Do your parents work in the beverage industry? Are you from Malta? Do you have a part-time job? Well, college advisor Alice Kleeman wants to talk to you about scholarships. Don't assume there are no scholarships available for a student like you. Read on for her excellent advice and some new ideas about what might be out there for you... 

“Yeah, that’s if your family has NO money …”

“You have to have straight A’s to get one of those, right?”

“Oh yeah, those are for basketball players and other athletes, aren’t they?”

“Well, sure—if you’ve done four years of community service without stopping to breathe, you might get one!”

These are the views some students have about scholarships. And believing that scholarships are only for the top students, athletes, and those who serve might cause them to miss out on opportunities!

In the 19 years I have been administering scholarships, I’ve seen the most amazing opportunities -- opportunities to earn scholarships ranging from $500 to ten or even twenty times that amount and for unusual and even quirky talents, interests, and goals.

Juniors, as you meet with your counselor to select your classes for next year, keep in mind that what colleges want to see are students whose course of study is characterized by appropriate challenge and rigor.

So what does that mean?

It means that colleges want to see evidence in your courses that you are willing to stretch intellectually and academically in the core areas of the curriculum -- science, math, English, social studies and foreign language -- and that your choice of classes demonstrates a pattern of increasing difficulty. For example, if a student wants to study science, she would take progressively more demanding courses in that core area. This is an important signal for college admission officers. In fact, one report found that taking progressively more difficult and higher- level courses increased an applicant’s chance of being accepted at a competitive college— more so than a higher grade point average.

Here's what Douglas Christiansen, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions at Vanderbilt University, has to say about what challenge and rigor mean:

Congratulations to College Admission contributor and resident guest blogger Alice Kleeman on being named a Counselor That Changes Lives. According to Colleges That Change Lives, the "Counselors That Change Lives" award recognizes those whose dedication to the college counseling profession reflects the mission of CTCL. Their tireless work does not go unrecognized and this program is our way of acknowledging all that they do to help students and families on a daily basis." 

Maria Furtado, executive director of Colleges That Changes Lives, announced the awards for Kleeman and her fellow counselors this morning. The counselors honored are:

The single biggest mistake families make in the college application process is failing to apply for financial aid. So, apply! Even if you think you won't qualify, apply. You may be pleasantly surprised. And sometimes you need to apply for federal aid to receive state aid or merit scholarships.

How do you apply? The FAFSA is required for any student seeking federal and state financial aid, including grants and loans at all colleges in the country.   It can seem complicated, but there is help available -- and it's free.  One of the best resources is College Goal Sunday, an information program that brings together financial aid professionals from colleges and universities along with other volunteers to assist college-bound students and their families complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  Calendars for their national programs, as well as state-by-state events can be found at their website here.