Discus Awards

Scholarship search engines are great scholarship resources, but it often takes time for them to highlight new scholarships as they tend to do this in batches. This is why it can be helpful to bring in the human element, like we have in the upkeep of our Best List of College Scholarships.

Well, so too has Kristin Morris, blogging for ScholarshipPoints.com. The blog covers many topics from scholarship news to profiles of past scholarship winners, but my personal favorite feature is the new scholarships alert. This is a really useful weekly to bi-weekly article highlighting new scholarship opportunities.

I would definitely recommend following this blog. To see what I’m raving about, click here.

Filed under: Discus Dan • Blog of the Day • College Prep • Financial Aid & Scholarships

Evan Higgins is an inspiration to his entire community in New Jersey, and his story has the power to touch the entire country. Last year, Evan was tragically involved in a near-fatal car accident in which he suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. He was hospitalized for seven months, forced to relearn everything he’d ever been taught.

Once he was ready and able, he was moved to the Ronald McDonald House next to the hospital. Evan not only worked hard to make strides toward recovery at the Ronald McDonald House, but also he became a symbol of strength to all the children and parents who lived there by encouraging them to stay strong on their own path to recovery.

And even though Evan knew he would have to repeat the 12th grade, he walked with his class during graduation only five months after the accident occurred.

Evan was the captain of his high school’s swim team before the accident, and the discipline and determination he learned through athletics has provided him with a tremendous foundation that has helped him recover faster than he otherwise may have.

Learn more about Evan's achievements here.

Do you know an amazing high school student? Nominate them for a Discus Award today!

Filed under: Discus Dan • All-Around High School Students • Winner of the Day

From the department of “I wish I’d thought of that name” comes a blog focused intently on providing information on a variety of scholarship opportunities. Scholarship Man features about a post a week on a new or interesting scholarship opportunity. Unlike the FastWebs and Scholarships.coms of the world, the Scholarship Man provides in depth information on each scholarship including links to multiple scholarships within one scholarship program and suggestions for similar scholarships.

Just imagine if I were “Discus Dan the Scholarship Man.” Unfortunately for me Michael Turner, an instructor at a major university in Nashville, Tennessee and an experienced scholarship coach, claimed the title of Scholarship Man. However, thankfully for all of us, he has used that name for good – to provide us with detailed, up-to-date descriptions of lots of scholarships that you might be eligible for!

Click here to read the Scholarship Man’s blog and find your scholarships today!

Filed under: Discus Dan • Blog of the Day • College Prep • Financial Aid & Scholarships

A lot of scholarships are designed to reward students with either superb GPAs and test scores or the ability to write essays that pull at scholarship judges' heart strings.  College Toolkit now has a really cool feature that allows you to search for scholarships based on the activities that you are involved in.  In other words, you can be rewarded for excelling at what you enjoy doing most.

The Discus Awards are proud to honor students who are pursuing their hobbies and interests in a meaningful way, and translating their passions into great achievements within their activities.  When we see other scholarship programs or scholarship search engines rewarding students for pursuing what they love, we like to recognize them for their focus on all-around students.

To use this cool feature, you don't even have to register on their web site, although if you do you can save your searches and go back to them.

Just click here to find scholarships for your activities!

Are there specific scholarships you've heard of, aside from the Discus Awards, that reward students for their achievements in their extracurricular activities?  List them in the comments section!

Filed under: Discus Dan • College Prep • Financial Aid & Scholarships

It’s decision time! You’ve gotten into your favorite colleges and universities and now you have to choose one that you will attend in the fall. Before you make this decision let me remind you, as someone who’s been through college, the worst-case scenario is a bad semester and a quick transfer to a school you think you’ll like better.

The question you’re asking yourself when deciding where to go next fall should not be “What college is perfect for me?” Instead, you should ask yourself, “What college is the best fit for me?”

I like lists, so here’s a list of other questions you should ask yourself to help determine if a school is a good fit for you:

1) What do you do on the weekends?

a. Many big state universities and some smaller private schools have developed the reputation of being a “party school.” If you desire a quieter environment, a smaller liberal arts college may be a good fit.

b. Best Source of Information: Word of mouth. If you have older siblings or friends who are in college or recently graduated, talk to them about the schools you’re looking at. Most college kids are aware of most colleges’ reputations.

2) What do I want to study?

a. Your answer doesn’t have to be “Molecular Biology in Eco-Friendly Urban Environments.” If you have a general idea, say “Business”, than you’ll be able to compare the specific schools at the universities you’re considering.

b. Best Sources of Information: The universities’ web sites, Princeton Review, or U.S. News

3) Where do I want to go to college?

a. Do you want to be close to home? Do you want to have warm weather all year round? Do you want to be in a city, near a city, or far removed from all traces of civilization?

b. Best Sources of Information: Google Maps, Climate Zone, College Board, Cappex, YOUR OPINION!

4) Where are my friends going?

a. This is an important and oft-forgot question. I went to school with some acquaintances from high school, and came out very close with one. You have to decide if you want to go with your best friends, if you’d just like some familiar faces, or if you really want to go and meet a completely new group of people. The most basic advice I can give: by the end of orientation, you will likely know who some of your closest college friends will be, whether you’ve known them for 10 years or 10 minutes.

b. Best Source of Information: Your friends.

If you’re still struggling with this tough decision after reading this blog, here’s a fun little quiz to help ease your mind:

http://quizfarm.com/quizzes/new/foreversportiii/what-college-should--you-go-to/#

What else are you considering in your decision? What schools are you deciding between? Talk about your experience in the comment section or on our Facebook fan page!

Filed under: Discus Dan • College Prep • College Admissions