for?

Now that you’ve determined what you need to include make sure you use bullet points and short sentences in describing your skills and qualifications.  Having key phrases will help the reader see the most important information at a glance.  Don’t worry about listing the specifics; you’ll be able to discuss that in the interview.

Also be sure that you use action words.  Words like: prepared, managed, and developed will help your resume to stand out. 

By following these guidelines you will be able to build a resume that will stand out among 100’s.

With spring, come the college admissions decisions. A recent Wall Street Journal article, said “with next fall’s college freshman class expected to approach a record 2.9 million students, hundreds of thousands of applicants will soon be receiving the dreaded [rejection] letters.”

According to the same article, “rejections aren’t uncommon” and that “Harvard accepts only a little more than 7% of the 29,000 undergraduate applications it receives each year, and Stanford’s acceptance rate is about the same.”

So if you’re rejected, don’t sweat it. Take a look at these famous folks that that didn’t make it into their dream schools. And all feel that the rejection may have been the best thing to happen, in the end.

Warren Buffet, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. - After Harvard Business School said no, everything ‘I thought was a crushing event at the time, has turned out for the better.’

Meredith Vieira, ‘Today’ show co-host- Had she not been rejected by Harvard, she doubts she would have entered television journalism.

Lee Bollinger, Columbia University president (rejected from Harvard) - To ‘allow other people’s assessment of you to determine your own self-assessment is a very big mistake.’

Harold Varmus, Nobel laureate in medicine - Rejected twice by Harvard’s medical school. One dean there chastised him and advised him to enlist in the military.

Ted Turner, Entrepreneur - Rejected by Princeton and Harvard. ‘I want to be sure to make this point: I did everything I did without a college degree.’

John Schlifske, President of Northwestern Mutual - Lesson he learned from Yale’s rejection helped him years later counsel his son, Dan (standing), who was rejected by Duke.

Tom Brokaw, Broadcast journalist - Harvard rejection prompted him to settle down and stop partying. ‘The initial stumble was critical in getting me launched.’

So if you receive a thin envelope from one of your favorite colleges, just remember what Lee Bollinger said, “The question really is, who at the end of the day is going to make the determination about what your talents are, and what your interests are? That has to be you.”

It’s a known fact that extra-curricular activities definitely make a difference when you’re applying for college. Out of the countless activities you could do, I’d like to focus on running for student government.

If you’re interested in change, planning events or have political aspirations, you should consider running for student council. Most high schools hold elections for class representatives as well as associated student body representatives.

Whether you’re running for President or Treasurer, here are some steps you should take when putting together your campaign:

1. Make your campaigns BIG! Big color posters are the way to go. Try to come up with snappy slogans that are memorable.

2. Give out freebies. Don’t spend a lot, but everyone loves candy. Carry around a couple of bags while you’re campaigning. Your lab partner will certainly vote for you.

3. Present yourself effectively. Everyone loves to laugh. Make sure your speeches use humor and aren’t too serious. Also look for other ways to promote yourself, like on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

4. Remain true to yourself. There is no need to change who you are in order to win. In fact, if you try to be someone you’re not, you probably won’t win. Don’t over promise what you can do if you win the election.

Let me know if you have any campaign “must-dos” to share with the Zinch community. Also, make sure that you keep your profile updated with all of your activities!

*Tips from the following articles How to win a class election and How to Run for Student Council

Collegeboard.com has put together a list of essential test taking tips. Mastering the art of test taking in high school will make you a pro by the time you’re in college. As you prepare, for your ACTs or SATs, keep these things in mind:

Before the Test

Eat well.

Studies show that you need good nutrition to concentrate and perform your best.

Bring the right supplies.

Bring your pencils, erasers, pens, rulers, compasses, calculators, or whatever else you’ll need on test day.

Review the whole test before you start.

See how many sections and what types of questions are on the test. Consider how much time to allow for each section, basing your decision on the point value of each. You don’t want to spend too much time on a question that counts for only a few points.

Jot down your first thoughts.

From your first look at the test, take quick notes on ideas you might forget. For example, you may want to outline your answers to written response and essay questions right away.

During the Test

Read the directions.

Never assume that you know what the directions say. For example, some questions may have more than one correct answer.

Answer easy questions first.

Answering easier questions may jog your memory about useful facts. You may also come across information that can help you with other questions.

Answer every question.

Unless there’s a penalty for wrong answers, it can’t hurt to try.

Ask questions.

If a question isn’t clear, talk to your teacher. If that’s not possible, explain your answer in the margin.

Identify key words.

This will help you focus on the main idea of challenging questions.

Rephrase difficult questions.

To understand questions better, rewrite them in your own words, but be careful not to change the meaning.

Organize your thoughts before you write.

Spend some time organizing your responses to short-answer and essay questions. You’ll reduce the time you need to revise.

Write neatly.

Be sure you don’t lose points on answers the instructor can’t read.

Use all of the time you’re given.

If you finish early, don’t race out. Use the extra time to proofread and edit your answers.

Okay, so hopefully your college admissions process hasn’t been this crazy. Just imagine if he had used Zinch and been getting all that love via Zinch instead. It would have been a little neater, don’t ya think? It’s still pretty amusing though.

Don’t let your college admissions experience get out of hand. Sign up for Zinch and let the colleges come to you!