Ebony Magazine Releases Annual Scholarship Listing

This post is for students of color who are also seniors this fall. Ebony Magazine has released its annual list of scholarships for students of color. Be sure to check the list out, and apply for scholarships. Do not procrastinate start your scholarhip and application planning now.

WomensScholarships.org Awarding A $10,000 Scholarship

WomenScholarships.org is giving away a $10,000 monthly scholarship award to a female who is 18 years of age or older. The scholarship award is designed to help women and moms, who make up nearly two-thirds of all college students. It can be used to pay for tuition, books, housing, and more.

To apply, students simply have to register online, view free information from sponsor colleges and universities, and then confirm their registration. Females of all ethnic groups and age brackets are eligible to apply. Applicants must, however, be permanent residents of the United States, and must be planning to attend or are already enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at any college, university, or trade school. At the end of the month, one random winner is selected from a drawing and the scholarship monies are paid in one lump sum directly to the winner upon verification. Typically, the drawing date is around the 30th or the 31st of the month.

The organization behind the web site that provides the scholarship funds is on a mission to help as many female students as possible by off-setting their disadvantaged situation. A recent USA Today article revealed that minority and female enrollment in college lags disproportionately because of the lack of resources and financial aid that are being made available.
For more details, visit: womensscholarships.org.

No. 8: Don't Be A Recluse--Get Out And Meet People!

Good morning. Today's post is #8 in my series of posts entitled: "10 Things Not To Do After You Arrive On-Campus." I promise to keep this one short and sweet, and #8 is simply to avoid becoming a hermit, loner or unibomber, and get out and meet people. There are literally thousands of students from across the United States, and world entering or attending your college--get out and meet them.

There is no need to stay in your room which is most likely pretty small or compact. So, get outside and meet some of your classmates, and fellow students prior to the start of classes. As a matter of fact, seek out some of the upperclass students, and ask them to share their insights, and provide helpful college advice regarding classes, professors and navigating and adjusting to life on campus.

Sure, your school will eventually provide seminars on these topics at some point after classes begin, but hey, why wait! Get a head start on your success on campus by by taking charge of your own success trajectory. Ask questions . . . talk to someone who knows more than you or your friends . . . as a matter of fact ask lots of questions.

Entry Level Living Author Allison Jones Sounds Off On Monroe College Alum Lawsuit

Good morning! As a follow-up to the report about the Monroe College graduate that is suing her alma mater, I wanted to share another perspective with my readers. This post is by Allison Jones the author of the Entry Level Living blog. Allison offers a very unique voice, and perspective that may resonate with millennials.

No. 9 Don't Forget To Make Your Success Plan

Ok, continuing my list of the Top 10 things not to do after you arrive on campus, N0. 9 on my list is to not forget to make a Strategic Success Plan (SSP). You need to have this plan somewhere safe to serve as a roadmap, and to remind you of the path(s) you must take to achieve your goals while on campus. So whether your plan is on paper or stored in your mental rolodex--you will need such a roadmap. I say this because today, I read about a recent college graduate who is suing her alma mater because she has not found a job three months after completing her undergraduate studies. I don't know if the student had a SSP or not, but CNN is reporting that Trina Thompson is suing Monroe College for $72,000 after receiving her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Information Technology. You should definitely read Ms. Thompson's story here.

I think this entire matter is regrettable because somewhere along the student's educational path the lines of communication between the student, and the college broke down. These days while no respectable college that I am aware of operates without a placement office, it seems apparent that Ms. Thompson was overly reliant on her alma mater helping her find a job. Her lawsuit is most likely heading towards an early dismissal unless of course she can provide proof that the college guaranteed or promised her that she would get a job within three months of receiving her degree.

Today, more than ever it is imperative that student's take an active role in their future employment prospects by studying, and working hard in their respective degree pursuits. Additionally, students should start researching internship opportunities as soon as possible after arriving to campus because the job and intern markets are ultra competitive in an economy like ours. Therefore, to enhance one's employment prospects after graduation, students should secure as many meaningful intern or job experiences while a student.

So, when you arrive on campus, and find that you aren't eligible to apply for internships or aren't fortunate enough to land the internship of your dreams, look for other ways to enhance your skills, and develop your career network by seeking out volunteer organizations that will allow you to volunteer your time or expertise 2-3 times per week if not more. Another effective strategy ot wayto get experience is to get involved in co-curricular organizations that are on-campus, and by joining meaningful student organizations that will enhance your profile, and add meaningful experience to your resume; every little bit counts.

Also, develop a relationship with you school's career placement office early, and finally, don't sleep on your most valuable resource on-campus: your professors. Often times, your profs will be networked in to people that work in the industry or industries in which you are trying to navigate, and find employment--don't let them off the hook by not taking full advantage of all your profs have to offer. Don't be intimidated--get to know your teachers during their stated office hours. As a matter of fact, bug them until they learn your name, and who you are as an individual. Believe me, your professor will appreciate your sincere interest in your educational future.

No. 10 What Not To Do When You Arrive On-Campus

Ok, so August is upon us, and summer shall be saying her sweet farewells in another month or so. While the month of August typically serves as a signal that summer will soon be over, it also serves as a beacon for another rite of passage: the return to campus by hundreds of thousands of students around the country, and globe. In light of the fact, that multitudes of college coeds will be making the trip North, South, East and West in the coming week(s), I have decided to write a series of articles entitled: 10 Things Not To Do While On Campus, and my very first admonishment or piece of advice to first-year college students across the American and global hinterlands is to avoid downloading pirated or contraband music. If you are confused about why this is my first piece of advice to you, please read the following article.

Just in case you are too busy packing and making preparations to begin your long-awaited college career, to read this article I will give you the short version: this morning I read a news report in USA Today about Joel Tenenbaum, a Boston University student, who illegally downloaded music that he shared with his friends. Sounds fun? What? You do it all the time? Well, I am sure that Joel isn't laughing anymore after he was slapped with the federal court's order to pay $675,000 to four record labels for illegally downloading, and sharing music; Tenenbaum admitted downloading and distributing 30 songs. Pardon my arithmetic, but those downloads that Joel thought were free ended up costing more than $20,000 a pop.

Pardon the cliche my friends, but Just Say No to unauthorized music downloads and file-sharing! What does unauthorized mean here? Very succinctly, it usually means that downloading digital information or music without paying for it is illegal, and trouble. So, one thing not to do when you get to campus: no illegal music downloads or file sharing--your parents will thank you.

PayScale.com Lists Top Salaries By College Major

To see the full list of college majors, and the respective beginning and mid-career salary for each major click here.

DiversityScholarships.com Offering Monthly $10,000 Scholarships for Minority and Female Students

DiversityScholarships.com is giving away a $10,000 scholarship to a high school or college student who is 18 years of age or older. The scholarship award can be used to pay for tuition, books, housing, and more. To apply, students simply have to register online, view free information from sponsor colleges and universities, and then confirm their registration.
Applicants must have at least one parent that is an African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, or Native American. Female students of all ethnicities are also eligible. In addition, applicants must be permanent residents of the United States, and must be planning to attend or are already enrolled in a college, university, or trade school.

At the end of the month, one random winner is selected from a drawing and the scholarship monies are paid in one lump sum directly to the winner upon verification. Typically, the drawing date is around the 30th or the 31st of the month.

The organization behind the web site that provides the scholarship funds is on a mission to help as many minority and female students as possible by offsetting their disadvantaged situation. A recent USA Today article revealed that minority enrollment in college lags disproportionately because of the lack of resources and financial aid being made available.

Fast Company Introduces Dorm-In-A-Box

Just when you thought it safe to go the mall, and try to pick up all those things on your college kid's list of necessities, FastCompany.com presents to some and introduces to others a new Internet start-up called Dorm-In-A-Box. I love this name as it is self-explanatory, and I love the concept of simplifying the the lives of future college students and those students returning to college by providing a much needed service that appears to be pretty affordable for the familes of most college-bound students. Check out Fast Company's full article here.

The Accidental Nontraditional Student

According to Wikipedia nontraditional students are students that attend an higher education institution (college or university) that generally fall into two categories: (1) students who are older than the historical undergraduate student profile (usually age 18-25), whose studies were either interrupted earlier in their life; or (2) students of traditional age, but who pursue their baccalaureate studies through programs that provide unconventional scheduling to allow for other responsibilities, and pursuits concurrent with attaining a degree.

In addition to these definitions, the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) acknowledges that while there is no precise definition for nontraditional students, part-time status and age are common elements in most definitions. Other definitions of nontraditional students include those who:

• delay enrollment (or do not enter post-secondary education in the same calendar year that he or she finished high school);
  
• attend part-time for at least part of the academic year;


• work full time (35 hours or more per week) while enrolled;


• are considered financially independent for purposes of determining eligibility for financial aid;
  
• have dependents other than a spouse (usually children, but sometimes others);


• are single parents (either not married or married but separated and have dependents); or


• do not have a high school diploma (completed high school with a GED or other high school completion certificate or did not finish high school.)

As you can see being classified as a nontraditional student is not as simple as identifying one's date of birth, but rather is more complex in nature in that there are often times many reasons why people delay their pursuit of their goal earn a college degree. In fact, I had to delay my entrance into college for a year in order to complete my military training obligation after I enlisted in U.S. Army Reserve while a high school student. So, I guess that that makes me a nontraditional student according the definitions identified above. My joining the nontraditional student ranks was purely accidental--I didn't plan on being a nontraditional student when I first decided to enlist in the Reserve way back when--it just happened, and for various reasons your finding yourself classified as a nontraditional student for whatever reason, and at whatever stage of life in which you may now find yourself may have also happened accidentally. Whatever the case may be, don't fret and certainly don't sweat it because there is absolutely nothing wrong with pursuing your college education as an older student.

Yes, I realize that it may not have been your ideal plan to start you college studies at age 25, 30 or even 50, but hey, things happen. Go with the flow, be adaptable to life's many changes, embrace the life you live, and your days will be more brighter, and happier. Although the reality for many of those who fall into the nontraditional category is that going to college a little later in one's life is in fact a huge, and daunting step. Nevertheless, it seems almost laughable that a 21-year-old would decide that enrolling in a four-year college is not a viable educational option because he feels that he, now three years removed from the throes of high school would deem himself "too old" to fit in on a traditional college campus. Hey, the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. But, in any case, if you find yourself in the shoes of one of those "old" students, here is hopefully a little bit of motivational advice to help you set your educational plans in motion:

First, recognize that you are not "too old" to attend college! As a matter of fact, you are 20 - 50 something years young, so stop making excuses, and kick it into gear . . . what are you waiting for? For extra motivation on late applicant guerrilla admissions tactics see my last post entitled: "Late College Applicants, the Fourth of July, Barbecue . . . . Oh My."

Second, say this phrase to yourself over and over again: "learning is forever." As a matter of fact, keep saying it until you adopt it as the personal mission statement for your college action plan.

Third, remember that there are many definitions of a nontraditional student, and recognize that you are not in this endeavor alone. In fact, on college campuses across America there are nontraditional student support groups, and if by chance there isn't such a group at the campus of your choice--be industrious, take the initiative and start one. I am pretty sure that your other nontraditional student classmates who also thought that they were alone will thank you profusely for helping to create an even more inclusive and inviting environment on campus.

Fourth, remember that it is never too late to start or begin your educational endeavor to earn your Bachelor's degree. I can recall my days as a new student at the University of Iowa, where I met two of my fellow nontraditional classmates who decided to pursue higher education in their 50's. One of my classmates, James, fell in love with the student life so much that he went on to pursue his Master's degree after completing his undergraduate studies. Even more impressive was how James embraced the campus community rather than feign getting involved on-campus because of his nontraditional age. As a matter of fact, James enjoyed his new life as a college co-ed so much that he became a Resident Assistant in the dorm that we both lived in during our first-year at the university.

Finally, if you take nothing else from this post, I hope that you will recognize that no matter the hand that life deals you or whatever obligations sideline you for a while (i.e., military, family obligations, college affordability issues, etc) , just remember that you are never too young or too old to endeavor higher education, and that such pursuits are very worthwhile, and lead to lifetime learning and life enriching experiences.

Late College Applicants, the Fourth of July, Barbecue . . . Oh My

Today is the Fourth of July--do you know where your college application is in the admissions funnel? Hopefully, you do; hopefully, you meticulously gathered your college data and information last fall, amassed and assembled all of those college applications, and filed them electronically or did the old school thing and sent them off to the respective colleges and universities of your choice via snail mail. If you did this, then more than likely you know where you will be spending the next four years of your life (knock on wood).

However, if you are one those perennial procrastinators or one of those who just couldn't keep it tight during your senior year because of . . . well, let me see here . . . anything! Anything that a high school student deems a distractor (LOL), well, don't fret because all is not lost, but you have to act fast. Believe me, I do understand the effect that the evil anti-hero Senioritis has had on countless apprehensive, bewildered, befuddled, and betwixted high school seniors since time memorial. That's right--ole Senioritis has been around a long time, and messed with the best of us. And, if you were not so lucky your senior year, and somehow managed to succumb to the seductive forces of Senioritis that sucks and drains the motivation out of your fingertips--there is still hope and time for you to turn it around if you act right now. You see there is about a one-month window of opportunity to gain admission to those schools that offer rolling admissions.

Colleges and universities that offer rolling admissions admit students on an almost year round basis. Unlike those institutions that identify clear cut admissions deadlines on their websites, and in their viewbooks and brochures, colleges that admit on a rolling basis will not frown on your "late" application due to their rolling admissions philosophy. So, if you thought that you missed the college train altogether--think again! You are still in the game if you want to be.

So, don't fret or become too anxious, but move purposefully toward your objective of gaining admission before the start of college next month.


Here is a list of 10 Guerrilla Admissions Tactics for those of you who find yourselves labeled a late applicant to help you out:

1. Identify those schools that interest you, and that offer rolling admissions.


2. Contact your high school guidance counselor for assistance if possible, if she/he is around the this summer.
   
3. If your former counselor or anyone else isn't available then contact an admissions officer at the respective college or university of your choice and ask for assistance in applying to their school.
   
4. If you can't make contact with your high school counselor or an admissions officer at your intended school of attendance, then ask good old mom and/or dad for assistance.


5. Mom and/or Dad too busy for whatever reason--don't sweat it--show them your enthusiasm by doing all the leg work yourself, and complete the applications on your own.


6. To operate more stealthily, try to target those schools with a stream-lined application process, i.e., those who don't require a ton of reference letters, those who waive application fees as they move toward the final shape of their freshman class, and/or those that are highly responsive, accessible and available when you need assistance.


7. If you have narrowed your choice to one school--visit that school if possible, and set up an appointment to meet with an admissions counselor before you arrive on campus so that they are expecting you. You may be surprised at how your effort in going the extra mile may be rewarded.


8. If you are able to schedule an admissions appointment, ask whether or not you may also be able to meet with a financial aid counselor if you will need financial assistance like student loans, grants and scholarships to help pay for your studies during your first year of college.


9. Make sure that you file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) ASAP if you haven't already done so. Don't forget to list the new school(s) on the FAFSA form and submit the changes to the federal financial aid form processor otherwise this could cause delays in you receiving a financial aid package or award letter from the school(s) that you would like to attend.


10. Try to relax, enjoy the rest of your summer and start packing for your new life as a college student.

Congratulations and Good luck!!!

Summer: The Perfect Time To Engage In A Little College Admissions Planning

Summer is here; heat, humidity, and more heat and humidity--oh, my. Yes, summer is upon us. Every student's reprieve from a year of tireless hours of homework, study and preparation. For most students, the word summer is synonymous with vacations, travel, time spent at the beach, hanging with friends or doing anything that does not resemble school work . . . LOL! Yes, summer is the time for the high school student to enjoy his or herself to the fullest; however, summer also offers other opportunities of which to take advantage.

For the high school senior, summer is also the perfect time to engage in a little college admissions planning. No, don't laugh--I am very serious, and with some careful planning and time management, summer can afford high school seniors with ample opportunity to get ahead of the college admissions curve, or at least the competition, and still allow seniors that will be applying to colleges and universities this fall ample opportunity to straight kick-it and enjoy themselves this summer as well.

During the summer months, I will be developing posts that focus on pre-college admissions planning for those high school seniors who want to get ahead of the admissions curve starting with this post. Since school is officially out for summer across America, you should have plenty of time to do all of those things that you like to do, and then some. And I guarantee you that you will love yourself that much more if you begin your college research and exploration process over the summer rather than waiting until the fall when you will have classes, athletics, extracurriculars, friends and family all pulling and tugging for your attention and time.

So, to make your life easier or simpler this fall start your college admissions planning by:

1. Writing out a list of your top college choices. In your list, please remember to include your dream schools, your schools that you feel that you should not have a problem gaining admissions to (solids), and your safety schools or schools which you believe will admit you unconditonally. This list should be 7-10 colleges and/or universities (but can be longer or shorter).

2. After your list is written, you should conduct research online, searching out the most relevant and pertinent information of all of the schools on your list. You should also use this time to request college viewbooks from those schools that send such information and other collateral material to prospective students, otherwise you can just get the information from the school's website.

3. Once your list and college research are done, try to narrow your college list to 3-5 schools if possible.

4. Once you have your list narrowed down to a more manageable number of schools you should discuss your college list with your parents, sharing your level of interest in each school that you are seeking to gain admissions.

5. Thereafter, if possible, you and your parents can plan a summer visit to the schools on your list if feasible. However, in the case where distance or costs may make such a visit impracticable for you try to visit all of the local schools or schools within driving distance. (Most colleges and universities have daily and weekend visit programs in place for prospective students and their families). Alternatively, most colleges and universities these days also offer virtual campus tours that can be accessed from their respective websites--so be sure to check this option out as well.

6. Register to take the ACT or SAT early if possible. Taking the ACT or SAT early may alleviate a lot of stress and/or tension during the fall term especially if you achieve the score that you need for admissions and scholarship purposes the first time around. On the flipside, taking the admissions tests early in the game is also advantageous because if you fall a little short--understanding where you are will be helpful in preparing for the respective college entrance exam(s) that will be administered in the fall or the next time that you take it/them.

7. Finally, make contact with the college admissions offices of your top choices and request information, sign-up for mailing lists and develop a rapport with an admissions professional at those schools.

The suggestions above might seemed to be a lot, but if done in an organized and systematic manner each day--you will find that the suggestions listed above are very doable, manageable, and achieveable goals.

Why College? Why Not?

The title of this post is: Why College? Why Not? At a glance this brief question and answer may make no sense, but actually it does. You see the caption above was taken from a poster that I purchased when I was a college student. I loved this poster or actually the series of Why College? Why Not posters? I found these posters quite appealing because of their message: on one poster there was the quintessential dream house that sat atop a mountain. Underneath the mansion-like house were seven open garage doors which housed a car for everyday of the week: the Mercedes-Benz, the BMW, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche, Ferrari and one other which I can't seem to remember as I sit here writing this post . . . nevertheless, I am sure that you are beginning to see where I am heading in mentioning this.


To make a long story shorter, I had three of the aforementioned posters which I placed in 24 X 36 frames. My plan was to mount them on my wall to remind me of the myriad rewards in pursuing higher education any time I began to question my educational endeavors or the inherent value of pursuing a college education. Indeed, the posters served as nice daily reminders of what treasures can be amassed by pursuing higher education. Nonetheless, perhaps, my allusion to the Why College poster story appears a bit materialistic, but please don't misinterpret my intentions here for I do recognize that there are so many reasons that high school students and others choose to pursue formal higher education beyond the pursuit of luxury cars and big houses.


To the contrary, the point of this post is to merely highlight that there are so many individual reasons that those of us who choose to matriculate to our nearest university or college choose to do so. For some, well, it is to continue to excel and achieve in school so that they can achieve the American dream of white houses and picket fences. While for others, the pursuit of education is draped in family tradition or generational legacy--you were born to attend university (sorry, I had to say that). And yet for others, pursuing higher education is part of our individual recipe for success. Today, if you want to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer, nurse, teacher, psychologist, biologist or whatever your chosen field of human endeavor, guess what? You-have-to-go-to-college--plain and simple, no "ands," "ifs," or "buts," about it!


In the age of the New Millenium--the 21st First Century--it is paramount for young people to secure the necessary educational preparation and training that will equip them to be players in the global and ever-changing world economy. So, having said all that, I decided to start the blog Forward University to serve as a source of information, advice and encouragement, among other things, to prospective college students across the land. Recognizing the importance of education, I wish that all students will graduate from high school, and move on to post-secondary education. Perhaps, this blog will help to achieve that lofty goal.