Congratulations to our latest Double Your Money Winner Chris Pence! Chris successfully applied for and won the Senatorial Scholarship for $500 and because he found and applied for this scholarship on Zinch, we are staying true to our word and matching it. We asked Chris a few questions to learn more about him and his approach to finding and applying for scholarships—here’s what he had to share.

What is your strategy behind applying for scholarships?

I really have no set strategy for applying to scholarships. I just subscribe to several scholarship sites, such as Zinch, and do all of the scholarships that I can on the site. If I run out, I’ll keep an eye on the site, checking it every so often, looking for new scholarships. My attitude toward scholarships is that the one that I don’t do was the one that I would have gotten, so I do all that I can, throwing it all at the wall and seeing what sticks.

What career path do you see yourself taking after school?

I plan to enter the teaching field, first being a student teacher or classroom helper, then moving to having a classroom of my own. I hope to teach high school history, opening the students’ eyes to just how exciting history can be, by immersing them in history and helping them to experience it, rather than just read it out of a book.

What would you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment at this point is reaching Salisbury University. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to make it to a university, and it has been an uphill climb the entire way, but it was worth it. I love Salisbury U, for both its location and academics, and I hope that my years here will be some of the most productive and enjoyable that I’ve ever had in academia.

How are you more than a test score?

I’m more than a test score because I’m not a number. Tests are given as formal proof to the teacher that he has done his job, and that the student understands the material that the teacher needs him to. These tests, while important, only test what the student needs to know for class, not allowing him to showcase how much he has learned elsewhere. I never had to take a test on finding a way to get into a great university, how to find and complete scholarships, or how to balance out a day of academia, leisure, and regular life while attending a university. These things I had to learn for myself, and I feel that I’ve learned them quite well. If I was just relying on what I’ve learned from tests, I’d never have been able to leave my mother’s house to get on with my own life. Life is it’s own test, and there is no specific scoring system; the student has to score himself, and if I do say so myself, I get and A plus!

Did you know that Zinch offers nearly $2 billion in financial aid right on our site? If you’d like to win a piece of that, be sure to check out our scholarship search. There’s a wide variety of scholarships available, so get to it!

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Congratulations to Brittany Nettles, our latest Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner!

It’s easy to root for the hero of the story. Whether they’re a fearless adventurer, empowered maiden, or hopeful underdog, we always want the protagonist to overcome the odds.

But we were curious—what character do you identify with that wasn’t the hero of the story? Brittany’s essay was chosen for selecting an often misunderstood figure in a context most students can definitely relate with.

Here’s her winning essay:
I identify with Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire. She is a tragic heroine who is out of place temporally. I too feel as though I belong in another time period: the future. I want to be freed from high school; I want to begin pursuing my career; I want to see the world.

Here’s a bit more about our winner:
I am an extremely positive thinker! I am a very goal-oriented person. I have high hopes and dreams; I intend to achieve every single one of them. I have a drive for going after things. I never give up.

Here’s a few of our favorite runners up:

Moussa A. – I identify with Watson from the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I relate to him because just like he, I love the background world. It thrills me to solve problems (mysteries) even if I don’t get the credit. The operations, fact finding, and backside work is my passion.

Sandy L. – I identify with Cheswick from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest because I rely on the support of my friends. Cheswick barks but does not bite because he is powerless without McMurphy’s leadership. Humans are weak on their own, but with the help of others they can do so much.

Joshua W. – I find that I can identify with Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Although he’s constantly faced with negativity because of his style or personality, he always remains quirky and confident. I have faced many of these challenges, and like Carlton, I always overcome them.

Miss your shot at this prompt? Don’t trip, we got you covered! We post a new prompt for our Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship every Monday, so you have a year’s worth of chances to win that $1,000—apply today!

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As the old saying goes, “Everyone has a story.”

Nobody knows this better than us, so we’ve teamed up with our friends at Figment to hear yours!

The Figment Flash Memoir Scholarship is a new opportunity for you to share your story and earn some college funds in the process. Simply tell us what your coming-of-age moment was in 600 characters or fewer. Have you overcome an obstacle in your path? Stepped up to become a leader? Made an impact in your community? Tell us when and how you “grew up” and you could walk away our winner; deadline for entry is March 31st, 2012, so don’t wait!

And to really shake things up, we’ve invited best selling author Jonathan Safran Foer—who’s novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has been adapted into the Academy Award nominated film—to guest judge the entries!

Jonathan will be selecting the $500 grand prize winner AND five runners up who will receive a copy of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close plus a Prize Pack from Figment and Zinch.

Apply now to tell us your tale and win some tuition funds>>

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Like a gourmet meal or an old master painting, the perfect college paper is carefully constructed – not thrown together the night before it’s due. Each part is just right, and the pieces are assembled to form the clear and convincing whole. Our friends at Chegg know what it takes to craft the perfect paper, and can tell you it’s easy for the prof to sort out the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Wanna avoid the bad and the ugly? Read on and learn how to ACE your next essay>>

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Today’s post is by guest blogger Michael J. Gonzales. Michael is the Assistant Director of Admissions Marketing at Biola University, a nationally ranked Christian university located near Los Angeles, California.

What’s the difference between Christian and non-Christian colleges? Both receive their academic accreditation from the same governing body, both end up on national ranking lists like U.S. News and World Report, and both want you to attend their institutions. The obvious answer is that Christian colleges are, well, Christian. Let’s explore the impact that Christian professors, students, and programs can make on your college experience on a day-to-day basis.

Christian Professors

When you consider the quality and type of education you are going to receive in college you should think about the quality and type of professors you are going to learn from. College professors, Christian and non-Christian alike, receive their degrees from the same institutions; however, Christian colleges require their full-time professors to be Christian. These professors are concerned with both your academic and spiritual growth and make an effort to integrate faith and learning in the classroom.

This endeavor is aided by student-to-faculty ratios around 20:1 or less. Take a tour of almost any Christian campus and you’re bound to hear stories about professors who consistently pray before starting class, take the time to get to know their students individually, and invite entire classes into their house to meet their family and share a meal. What this means for you is that at a Christian college you will receive a personalized education, get to know your professors thoroughly, and have the opportunity to address spiritual and theological topics in a safe classroom environment.

Christian Students

Even though professors play a crucial role in your college education you will likely spend much more time with your fellow students: especially if you choose to live on campus. If you think about the group of friends you made in high school and how much they influenced your life then you can appreciate the significance of surrounding yourself with people who share similar goals and are going to have a positive influence on you.

Christian colleges tend to attract Christian students who are interested in developing their faith while pursuing their education. It’s not uncommon to see students on Christian campuses praying for each other, reading the Bible, and singing worship together. If you choose to attend a Christian college you’ll know that the climate of the campus will be in favor of cultivating your spiritual growth and you’ll have something in common with the majority of students before you ever step foot on campus.

Christian Campus Programs

Christian colleges offer study abroad, varsity athletics, intramurals, clubs, student government, and many other programs you would expect from any college; however, they also include uniquely Christian programming. For example, many Christian colleges offer frequent chapels, theology classes, mission trips, ministry opportunities, and guest speakers from the Christian sphere. What this means for you is that at a Christian college you can worship God next to your fellow students and professors, delve deeper into God’s Word, strengthen your faith as you share it in another country, and learn from the leading Christian thinkers of our time while you receive a quality education.

There are many other distinctions between Christian and non-Christian colleges but when you consider where you are going to attend college consider this: You are going to be changed by your college experience. That’s a given. The question is, how will you be changed? A big part of the answer to that question will be determined by the professors, students, and programs you choose to surround yourself with during these formational years of your life.

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