C Student's Life Blog
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Free Waviers for Out of State College Tours
October 25, 2011
Some colleges are offering free waivers to attend out of state college tours. Yes, that’s right! Here is a list of colleges that will pay the travel cost to come visit their school or pay at least part of it. http://getmetocollege.org/hs/2011-diversity-fly-in-list
While this is a great offer, parents and students need to act fast to take advantage of this awesome opportunity! Some of the deadlines have passed, but many deadlines haven’t just yet. Here are the opportunities that haven’t passed yet:
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Program: Celebration of Diversity Weekend, Nov 12-14
- Registration Deadline is Oct 27.
- Requirements: have at least a 3.3 GPA on an unweighted 4.0 scale and at least a combined SAT score of 1700 or ACT score of 25.
- Registration will be available online mid Sept: http://www.cmu.edu/enrollment/admission/cod/register.html
- Note: There is a fee of $50 when registering. If you believe you qualify for a fee waiver, contact the admissions office and ask to speak to the event’s coordinator: (412) 268-2082
- Students with financial need: You may qualify for travel assistance, if you meet the requirements. Please indicate your need for travel assistance when registering.
- Visit http://www.cmu.edu/enrollment/admission/cod/travel.html for further conditions for receiving travel assistance.
- Contact the Admissions Office if you have any questions or visit http://www.cmu.edu/enrollment/admission/cod/index.html
2. Gustavus Adolpus
St. Peter, MN
Program: Fly-in Program. December 4-6, February 12-14, and March 25-27
- Applications Deadlines: November 1 for December, January 15 for February, and March 1 for March.
- Application: http://admission.gustavus.edu/activecampus/admin/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Fly%20in%20program%202011%20application%281%29.pdf
3. Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio
Program: Cultural Connections, November 12-14 or December 4-5
- Deadline: register 2 weeks prior to event.
- Register ASAP. Space is limited.
- To register, call 800 848 2468 (ask for Kim Totman)
- Also, check out Kenyon’s Trustee Opportunity Travel grant for Travel aid: http://www.kenyon.edu/x1697.xml
- Also a visit day for Juniors. Visit Day for Juniors – Saturday, March 24, 2012
4. Oberlin College and Conservatory
Oberlin, Ohio
Program: Multicultural Visit Program, Oct 6-8, Nov 10-12, & Dec 1-3 (SAT date)
- Must be a student of color, interested in a liberal arts Education
- Application is due
Sept 9 for Oct dates
Oct 14 for Nov dates
Nov 4 for Dec dates
- Completed and signed Counselor Form
- High School Transcript (unofficial copies are acceptable)
- SAT / ACT / PSAT Scores
- Statement of Financial Responsibility
- The application consists of multiple parts:
- The application form, which can be found here: https://hera.cc.oberlin.edu/coladm/mvp/app.html
- For more information, visit https://hera.cc.oberlin.edu/coladm/registration/mvp.php
or contact 800-622-OBIE (6243) 8:30am – 5pm EST or multicultural.admissions@oberlin.edu
5. Washington & Lee University
Lexington, Virginia
Program: Multicultural Recruitment Events: October 9-11, November 10-12 and January 15-17.
- Seniors must submit final junior year transcript, senior year schedule and SAT or ACT scores (all can be unofficial) to Erin Hutchinson for consideration.
- Information can be faxed to 540-458-8062 or emailed to ehutchinson@wlu.edu.
- Fly-ins only available for groups of minority, low-income students, not individuals.
FELECIA TEAMS UP WITH CARBON COUNTY HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER AND LAUNCHES WEEK LONG COLLEGE AND SCHOLARSHIP GAME PLAN TOUR
October 22, 2011
Rawlins, WY- (October 18, 2011) With the high numbers of unemployment and organizations tightening their wallets it’s becoming increasingly difficult for parents to afford to send their child to college. But even with the down economy there is still government funding available and a lot of scholarships go un-awarded each year. The Carbon County Higher Education Center hopes to help alleviate some of the stress with their November College Game Plan Tour. The goal of the tour is to help motivate locals to look past their circumstances and apply for college. The week long tour from November 14-18th includes visits to three schools and features interactive workshops by Felecia Hatcher, an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and the author of the book The “C” Students Guide to Scholarships. She will be speaking to students in Rawlins and Baggs, Wyoming as part of her national speaking tour. During her tour stop Felecia Hatcher will be holding the following workshops with high school students:
- College Game Plan: Get into the college you want and get it paid for!
- My Grades Suck and my parents are broke what do I do?
- How to use social media and crowd sourcing to find scholarships
- Understanding Financial Aid and Loans
“This is a great opportunity for students in Carbon County to have an advantage when it comes to applying for scholarships. Felecia was not an A student and did not come from a wealthy family, but earned over $100,000 in scholarships. She is coming with the voice of experience and will share her practical knowledge with students and their parents,” said Patty Pedersen, Carbon County Higher Education Center Student Services Coordinator.
In addition to the high school presentations, there will be a workshop open to the public. Parents, college students and students from CCSD#2 are encouraged to attend the November 17th workshop.
The schedule for the tour stops is as follows:
|
Date |
Location |
Time |
Description |
| 11/15/2011 | Rawlins High School in Fine Arts Auditorium | 2:00 – 2:43 p.m. | Presentation open to the entire RHS student body |
| 11/15/2011 | Rawlins High School | 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Financial Aid Presentation with CCHEC, RHS Counselor and Felecia Hatcher with pizza (Open to the public) |
| 11/16/2011 | Little Snake River Valley High School | 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Presentation open to entire student body with pizza |
| 11/16/2011 | Little Snake River Valley High School | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. | Financial Aid Presentation with CCHEC, LSRVS Counselor and Felecia Hatcher |
| 11/17/2011 | Cooperative High School | 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Presentation to students and parents with lunch |
| 11/17/2011 | Carbon County Higher Education Center | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. | Financial Aid night for WWCC students, parents, and also open to the public |
This event is sponsored by Carbon County Higher Education Center, a Western Wyoming Community College Outreach, in cooperation with Rawlins High School, Little Snake River Valley High School and Rawlins Cooperative High School.
To find out more information about Felecia Hatcher, please visit her website at www.cstudentsrock.com or blog at http://cstudentslife.wordpress.com/.
For more information, call CCHEC at 307-328-9204.
Top 5 Components of the College Application for The “C” Student
October 19, 2011 — 2 Comments
USA Today recently wrote an article ranking the top 5 components of the college admission application, according to an expert at Knewton Test Prep. The article ranked the top 5 as follows: 1. Grades, 2. SAT Scores, 3. Personal Statement, 4. Extracurricular activities, and 5. Teacher Recommendations. In this list, they place a lot of emphasis on your high school GPA and your test scores.
While we think the list is spectacular we have to respectfully disagree on their ranking of importance. As you know from reading our blog, following us on Facebook and Twitter, and of course reading The “C” Students Guide to Scholarships, you don’t have to be a straight A student to get in to college or to win big money to pay for your education. Below you will find a list of the top 5 components of the college application for C Student’s:
1. Teacher Recommendation – Just because your grades aren’t perfect, doesn’t mean that you aren’t a great student. Your teachers are the perfect allies for making this known to the college admission board. Make sure you find the right teach, if you plan on majoring in English a recommendation from your PE teacher may not help you as much as one from your um… English teacher.
2. Personal Statement – This is your opportunity to let your creativity and winning attributes shine! Spend time writing and re-writing this section until you know it is showcasing what’s so fantastic about you! Make it fun and entertaining and most important make it stand out!
3. Extra Curricular Activities – Yes, you don’t have a 4.0 or maybe not even a 3.0 GPA, but you were the drama club president, active in community service projects and involved in sports. That most definitely counts for something! College admission boards are always impressed by your outside class activities, especially those focused on your career path and community service. Don’t get lazy on this list show them that you are a student leader and can contribute to their campus life.
4. SAT – This could be a area where you can redeem yourself if you have horrible grades, take the time to study for this test because you will need to include these in your college application. If your scores aren’t great, despite your best efforts, just make sure you use the top 3 components to let them know why you are so fabulous.
5. GPA – Just like the SAT scores, you need to include your GPA. Work your hardest in high school to get at least a 3.0, but if that just isn’t possible, you can still wow the admissions board with the top 3.
Now, tell us, do you agree with our ranking or with USA Today’s? Or, do you have a different idea? Add your comments below! And for tips on teacher recommendations and much more, be sure read The “C” Students Guide to Scholarships.
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
October 14, 2011
Felecia Hatcher is going to be a busy lady in November! We just added many new events to our calendar, and she just might be coming to a town near you.
Here’s a quick rundown of her speaking schedule for November 2011:
November 4-5: Philadelphia, PA – Future Business Leaders of America/Phi Beta Lamda Leadership Conference
November 11: Miami, FL – Women’s Success Summit – Panelist
November 11-13: Ocala, FL – Florida African American Student Association Fall Conference
November 14-18: Rawlins, WY
- 11/15/11: Rawlins High School presentation in Fine Arts Auditorium – 2:00-2:43pm
- 11/15/11: Rawlins High School Financial Aid presentation with Carbon County Higher Education Center, RHS Counselor and Felecia Hatcher with pizza – 6:00-8:00pm (open to the public)
- 11/16/11: Little Snake River Valley High School presentation – 3:00-4:00pm
- 11/16/11: Little Snake River Valley High School presentation with Carbon County Higher Education Center, LSRVS Counselor and Felecia Hatcher with pizza – 6:30-8:00pm
- 11/17/11: Cooperative High School presentation to students – 11:30am-1:00pm
- 11/17/11: Financial Aid Night for Western Wyoming Community College students and parents (open to the public) – 6:30-8:00pm
November 20: Davie, FL – Nova Southeastern Diversity Summit
We hope to see you at at least one of these events! Any questions? You can comment on the blog or email info@feleciahatcher.com.
Do you know what your college degree is worth?
October 8, 2011 — 1 Comment
We found this fantastic article on AOL and we believe it is a must-read for all high school and college students. Here’s the link, but also check it out below: http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/05/24/study-tells-students-what-their-major-is-worth/
“Study Tells Students What Their Major is Worth”
The choice of undergraduate major in college is strongly tied to a student’s future earnings, with the highest-paying majors providing salariesof about 300 percent more than the lowest-paying, according to a study released Tuesday.
Based on first-of-its-kind Census data, the report by Georgetown University in Washington also found that majors are highly segregated by race and gender.
College graduates overall make 84 percent more over a lifetime than those with only high school diplomas, the study said. But further analysis of 171 majors shows that various undergraduate majors can lead to significantly different median wages.
Petroleum engineering majors make about $120,000 a year, compared with $29,000 annually for counseling psychology majors, researchers found. Math and computer science majors earn $98,000 in salary while early childhood education majors get paid about $36,000.
“It’s important that you go to college and get a (bachelor’s degree), but it’s almost three to four times more important what you take,” said Anthony Carnevale, director of Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce. “The majors that are most popular are not the ones that make the most money.”
“What’s it Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors” analyzes data from the 2009 American Community Survey, whose results were released last year. It’s the first time the Census asked individuals about their undergraduate majors, enabling researchers to tie in salary data, Carnevale said.
The study found that white men are concentrated in the highest-earning majors, including engineering and pharmaceutical sciences, while women gravitate toward the lowest-earning majors like education, art and social work.
The report also categorized the 171 majors into 15 fields, discovering different majors led to different industries. About 43 percent of law and public policy majors end up in public administration, but only 13 percent of social science majors do. A higher portion of social science majors end up in finance, researchers found.
Other findings:
- The most popular major group is business, accounting for 25 percent of all students. The least popular are industrial arts and agriculture, with 1.6 percent each.
- White men have higher median earnings across all fields except three. Asians pull down the top median salaries in law and public policy ($55,000), psychology and social work ($48,000), and biology and life science ($53,000).
- The field with the highest concentrations of whites is agriculture and natural resources (90 percent), while the highest concentration of Asians is in computers and mathematics (16 percent). Law and public policy has the highest concentration of African-Americans (14 percent) and Hispanics (10 percent).
- Fields with virtually no unemployment: geological and geophysical engineering, military technologies, pharmacology and school student counseling.
- Fields with the highest unemployment, ranging from 16 percent to 11 percent: social psychology, nuclear engineering, and educational administration and supervision.
The data is important considering the high cost of a college degree and the significant loan burdens taken on by some students to obtain one, Carnevale said.
“We don’t have a system in the United States where we align what you take with career prospects,” Carnevale said. “Nobody ever tells you when you go to college what happened to the other people who took it before you.”
The researchers’ longitudinal look at lifetime earnings seems to echo a more short-term analysis of the job market by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
The Bethlehem, Pa.-based group reports that engineering majors account for seven of the top 10 highest-paying majors for the class of 2011. The other three are computer science, information science and business systems networking/telecommunications.
Chemical engineering heads the list with an average salary offer of nearly $67,000, according the group’s spring survey.
Still, Rachel Brown, director of the career center at Temple University in Philadelphia, noted that the average person changes careers three to five times in a lifetime. And while median salary is certainly something students should be aware of, it shouldn’t be the deciding factor, she said.
“Take that into consideration, but look at the whole picture,” Brown said. “What are you doing every day? What are the job responsibilities? What are the values of the occupation in general? Advancement potential?”
Answering those kinds of questions is how Drexel University junior Meaghan Donchak chose her major of corporate communication and public relations.
Donchak, 22, of East Windsor, N.J., said she knew her strengths were reading, writing and communicating. But even after settling on public relations, her own research showed such work at nonprofits paid less than corporate or government work, and she adjusted her track accordingly.
Donchak hopes her career will allow her to travel, meet people and live comfortably. The Georgetown study found communications and journalism majors earn $50,000 annually, rising to $62,000 with a graduate degree.
“The most important thing is not the money. It’s really hard to convince people of that, especially people our age,” Donchak said. “It’s doing what you love to do. You don’t want to wake up every day dreading going to work.”
Are College Internships Really Worth Your Time?
October 6, 2011
This is a question many college students ask themselves. Should I spend my summer slaving away for college credit or should I spend it working at an unrelated job where I can earn some extra cash? USA Today recently posted a blog on their Education: College Blog discussing this very topic. The blogger, Hannah Kay Hunt, said that internships in college are not only a good idea, but are completely doable no matter what your schedule is like! Many students think that internships are only for the summer and they won’t have time during the school year, but that’s not true. You can read the article, which includes some thoughts from recent interns, here: http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/career/how-to-succeed-at-interning-without-really-trying
Now here are our thoughts on this subject…we couldn’t agree more that college internships are absolutely worth your time. Yes, it would be nice to spend your summer earning extra spending money, but a job as a waiter at Red Lobster isn’t going to impress future employers nearly as much as an internship in your field. Keep in mind that the job market right now is cutthroat. There are thousands of others fighting for the same job and you need to do everything you can to set yourself apart. An internship will do that much more effectively than a meaningless summer job. And better yet, you should do multiple internships while you’re in college. Felecia Hatcher did five internships, and one of them led her to switch her major from broadcasting to PR.
Another thing to keep in mind is that most colleges won’t allow internships to leave you completely empty-handed aside from earning valuable experience. It is a general rule of thumb that your internship employer either needs to pay you for your time or provide you with some sort of educational stipend. While an educational stipend might seem miniscule, keep in mind that you are earning college credit that is paid for by someone else! The money you save will still end up in your pocket.
There are also many different types of internships available. Don’t limit yourself by only applying for your “dream” internships. Be creative and see what’s out there. While it might be very exciting to intern at the top firm in the nation, you might not learn as much as you would at a smaller, local firm where you are allowed to do a lot more than fetch your supervisor coffee.
Here are some fantastic resources for finding internships:
1. Inroads for minorities – http://www.inroads.org/
2. YouTern – http://www.youtern.com/
3. Internship Finder – http://www.internshipfinder.com/
For tips on interviewing for scholarships, interview and jobs be sure to check in with our blog weekly. We also post helpful tips on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
MBA program will award full scholarship for best application tweet
September 28, 2011
Source: http://www.springwise.com/education/tippiecollegeofbusiness/
If MBA classes can be offered entirely through Facebook, then it should come as no great surprise to see application essays delivered through Twitter. Sure enough, the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business is now in the midst of a contest through which it will award one full financial award package to the student who makes the best 140-character pitch.
Launched at the beginning of July, the effort invited applicants for 2011 admission to respond on Twitter to the question, “What makes you an exceptional Tippie MBA candidate and full-time MBA hire? Creativity encouraged!” With a deadline of last Friday, entries were allowed to connect to blog entries, full resumes or expanded talking points elsewhere on the Web. Only US residents or permanent residents could participate, and they must still meet standard admissions criteria as well. The winner will be announced on August 4th and will receive a financial award package valued at USD 37,240.
Colleen Downie, senior assistant dean of the full-time Tippie MBA program, explains: “Social media has been shown to be a powerful tool for business communication, so it makes sense that our applicants demonstrate an ability to use it. This is a way for prospective students to show us that they embrace innovation and are comfortable using the kind of media and technology driving so many changes in business.”
There’s no doubt contests and social media go hand in hand, but this is the first time we’ve seen an effort like this in the academic world. Other educators around the globe: how about you?
Website: www.biz.uiowa.edu/tippiemba
Contact: lydia-fine@uiowa.edu
Are your college dollars being well spent in the bad economy?
September 28, 2011
USA Today recently posted a blog on their Education: College Blog discussing whether or not receiving a college degree really provides a boost in today’s uncertain economic times. The blogger wrote that despite the fears associated with paying college tuition when money is tight, a college degree proves to be invaluable to your future success. You can read the article here: http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/ccp/college-is-a-boost-in-an-uncertain-economy.
Now here are our thoughts on this matter….we agree 100 percent that a college degree adds immense value to your career and makes you much more marketable. Those with college degrees typically find it much easier to obtain and keep their employment even in these poor economic times, and their salaries are likely to be higher. Now, this is most true if you receive a college degree in a field that is practical and career-oriented. This is not the time to major in General Education!
You might be saying to yourself, “Of course I want to go to college but who can afford the tuition right now when I’m barely scraping by as it is?” While yes, college is expensive, there are many ways to cut your costs and make going to college feasible despite your financial status. We will go over a few ways to do this:
1. Apply for Scholarships. Scholarships are the best way to pay for college while keeping yourself from accumulating large amounts of debt in the process. It is best to start thinking about and applying for scholarships while still in high school (and before your senior year), but it’s never too late. Scholarships are a wonderful option because you don’t have to pay them back!
2. Financial Aid. If you are unable to win enough scholarships to cover your college costs you can apply for financial aid. This will allow you enough money to pay for your tuition, books, room and board, etc. but the downside is you do have to pay this money back after you graduate.
For tips on applying for and winning scholarships be sure to check in with our blog weekly. We also post helpful tips on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
2.1 gpa to $100,000 Scholarship Rockstar -Felecia Hatcher’s Story
September 21, 2011
Like all freshman’s I began high school with a 4.0 g.p.a.….and it all went downhill from there. It wasn’t that I wasn’t smart or capable, but to my teenaged mind, there were so many components to school that were way more interesting than what was being taught in the classroom in particular the two B’s (Boys and Basketball). By the mid-point of my freshman year, my GPA had dwindled all the way down to a 2.1 and no matter how hard I tried, I just wasn’t able to pull my grades back up to a 3.0 level by my senior year.
Then the day came during my senior year when I met with my school guidance counselor to discuss my future plans. I laid out my top five dream schools, and my advisor looked at me very seriously and said, “Felecia, your grades are horrible. You won’t ever be able to attend a university you should focus instead on finding a community college or getting a trade.” I was devastated! This woman was supposed to motivate me and she was doing exactly the opposite. I decided from that moment forward that I would prove her wrong and show her that I absolutely could go to a university and I could even win money to pay for my education.
I began picking up every application at the guidance office and applying for as many scholarships as I could. As I applied for more and more scholarships, I began to notice that a lot of them didn’t require a g.p.a and since essay writing was my strong point I was sort of given an opportunity to shine light on my other talents. It also helped that I even developed my own system for filling out scholarship paperwork. I was turned down for many scholarships in the beginning and I began to feel pretty discouraged. I told myself to keep going no matter how hopeless it began to feel.
Then came Senior Awards Night where my school announced scholarship winners. I began the evening on the edge of my chair but as more and more awards were passed out and my name wasn’t called, I began to feel hopeless once again. Later on in the night though, my luck began to change. At first I won a small scholarship from the League of Women Voters. After that, I suddenly found myself bouncing back and forth from the stage to my seat like a yo-yo. Most of the scholarships were relatively small but at the end of the night I won a scholarship for $100,000 Communities and Schools Scholarship. At the end of the night I had walked away with over $100,000 in college scholarships and went on to win more scholarships and grants in college totally over $130,000!
My advice to you is, no matter how poor your grades are, and no matter what anyone tells you, you absolutely can go to your dream university and you can win scholarships for college. You just need to work hard, get creative and never allow yourself to become discouraged.
The Importance of Punctuality
August 31, 2011
We’ve gone over many important pieces to making a positive impression during your scholarship interview. A very key component of making a positive first impression and being professional is being on time for your interview. Keep in mind that scholarships are a business venture and should be treated as such. Here are 5 tips to make sure you get to your interview on time:
1. Gather everything you need the night before. The morning of your interview is NOT the time to find out your pants have a hole in them or the shoes that match your outfit have mysteriously gone missing. Be sure to lay out your clothes and any other materials you need the night before to make sure they are waiting for you already.
2. Allow PLENTY of time. You should plan to leave at least 30 minutes before you actually need to, in order to allow yourself a safety cushion for anything that might come up. If you arrive at your destination way too early, that’s a great thing! You can use this extra time to go over your interview answers one more time and calm your nerves.
3. Take traffic issues into account. When you are deciding when you need to leave the house, be sure to take into account your route and any traffic issues that might pop up. This can include construction, rush hour traffic, etc. Always factor unexpected delays into your time calculations.
4. Know where you are going. Yes, you printed off Google Maps directions yesterday, but that doesn’t mean you know where you’re going. Your computer won’t be able to tell you where to park or that the organization’s office is on the 8th floor. Because of these unknowns it is wise to do a “practice drive” to the site of your interview ahead of time.
5. Show off your punctuality. Enter the scholarship office exactly ten minutes prior to the start of your interview. This speaks volumes about your responsibility and professionalism. Don’t go in any earlier than ten minutes, however, because then you will just be considered a pest.
So, what should you do if despite your very best intentions, you are running late? If something unpredictable happens and you’re going to be even just a few minutes late, here’s what you should do to mitigate the damage to your reputation:
1. Alert the committee as soon as you possibly can. If your car won’t start and you need to get a ride from someone else, call and alert the appropriate individual about what’s going on and your estimated arrival time. If your interviewer knows ahead of time that they have an extra 30 minutes to check email and return phone calls they will be much happier than if they are sitting there waiting for you without knowledge of what’s going on. You will also feel much more calm once you’ve informed them of your situation and will arrive much more relaxed.
2. Show consideration for the interviewer’s busy schedule. Let the committee know that you are respectful of their busy schedules and are willing to change your time if your tardiness will make things difficult for them. Do this even if it means moving to another day.
3. When in doubt – call. Have the organization’s phone number handy so you can call if something is holding you up on the road. Even if you aren’t sure if you will be late or not, it’s best to call and place a “warning call.” Your interviewer will be impressed by your considerate nature.
4. Consider your excuses before you make them. It’s always polite to provide an explanation for your tardiness, but remember that what you say can also reflect poorly on you as a scholarship candidate. If you don’t have a good excuse, don’t say anything at all! Especially if your excuse will make you seem irresponsible and
