Discus Awards

Ronne Turner is the Associate Vice President of Enrollment & Dean of Admissions and Marketing at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.  She also authors the blog Northeastern Admissions: An Inside Look. 

Congratulations on making it through the first half of the junior year! Hopefully you had a successful semester with your activities, athletics and in your classes. As you probably know, your performance in your junior year courses is critically important in the college admission process. College admissions committees focus on these grades as it is the last full year we are going to see when making a decision on your application. Even though the committee will see your first term or even your mid-year senior grades, these grades only reflect a short period of time. It is important that you continue to do your best!

In the meantime, you may have already begun to hear from colleges about their programs and inviting you to visit their campuses. You may even have heard from Northeastern University already! How did we get your contact information? You gave it to us. When you registered to take standardized testing like the PSAT, you indicated you would be willing to receive information from colleges.

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Filed under: Dean Turner • College Prep • College Admissions

Don’t have a 4.0 GPA? Don’t worry. There are a number of merit scholarships available for those who don’t have the highest grades or test scores.

If you excel in multiple areas, the Discus Awards College Scholarship might the scholarship for you. The Discus Awards College Scholarship provides $2,000 each month of the school year to one Discus Award winner. Discus Award winners are all-around high school students who excel in three of the ten Discus Awards attributes. Whether you’re an artist, academic superstar, and tech guru, or you’re a community service leader, green ambassador, and entrepreneur, the Discus Awards College Scholarship can help you find money for college.

If you’re very involved in your community, a community service award might be for you. The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors young people who have made a significant difference to people in the community and to our planet. Twenty-five young leaders are honored each year nationwide. Half of the winners focus their efforts on protecting the environment, while the other half directs their efforts on their communities and fellow citizens. Nominees must have led a remarkable activity that has proved beneficial either to other people, the community, or the planet.

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Filed under: Live 'n' Lauren • College Prep • Financial Aid & Scholarships

Patti See is a Senior Student Services Coordinator and teaches developmental education and women's studies courses at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. To learn more about Patti, visit her About the Author page.

1. Don't be afraid to tell people what you think. Be straight forward with your professors, classmates, friends, and family. Relationships can be confusing enough, especially without people saying what they really mean.

2. Listen more than you talk. Everyone loves a good listener, and you’ll do better academically, personally, and professionally.

3. Say hello to one new person every day—and really mean it. Most people will respond positively to a friendly smile and a hello.

4. Do at least 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity a day. It will reduce stress and keep you fit.

5. Watch what you put into your body. Junk in means you'll feel like junk.

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Filed under: Patti See • College Prep

Maria Pascucci is a national student leadership speaker, author and the CEO of Campus Calm™. If you’re tired of stressing over school, you can join the club … literally! Unite with students around the world at www.campuscalm.com and receive your free Student Leader Success & Happiness Kit. Learn more about Maria on her About the Author page.

It's that time of year when college-bound high school students start preparing to take that much-anticipated, and sometimes feared, SAT I. Maybe your parents hired you a tutor or perhaps you're enrolled in an SAT prep course. Or maybe your family can't afford test prep help so you're studying solo. You're probably aiming for a good score so you can get accepted into the college of your choice; some of you Ivy League hopefuls may be shooting for a near-perfect score to beat out the stiff competition. That one test can equal a whole lot of pressure. Before you work yourself up into a full-fledged anxiety attack at the mere mention of the word "SAT" or “ACT”, consider this:

The National Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest) lists over 830 four-year colleges in the United States that do not use the SAT I or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor degree applicants. That's right, over 830 colleges! Many of these schools are fantastic schools, colleges where you can earn a great education. Click here for more information. Look no further than the Discus Awards to see how society is beginning to shift the focus from grades and test scores to the whole you.

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Filed under: Maria Pascucci • Campus Calm • College Prep • Outside the Classroom • College Admissions

Alex writes for Internships.com, a destination site which helps students find college internships, prepare for work opportunities and discover their career interests.

You’ve probably got a lot on your plate now. Between college applications, midterms, extracurricular activities and — oh, yeah — trying to enjoy the end of high school, this fall is pulling you in a lot of different directions. But there’s one more thing you should keep in the back of your mind, even if you’re not ready to dive in just yet: Work experience may play even more of a role in landing your dream career than which college you attend.

Internships are a great way to fortify your resume and make connections at some industry-leading organizations, and with record unemployment levels among recent graduates, students are starting them earlier than ever to distinguish themselves from the pack.

So, what is an internship? Basically, it’s an arrangement in which an organization trains a student in its line of work. The intern takes away valuable resume-building experience, and the host is able to test out future talent. Internships can be paid or unpaid, but in many areas, the law mandates that unpaid internships must at least be redeemable for college credit.

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Filed under: Alex Braun • College Prep • Now Hiring • Outside the Classroom