CEA Academic Excellence Scholarship Winner!

Salut tout le monde, 

I got a wonderful email from my study abroad advisor, followed by a call from Danielle at CEA telling me that I won an CEA Academic Excellence Scholarship! 

I am SO happy and relieved, you have no idea.

Also, congratulations to everyone who won; I can't wait to meet some of you! Click the photo above to see a complete list of winners.

Thanks for reading!

Scholarship Press Release!

Hey all,

As I have already mentioned, I have been the recipient of the Jerry Purdum Memorial Scholarship in French from the WIU Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literatures!

Here's thew WIU press release that went out about it on the 1st on this month:

Thanks for reading!

Winner!

Bonjour toute le monde!

I have good news! I have won the jerry Purdum Memorial Scholarship from the WIU Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literatures AGAIN!

This means that I am $500 closer to paying for my Aix-en-Provence program costs, and $500 less stressed out. Phew! Now I just need to find some more awards to apply for...

Thanks for reading!

Back to Reality: Scholarship Stress

Salut mes amis,

Though I was blessed with the incredible opportunity to participate in the Moncton Explore program practically free of charge with the help of the abundantly generous FIPSE Grant, it's clear to me that such good fortunes only occur but once in a lifetime.

In fact, because of the immoderate price of my upcoming semester in France, paired with the poor USD/EUR exchange rate, I feel like I'll be paying enough for two study abroad trips this time around. My university financial aid simply can't cover it all. However, I knew I would have to work my butt off to afford the trip when I applied in the first place. After all, what price can I put on my dream?

To help cover the cost, I have applied for, myriad scholarships in the past; and recently, too, I have been applying to scholarships whose cut off dates occur late than normal on the academic calendar, such as the CEA direct awards. For some reason, though, I feel like the effort lately is especially stressful. Maybe it's because I'm finally so close to actually going. I just can't wrap my head around the crazy cost!

Have you experienced similar stress about financial aid? If so, tell me in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

I'm More Than a Test Score!

Hello everyone,

For those of you who have been following the events surrounding my Zinch 'Double Your Money' Scholarship win, I am happy to say that the funds have been successfully applied to my student account! I am really glad to see that this company is legit, and I urge all of you to make an account ASAP and get to winning!

Also, I thought you might like to see the interview page from their blog, morethanatestscore.com.

Merci bien d'avoir lu!

Real Advice for Study Abroad Part 4: Scholarship Essay Tips and Tricks

Bonjour! This is the 4th post I wrote for the RAFSA series on NSCS's TalkNerdy2Me.org. It was originally posted on April 24, 2012 here on the TalkNerdy2Me website.  

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Last time on RAFSA, I told you where to find financial aid opportunities to fund your study abroad adventures. Now it’s time to write the essays for all of those applications, but you don’t just want to write, you want to win! While I can’t guarantee you’ll win 100% of what you’ve applied for, I can tell you that a strong essay will personalize your applications and make you stand out to the judges. Here are 8 steps to making your writing rock.

1) Read The Directions: Don’t miss out on this opportunity to find out what the committee is asking of you. If you don’t read them, you’re doomed from the start. To insure your understanding, summarize them in your own words. Stick this summary and the application deadline right on your master calendar for quick reference. Also, if there’s something you don’t understand about the prompt, don’t be afraid to call and ask the organization that is offering the award. If anything, this will give you a competitive edge on other writers.

2) Consider Your Audience: Think about who will be reading your paper. What are the ideals and values of the company, association, or program? What do they stand for? Try to reflect these ideals in your writing. If you’re applying for a conservative scholarship, don’t focus your essay on your involvement in the Campus Democrats… Don’t lie or mislead the judges – just try to be tactful.

3) Create an Outline: Taking word count and/or page length requirements into consideration, map out the skeleton of your essay by writing out main points you want to include. Be sure to include all the criteria from the directions. Your outline may look something like this:

Attention Grabbing Intro
Thesis (summarizing sentence. Point you’re trying to make.)

Body Paragraph
Opening sentence (smooth transition from par. 1)
Detail, point or criteria
Detail/point/criteria

Body Paragraph
Transition/Opening sentence
Detail/point/criteria
Detail/point/criteria

Conclusion
Reiteration of thesis
Thanks

From your outline, you can flesh out the remainder of the essay by elaborating on the points you have made.

4) Highlight Your Accomplishments: Brainstorm a list of noteworthy things you have done or been involved in, including academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, memberships and volunteer experience. If the prompt leaves room, include one, or some, of these successes and how they make you an ideal candidate for the award. If the prompt is very specific, leave these out or risk sounding insecure or narcissistic.

To go a step further, collaborate your list into an academic resume, and include one with each of your applications. Contact your school’s Career Services department if you need extra help.

5) Use a Thesaurus: Upgrading your vocabulary can make your paper sound more professional and sincere. Don’t overdo it, though. Keep it realistic and subtle, and let your personal voice shine through your work.

6) Be Specific, Yet Concise: Adding descriptive details can breathe life into an otherwise bland paper. However, don’t be longwinded. The judges, who will likely have read many essays before yours, will be looking for quality over quantity. Don’t muck up your paper with frivolous or vague information. Include only what is necessary to get your point across in a colorful and convincing way.

7) Be Honest: Draw from real-life experiences and concentrate on what differentiates you from other applicants. Don’t over embellish and avoid sob stories unless they stem from truth. Guilt-tripping your readers into awarding you a prize isn’t the way to go. When talking about academic achievements, memberships, and the like, keep in mind that the awarders will likely double-check your credentials before paying out.

8) Edit, Edit, Edit: Don’t just proofread your own essay, as you will likely overlook simple mistakes. Go to a site like Paperrater.com to get the lowdown on your spelling, grammar, and word choice, among other things. Once that’s done, e-mail it to a few qualified people such as:

• A parent, family member or friend: to ensure your essay gives its readers a good idea of who you are as a person. 
• Your study abroad advisor: to make sure you are addressing the criteria in a satisfactory manner. Chances are she can help you, if it’s SA related, not to mention she has probably served on a scholarship committee. 
• A non-biased person, such as someone in your school’s Writing Center: to tell you if your points make sense without having any knowledge of your back-story, and to give an outsider’s opinion of your writing style. 

Of course, whom you send it to is up to you, but be sure to have your work thoroughly proofread before sending it in. Typos are the nemeses of scholarships!

Minding these simple tips can help you conquer your required writings in a captivatingly effective way, to capture judges’ attention and bring you closer to big bucks. Once again, thank you for reading RAFSA. Stay tuned for more tips relating to your dreams of international education

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Merçi d'avoir lu!

Scholarship Search Sites Part 1

Bonsoir everyone,

Since I'm still up searching for scholarships to apply for for next term I thought I'd give you the scoop on two scholarship database sites, Zinch and Cappex.

Zinch is an ok search engine, but it definately has its flaws. Like most sites, it tries to match you with scholarships based on your GPA, interests and major. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem very picky about location. Even though I specified that I currently attend, and intend on finishing my degree, at WIU it still gives me scholarship results for Berkely, Ol' Mis, etc.

However, on the brightest of bright sides, Zinch offers a "double your money" guarantee where, if you win scholarships through them, they will match the payout amount of the award(s) up to $50,000. They do the same thing if you refer a friend and he/she wins award money- you get a matching payout.

I just emailed Zinch about a scholarship I won this fall through their website, so I'll let you know if it works!

Cappex is a lot more specific than Zinch, with many more criteria used to narrow your scholarship results. Naturally, though, this leads to less results meaning you may miss out if you strictly use this site. The layout is very streamlined and user friendly, though, and you can sort your results by the amount of effort required to apply or the amount of competition there is for the awards on a scale of 'very quick' to 'grueling'. There is no money match feature, but the ease of use and quality of results has me coming back to Cappex time after time.

I also use MoolahSPOT, Scholarships.com, Scholarhippoints and many other sites I find through these five to make sure I'm getting well rounded search results.

What are your favorite scholarship databases? Have you ever won an award you've found through one? Leave your comments below!

Bonne nuit!

Real Advice for Study Abroad Part 3: Where to Look For Financial Aid

This is the third installment of the RAFSA series written by me for NSCS's TalkNerdy2Me.org. It was originally published to their blog, here, on March 23, 2012. Enjoy!

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Studying abroad can be an investment in your future, but between tuition and travel, the costs can really add up. For those of us who can’t simply pay out of pocket, financial aid is a saving grace. Luckily, award opportunities are more plentiful than ever. With a little help, and a bit of extra footwork, you can uncover financial aid opportunities in an abundance of easy to reach places.



Begin your search ahead of time – 6 to 12 months before your departure date. Deadlines hit as early as the February before the term you’ve applied for. Start a master calendar, or planner, to keep track of any application deadlines, payout dates and appointments related to your study abroad trip. If you’re tech savvy, set up an online calendar that will send reminders to your phone or email, to keep you on target.

Now, on to the important stuff: below are a plethora of places to begin your search for free money, ahem, financial aid.

FAFSA.GOV:

Fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), just as you would for a normal term. As long as you’re enrolled at least half time, your study abroad program is approved by your college, and you’ll be taking courses that will advance you toward your degree, the federal aid you qualify for can be used toward an out-of-country program. More remarkably, if your tuition abroad exceeds the cost of your tuition at home, it may increase your grant and loan eligibility. That’s more money, with no extra hassle.

Your School’s Financial Aid Office:

Make an appointment with your Financial Aid Advisor early on to learn the ins and outs of your financial situation. If you visit in person, rather than calling in, they’re usually more apt to finding you more aid. Don’t ask me why. As always, be polite and courteous, and show that you are ready to do your part, too. Remember that they’re the ones with the final say when it comes to your financial aid package.

Ask which forms of State Aid, such as grants, will apply to your trip. Often times there are hoops to jump through to qualify for tuition waivers that may be necessary to cover your trip. Also, talk about your loan eligibility and whether it will increase for your semester abroad. If the cost of attendance is high, and/or other aid is scarce, loans could be worthwhile options as supplements or backup funds.

Don’t forget to ask when your aid will be released to you, and at what intervals, if not all at once. Many schools won’t release aid until the start of their on-campus term; others split your loan checks into two disbursements. You do not want to find out several months down the road that a $500 program deposit and your $1,700 plane tickets need to be paid for before any money hits your account. Mark these dates on your master calendar and jot down any preceding costs or payment deadlines so you can make arrangements accordingly.

The On-Campus Scholarship Office:

If your school has a scholarship office, go have a look around to see what you may qualify for. Better yet, make an appointment with one of the scholarship coordinators. Chances are, they will find scholarships and grants that you never knew existed.

When you’re searching for aid, don’t limit yourself to awards specific to international education. You may be eligible for other awards based on any number of factors, such as financial need, merit, sports abilities, major, heritage, etc. There are even scholarships available for those who are unusually tall. For information on unusual scholarships, try doing web search. There are tons of crazy ways to get paid.

On The Web:

One of the easiest ways to track down extra aid is to use a searchable database site such as Fastweb, or MoolahSPOT. Sites like these are free to use and allow you to make an account so they can base their recommendations on your personal information. Take care when filling out their registration forms to ensure your information is accurate. Also, avoid checking any boxes for “special offers” or mailing lists. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up with an inbox full of spam.

Junk mail aside, these sites are great for finding scholarships based on a huge variety of criteria. Don’t forget to look through your results, though. You can’t win, unless you take the time to actually apply. If you’re like me, you’ll print down any worthwhile applications at a free on-campus computer lab, and record their deadlines and payout dates on your master calendar. Staying organized and following through are the keys to receiving as much aid as possible.

Your Study Abroad Program:

I may have been luckier than some others, but the program I applied to study abroad through, The American Institute for Foreign Study, has tons of extra ways to save. For applying early, I became eligible for a $1,000 discount. For being a student of an AIFS affiliated university, I qualified for another $400. If I happen to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, I will receive another $500 bonus from AIFS. As if these weren’t enough, they offer additional scholarships with super simple applications.

Check out your program’s website to locate their Scholarships and Grants page. Even if they don’t offer any aid, directly, they will probably have a list of scholarships and grants from companies they are affiliated with. If you can’t find anything, try contacting your admissions advisor or the company’s helpline. They may be sitting on a gold mine that students have trouble getting to, meaning low application rates, and better odds of winning for those who went the extra mile to find them.

By Word Of Mouth:

Ask around your school to see what everyone else has applied for. Also, ask your study abroad advisor if you can contact alumni who have already been abroad, to ask them how they paid their way. Their insight could be the difference between floating along, and just sliding by.

If you’re a member of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, they offer a number of different study abroad scholarships like the Scholar Abroad Scholarships, the Academy Abroad Scholarships, and theSemester at Sea Scholarships.

Try not to be overwhelmed when you search for scholarships and grants. Use your master calendar to keep track of deadlines, and set weekly goals. Keep your eyes peeled for any opportunities that may present themselves, and apply for as many grants and scholarships as you feel comfortable with.

On the next addition of RAFSA, I’ll give you tips on writing successful scholarship essays. If you have any questions, comments, or tips on finding additional aid, don’t hesitate to leave them below.

Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!

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