Study Abroad Scholarships

Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity for college students, usually taken during junior year. As a sophomore, if you want to study abroad but don’t know if you can afford it, the option may still be available to you. There are various study abroad agencies in America that offer scholarships to help students study overseas, like the IES Abroad or AIFS Study Abroad programs. When looking for a study abroad scholarship, the best way to ensure you get the money you need is to plan early and begin looking a year ahead of time.

Corporate Scholarships

Large companies and corporations often sponsor scholarships that are available to all enrolled students with no restrictive eligibility criteria. Though there is more competition for corporate scholarships, they are great to apply for because of their straightforward requirements and easy application process. Corporate scholarships can range from a few hundred dollars to a full tuition, and many are given on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Private Scholarships

Private scholarships are more commonly found through your university, are sponsored by benefactors, and often boast the name of whomever the scholarship is commemorating. Unlike corporate scholarships, private scholarships are likely to have specific target candidates related to characteristics of the benefactor, ranging from students who study a certain major to students who have overcome certain obstacles in the past. Though this information is often available online, meeting with your academic advisor to discuss university scholarships will ensure that you know you qualify before you begin the potentially complex application process.

Paid Internships

Finding a paid internship with a company in your career field can also be a productive way to find scholarships. If they see potential in you and want you to continue working for them in the future, some companies will have aid programs where they either pay your tuition while you’re employed or work out an arrangement to help you in the future.

Learn about more ways to find scholarships for college on Cappex!

Find Out What is “Transferable”

Your university will have rules about what students must achieve in order for credits to transfer, which you can find out by speaking to your advisor or looking online. This may include a minimum final course grade (usually somewhere in the C+ to C- range), only taking classes at an accredited university, and taking courses that are relevant to your college requirements or your major. Universities also mandate that certain credits be taken on campus to maintain academic standards, and may limit the number of transfer credits that will be accepted on your transcript. Do your research to make sure that the courses you want to take meet these criteria and you will be able to get the credits you’re trying to fulfill.

Know All Of Your Options

You may be spending the summer in a city with more than one college or university nearby. Though you may have an idea of where you want to take classes, making a list of all schools in the area and the courses you are interested in will allow you to understand your options once you start your transfer credit inquiry. Your university may not accept all credits from all schools, so it is helpful to have a back-up plan in case your original idea does not work out how you intended.

Check Your University’s Website

Your school’s website has a detailed page about how their transfer process works. Universities have a pre-set list of classes and credits that will always transfer from other schools. Many universities strictly adhere to these lists and will not make any exceptions. These schools require students to submit grades after the course is completed to obtain credits. Other universities will allow you to petition for classes that are not on the list. In this case, you will have to submit an application to pre-approve your classes explaining why you feel they are relevant to your course of study and declaring which requirements you expect to fulfill by taking these classes.

Visit Cappex for more helpful college tips!

Find a Summer Sublet

If you live in the dorms during the school year, chances are you won’t be able to reside there in the summer. Even if you can, consider finding a summer sublet off campus. It will probably be on the less expensive side. Depending on your campus and town layout, this could be a great opportunity to sample living off campus.

Take a Class

Yeah, the last thing you want to do in the summer is attend more school. BUT, if you need a couple credits here or there, it can’t hurt to get those out of the way in the summer. Taking one or two classes at a time will be easier than a huge course load in the fall. Make it a fun class if you want!

Take Advantage of School Resources

A lot of colleges have museums and galleries on campus that are free (or almost free) for students. Universities are wonderful homes for great artwork and science facilities for obvious reasons – they want their students to have access to the best information!

Check out Summer Events in Town

Explore your college town as though you were a local, and not just a student! Summer is prime time for art and food festivals; outdoor movie screenings; restaurant deals; and more! Don’t be a stranger.

Research Opportunities

Many schools offer research opportunities to undergraduate students wishing to gain hands-on experience in their field of study. This is an excellent time to focus on research since you won’t have other classes and homework on your mind. Working with professors and grad students will give you great insight into your field and lessons for your future career. These people will more than likely help you make connections for post-graduation.

Connect

Try to plan on staying at your campus during the summer with some friends. Gather a group that inspires you or encourages you to try new things and get creative. The beauty of the season is that you’ve got time to apply what you’ve learned at school to your own projects. Make connections!

Make your profile on Cappex today for more information on college opportunities and campus life!

Why is preparing for an exam so darn difficult? If you go to class, take notes, join a study group, do the homework, it should all come together by the exam. For some reason, it doesn’t really add up like that. There can be material on the exam that your teacher never went over in class. There might’ve been a day when you missed class and it happened to be the most important lecture of the entire semester. You might’ve attended every single class, but you still need to go back and memorize which specific dates match up to which specific events of the French Revolution.

Exams are hard. But here are 5 ways you can have an incredibly effective studying session before you take the test:

1. Blockade yourself from the Internet (if possible)
I’m not gonna lie. Internet is amazing. It gives you gossip, games, and Cappex. But when it comes to studying, Internet is the sworn enemy. You’ll be studying and think you’re all deserving of a break, so you log in to Facebook. Three hours later you know more about Janie Margolis’ sister’s best friend’s bachelorette party than the Communist Manifesto you’re supposed to be writing an essay on.

2. Tell your mom and BFF to hold off from texting
Just like the Internet, texting is a black hole that will suck you up, speed time up, and spit you out all confused and empty-headed one hour before the test. Let your friends know you are out of communication. And let your mom know especially, because when she won’t be able to contact you for 3 hours, she’ll order a missing person report on you.

3. Bring everything you need
Prepare for your studying session like my grandma prepares for going to the mall–have everything in your purse you could possibly need. And yes, that often involves a simple pulley system. While, you never know what roadblocks you will hit, you can at least make an educated guess: You’ll probably get hungry and tired. So bring some snacks and definitely a coffee or Red Bull. You’ll probably need to study something, so bring any and all class materials. You’ll probably need something to write with, so bring a pen and paper. You might want to make flashcards. So, bring flashcards. You know how this works.

4. Make goals
Going into a study session with checkpoints will help you make better progress. Before you jump right into the books, make an outline of what you need to accomplish, and at what points in time they need to happen. Having checkpoints will keep your pace up and keep you motivated as you mark off each one.

5. Give yourself time
This one is essential. Your brain needs time to marinate all the information you’re pushing into your head. Studying a couple hours before the exam will not work to your benefit. It’s always better to work a couple days before the test so that you can sleep on the information, let it soak in, and go over any unanswered questions the next day.

Do you have any study tips? Leave a comment below!

And the funny thing is, is that students with ADD/ ADHD and/or learning disabilities aren’t really outliers in the education system.  Around 4% of all students have learning disabilities and approximately 3-5% have ADD / ADHD. There is obviously some overlap there, but that means that in a classroom of 24-30 students, at least one will have ADD / ADHD.

What you and everybody needs to know is that having a learning disability or ADD / ADHD does not make a person stupid. Their brains just work differently.

So even if you’ve struggled with traditional school, there are higher education options out there in form of scholarships (yay!!!) and resources (woo hoo!!!).

You are not alone, and here are some links to prove it:

Scholarships for Students with ADD / ADHD & Learning Disabilities

Novotni Scholarship – for students with ADHD

Shire’s ADHD Scholarship Program – for students with ADHD

Saralu Belkofer Scholarship – for students with learning disabilities, including ADHD

LD Resources Foundation Award Programs – for students with learning disabilities

Youth Achievement Award – for students with learning disabilities

Anne Ford & Allegra Ford Scholarships – for students with documented learning disabilities:

Learning Through Listening (LTL) Awards – for students with learning disabilities

Lime Connect Fellowship Program – for students with disabilities

College-Specific Resources for Students with ADD / ADHD & Learning Disabilities

 The Johnson Scholarship Foundation
The foundation provides grants to their partner institutions in order to award scholarships to students with disabilities who are attending those institutions.

Landmark College in Vermont
This is the college of choice for students with learning disabilities and/or ADHD – the entire educational program is designed to meet the needs of special learners:

Online Resources

Attention Deficit Disorder Association

Council for Exceptional Children

Edge Foundation – Coaching for Students with ADHD

Friends of Quinn.com – Where Learning Disabilities Meet Support

LD Resources Foundation, Inc.

Learning Ally – Making reading accessible for all

Learning Disabilities Association of America

National Center for Learning Disabilities 

National Resource Center on ADHD

Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities

What has your experience with ADD /ADHD or learning disability been?

You’re probably reading this post as a cry for help from my secret hoarder life, but it’s not (it is), it’s really not (I had to tunnel through my hallways filled with every newspaper since 1987 just to get to my room filled with 48 cats).

No, we’re talking about great college papers. With hindsight being 20/20, I was able to see what made some of my college papers works of, dare I say, genius, and others just kinda lumps of complicated words that didn’t really add up to much in the end.

Here’s my words of wisdom, which include the comments scribbled in the margins from professors who’ve read my papers:

1. You need to stop procrastinating now!
This one’s a bit obvious. But hey, here’s the simple fact: If you start your paper 5 hours before it’s due, chances are it will not be thoroughly researched, thought through, or finely edited. I’ve had my share of “let’s watch this marathon Law & Order all day and start writing at midnight” experiences. It shows in the work. If you start your paper when it’s assigned, you’ll have a chance to write an outline, fine-tune your thesis, and even sleep on your ideas. Letting your ideas marinate a bit will help them grow stronger, or will help you realize what works and what doesn’t. Give yourself the gift of time!

2. I’m confused, what’s your thesis?
Sometimes the things our teachers told us in high school don’t quite sink in. If that’s the case with what they taught you about a thesis, it’s definitely time to learn what a thesis is. The thesis in your paper is the argument you’re making. It can be as simple as “Juliette was stupid” or “Hamlet was a nutjob.” You can argue whatever you want, but it has to be a strong and interesting enough argument to carry through your entire paper.

3. Do you even know what this word means?
Avoid trying to sound smarter than you are. You are probably a very smart person. Using words because they sound esoteric will turn your paper into something pedantic and alien. Your teachers don’t care how much you can impersonate an academic voice as much as hearing YOU argue your thesis smartly and thoughtfully.

4. Did you read the book? I’m seriously concerned you didn’t read the book.
Read the book. They always know when you don’t read the book.

4.5 Please never write an essay in 15 pt Comic Sans Again. Please, I beg you.

5. Where’s the proof?
Once you have your thesis, go back carefully through the text to come up with evidence. Think of yourself as a little Sherlock Holmes and gather all the evidence you can for your argument. The proof is in the pudding. And in this case, the pudding is the text, not your memory of it.

Do you have any tips for writing a great college essay? Leave a comment! 

Still, one of the key things we try to keep in mind while writing about rankings is that there is so much more to a college education than where it ranks on an arbitrary list. There are plenty of schools that never make a list, and it’s not because they’re bad schools!

So, thanks to the folks at Gawker, we have a list of the 10 most unranked–you heard us–unranked colleges in America:

1. Madonna University
Quick fact- Beginning in May 2009, Madonna will offered its first doctorate, the Doctorate of Nursing Practice

2. Sherman College of Chiropractic
Quick fact- Sherman college offers the doctor of chiropractic degree. Surprise, surprise.

3. Kent State University – Geauga
Quick fact- Kent State’s Geauga Campus is at the heart of Ohio’s maple syrup country in Geauga County.

4. Divine Word College
Quick fact- Divine Word undergraduate Roman Catholic seminary that educates young men for missionary vocations as priests and Brothers in the Society of the Divine Word.

5. Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Quick fact- The university is organized into six schools that offer associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees in such areas as history, education, business, and nursing.

6. Cogswell Polytechnical College
Quick fact- Cogswell Poly tech is a private college located in Sunnyvale, California.

7. Maharishi University of Management
Quick fact- Maharishi was founded in 1973 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and features a “consciousness-based education” system.

8. Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
Quick fact- The leader is funeral and death education since 1882!

9. University of South Carolina – Aiken
Quick fact- Founded in 1961 in a historic mansion in downtown Aiken.

10. Sul Ross State University
Quick fact- Sul Ross is named for former Texas governor, Civil War general Lawrence Sullivan Ross.

How important are rankings to you? Leave a comment!

Today’s question:

An increasing number of U.S. students are taking a semester to study abroad.

How important, or unimportant, is leaving campus to live among a different culture for a student’s education?

Leave your answer in the comments below or tweet at @Cappex to chime in (we’ll post your answer below).

The rankings that caught our attention this week came from U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings. They’re certainly fun to look at, to compare and contrast, and see who’s winning the race. But, in reality, is the college ranking system really all that accurate or dependable?

Of course, the schools that made this year’s 2012 top 10 colleges ranking are undoubtedly superb schools–Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc. (you can probably fill in the rest yourselft)–but is there any such thing as the one, singular best college in the nation for every student?

Of course not.

There’s also something that smells a little fishy with the rankings. According to Michael N. Bastedo’s column in the Chronicle, the percentage of responders to the U.S. News survey is declining every year.

On top of this, there is a clear conflict of interest in how the rankings are produced. A huge percentage of the survey takers are college admission folks. Why would college leaders want to give positive evaluations to their competition? It’s like asking you to vote for your opponent in the student body president election.

Another issue is that rankings don’t necessarily mean that much despite the amount of significance we place on them. There are so many schools that are overlooked because they’re not as well known, a lot smaller, in stranger places, whatever the case may be, that leads them to be overshadowed year after year in the college rankings.

If you’ve created a profile on Cappex and connected with your college matches, you were probably pleasantly surprised at how some of your college matches are schools you had never heard of before.

So, yeah, rankings are super fun to look at. And I bet it doesn’t feel too badly to make the top ten list. But, when it comes down to choosing a college, college rankings barely skim the surface of how good school will be for you and your career.

How does this post rank in your blog post rankings?

How important are college rankings in your college decision? Leave a comment!

7. Princeton University

8. Pomona College

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

10. Mount Holyoke College 

Are you an activist for any cause? Would you want to go to a school with a lot of student activists?