The College Advisor: Where the Money Is

There are hundreds of scholarship searches available on the web, my personal favorite being Fastweb. While outside scholarships can definitely be productive, even the most ambitious, talented students usually top out somewhere between $25,000 and $35,000.  That's no small deal, so I heartily encourage students to participate in essay, speech, video, and art contests in order to gain financial aid.  However, one of the hidden benefits of participating in these scholarship searches is the fact that student participation indicates individual motivation, an important quality that college admissions officers seek in prospective students.  The big money for college is found in institutional aid...full scholarships, half scholarships, and the like. $100,000 or more.  And how do you receive those high dollar rewards?  By proving your potential throughout high school in community service, competitions, individual accomplishments, organizations, and leadership--proactively pursuing a lifestyle of excellence.  That's what's really important!  Make sure your activities demonstrate excellence, responsibility, initiative, perseverance, creativity and leadership on a regular basis.  Don't settle for the mundane; do something extraordinary!  Not only will that type of lifestyle assist you in gaining valuable financial aid, but more importantly, you'll be walking in your gifts and developing your God-given potential.