Recent scholarship winner, Aryn M. from Gorham, Maine sure knows a thing or two about researching and applying for scholarships. After all, she’s taking home $2,500 as the recipient of the Cappex Butterfly Effect Scholarship in order to help her pursue her higher ed dreams.

So, we asked her some questions about herself and her college and scholarship search experience

What is your secret to finding and applying for scholarships?

My only strategy is to apply for any and every scholarship I am eligible for. You may not win everything you apply for, but I think the practice of filling out multiple applications helps you stay organized and streamlines the application process as you apply for more in the future. Scholarship directories like the amazing Cappex.com make it really easy to sort out which scholarships you are actually eligible for.

Why are you going to college?

Receiving a great education has always been a priority of mine. For me, college is a stepping stone to a brighter future. It’s important for securing a good paying job and mastering a subject area. But more than that, college provides great opportunities for networking, socializing, and learning to be independent. I look forward to learning not only from textbooks and professors, but from classmates, late night study sessions, and the unforseen challenges that go along with being an undergraduate student.

What was a “Butterfly Effect” moment in your college search- a point where something small led to something much bigger in the future?

Honestly, my butterfly effect moment was the instant I signed up for Cappex. I found the site using a search engine when I was a sophomore in high school, and thought it would be helpful for keeping me organized during the college search/admissions process. The site has introduced me to exciting scholarship opportunities and new college campuses that I would have never known about. Just the process of sorting out my schools, finding scholarships, and planning my visits put me far ahead of my classmates. I became so excited about the search process, I began searching schools and finding scholarships for my friends. Also, having a Cappex account made the application process so much easier- my activities were already organized and I knew exactly where I wanted to apply when it came time. Knowing that thousands of students utilize Cappex as a resource, I never expected to win a scholarship, yet here I am, a true Cappex butterfly.

If you could offer a younger student one piece of advice for the college search, what would you say?

Don’t be intimidated! There is so much stress surrounding the modern college search and students all over the country are ripping their hair out trying to find the “perfect school” and hoping that they’ll get in. The college search process should be fun. After all, colleges want you just as much as you want them. A college would be nothing without its students! This is your chance to pick the way you want to study for the next two or four years and you should freely exercise that right. You can’t let the fear of low SAT scores, a “bad” essay, or a low GPA keep you from receiving the education you’ve always wanted. There is a school and program for every kind of student with any sort of interest.

You can discover more scholarships from Cappex and beyond. Simply visit Cappex.com. And thanks again to Aryn for sharing her college and scholarship tips!

According to a new study by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), the ways that colleges teach science, technology, engineering and math – or STEM – degree programs must change if the U.S. is to remain competitive on the world stage, reports Inside Higher Ed. 

The PCAST report says that universities need to change the way they teach STEM majors if the president's goal of producing an additional one million STEM graduates is to be successful. President Barack Obama's goal of encouraging students to fill out college applications for STEM degree programs has been a focus of his education reforms.

"High ­performing students frequently cite uninspiring introductory courses as a factor in their choice to switch majors," reads the report. "Low­ performing students with a high interest and aptitude in STEM careers often have difficulty with the math required in introductory STEM courses with little help provided by their universities."

Although STEM majors can be challenging, students who complete these courses stand a much better chance of finding work after college than some other majors. According to data from the Economics and Statistics Administration, STEM graduates earn 26 percent more than graduates of other subjects, and job growth in STEM fields is expected to grow by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018.

President Barack Obama and his administration have made college completion an important part of their proposed education reforms. However, plans to increase the number of students graduating from two-year schools could threaten the open-door policy at many community colleges, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Under new plans by the president, community colleges could revise their admissions factors to try and improve the number of students successfully graduating. However, doing so could harm the open-door policies that make community colleges so accessible for students from economically challenged backgrounds, or individuals whose grades are not the best.

"These colleges also provide access to nearly half of all minority undergraduate students and more than 40 percent of undergraduate students living in poverty," reads a summary of a report by the American Association of Community Colleges. "The open door philosophy not only benefits students attending community colleges, but also benefits other sectors of higher education. Unfortunately, other members of the higher education community may not appreciate this role that community colleges play."

If you're thinking of filling out a college application for a two-year school, ask your admissions advisor about entry requirements. Although most community colleges have open door policies, this could soon change. 

Your senior year can be a challenging time. After you've submitted your college application, it can be tempting to take it easy until you start your degree. However, according to an article in The New York Times, slacking off after submitting college applications can hurt your chances in the long run.

Martha Merrill, dean of admissions at Connecticut College, wrote that many schools will want to see continued effort between submission of your college application and the end of your senior year.

"We expect the students we admit will continue to demonstrate the traits that distinguished them during the admission process throughout senior year and during the years spent on our campus," Merrill wrote. "If you can’t maintain that level of success during your senior year, you cast doubt on your ability to succeed in college."

As well as jeopardizing a potential offer of acceptance, slipping grades can hurt financially, too. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, some schools such as Wilkes University in Pennsylvania offer merit-based financial aid packages based on class rank.

It's hard to keep pushing yourself after submitting your college applications, but the hard work can really pay off. Don't give up, and strive to achieve the very best grades you can right up until graduation. 

In today's challenging economy, it's more important than ever to choose a major that not only interests you, but could help you secure a job after you graduate. According to The New York Times, many students at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study are choosing to customize their majors in new and interesting ways.

The school currently has around 1,500 students. Many of the individuals who have created their own majors do so because they want to study several topics at the same time. The college often requires that personalized degrees be multidisciplinary, and some students are studying as many as four subjects at a time.

College admissions officials at the school say that although some students are a little dramatic with their choice of titles – including majors in grand, romantic gestures and keeping it real – the actual qualifications themselves are usually well-planned.

According to the school's official website, the average class size is around 18 students and a personalized degree takes eight semesters to complete.

What do you think of this kind of program? Would being able to create your own major encourage you to fill out a college application?