America's Best Colleges for B Students - Tamra B. Orr

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temple may offer scholarships to support members. If your local church does not have a scholarship program, check with the national headquarters.

      Ethnic and cultural organizations. To promote a certain culture, develop leaders or encourage members to pursue higher education, many ethnic organizations sponsor scholarships.

      State and local governments. Make those tax dollars work for you by taking advantage of financial aid from state and local governments. Each state has a higher education agency that provides information on financial aid, and many administer state-based grant and loan programs. Closer to home, your county or city government may have awards for students in the community.

      Private foundations and charities. As part of their mission to help the community, private foundations and charities often offer scholarships. To find these scholarships, visit your library and ask the reference librarian for a directory of local charities and foundations.

      Friends and family. The more people who know you are looking for scholarships, the better. Friends and family members can be invaluable scholarship scouts as they go about their daily business. Scholarship opportunities have been uncovered on supermarket bulletin boards, standing in line at a bank, even on a bottle of aspirin. You never know where a scholarship will be publicized and who can help you to find it.

      The Internet. Thousands of scholarships are just a click away. Websites such as Sallie Mae (www.salliemae.com/scholarships) make it easy to find scholarships free-of-charge. Although the Internet is a valuable resource, it is not a magic solution. Remember to use all the resources available to you.

      Reprinted with permission from Sallie Mae How to Pay for College by Gen and Kelly Tanabe.

      Discuss how this hobby has affected your life and what skills it has taught you. Be sure to include letters of recommendation from people who have seen what you are capable of. Do you spend hours doing graphic design on your computer? Have you sold some of your original logos to local companies? The Rhythm and Hues Studios might have money for you. Is photography all you can think about? Have you had your own displays at local stores? Do people call you to take pictures at their weddings or parties? Have your shots already popped up in the community newspaper? Talk to the National Press Photographers Foundation. Whatever your hobby, it's worth doing a little research to see if there are organizations with scholarships and awards for students just like you!

      Check out your mom and/or dad's places of employment. It is not uncommon for businesses and corporations to include in their employee package some scholarship money for workers’ children. Ask your parents to read through their employee handbooks again or just ask some questions. Who knows what hidden benefits your parent will find?

      I hope you're convinced by now that just as colleges will happily take students with less-than-stellar grades and test scores, so will they just as happily take students who do not come from the wealthiest families. Financial aid is a huge part of college admissions and one that often means you can get that education you once told yourself was way out of reach. It's time to start an all-new conversation with yourself. Try something along these lines: “Hey, colleges really DO like me, and my family really CAN afford it now. So, what am I waiting for?” There you go.

      Watch out for scams. You already know this but it bears repeating: if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Avoid any scholarship that asks you for payment, promises scholarships that NO ONE else has access to or asks for too much personal information like your Social Security number or bank account information.

      Once you start searching for possible scholarships, you may easily find that there are so many that you are somewhat overwhelmed. Too many scholarships, too little time! It will help if you take time to prioritize them, i.e. decide which ones are the best fit for you. Ask yourself the following questions to help narrow down the list:

       How do you fit the mission or point of the award? Does it sound just like you or do you only match about 3 out of the 10 criteria?

       How much do academics count in each of the scholarships? Most organizations provide this information. If the only mention is a minimum GPA and yours is above that, you are set.

       How many awards are being given out? What are your overall chances of getting one?

       What is the scope of the competition? You will have a better chance of winning a scholarship that is only open to students in your county than one that is nationwide.

       How much is the award? Is it enough to make a difference? Consider the amount given, but don't just apply to the scholarships with the largest prizes because those often have the most competition.

      Scholarship essays and college admissions essays are not the same thing. When you are scheduling time to write your scholarship and college admissions essays, remember that the two are very different. While an admissions essay is geared to providing college admissions officers with an overall picture of who you are, the scholarship essay is targeted to the purpose of the scholarship itself. The people reading this are looking for something specific about you. For example, if you are applying for a sports scholarship, include information on the reason you play, what you have learned and how you have improved. If the scholarship is for future teachers, write about your experience with children and teaching or tutoring. Don't just list these things either in some kind of bulleted format. Instead, talk about the why, how or what behind it all. How did you get involved? What new perspectives have you learned? Why do you want to pursue this further?

      Time to recycle. You have been throwing your soda cans and water bottles in recycling containers for years now, so keep up the spirit and see if you can recycle any of your essays. The good news is that, naturally, this saves you time and effort. The bad news is that it isn't quite that simple. Before you decide to use Essay B for scholarship XYZ, make sure it actually fits. Read the question carefully and make sure you are addressing it specifically. You may be able to tweak certain parts of an essay and adapt something written for one college or scholarship to meet the criteria of others.

      I hope you've seen from this chapter that scholarships are a possibility for any student, regardless of college-entrance exam scores or GPA. There are awards given for every background, talent or achievement. Many scholarship or award committees don't count grades or test scores as the most important factor. It is well worth taking some time to prioritize the scholarships you apply for. Then write the best application and essay that you can. With that combination, you have a good chance of winning funds for college.

SECTION FOUR

      COLLEGE DIRECTORY

      A GUIDE TO THE COLLEGES THAT WELCOME B STUDENTS

      As a B or C student, you have many options when it comes to finding a college that is right for you. In fact, there are far more colleges that want you than you could ever apply to in a single year. Your challenge will not be finding the right college but narrowing down your list of possibilities.

      As you will see, not all colleges require certain GPAs or test scores to make it past the velvet rope. Now it's time to meet some of the schools that not only accept B and C students but that also embrace them. These colleges are competitive and offer the highest quality educations, but they also recognize that students like you have much to offer and are committed to ensuring your success.

      All the colleges and universities listed in this directory were chosen for several reasons.

       They

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