Discus Awards

'Tis the season of giving, and what better to give than your time to those who need it most?  Alas, there are so many areas of need in each of our communities, sometimes it's hard to decide how to best donate your time.  Well, we asked Discus Award winners, some of the most involved, community-oriented high school students in the country for some advice, and they shared some ideas for community service activities to participate in this winter.  Feel free to use this as a resource, but remember, no matter what you end up doing, you can make a difference!

 Sarah Dills: "Ring the bell for the Salvation Army, volunteer at a soup kitchen, and/or collect food and clothes donations for a homeless shelter."

 Ashley Glamdoll Nichole: "Put together toy and clothes baskets and deliver them to children who are less fortunate."

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Filed under: Discus Dan • Outside the Classroom • Volunteer Here

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

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. 

There are many false ideas about what colleges and universities value in the decision process, from high school quotas to overloading on extracurricular activities. At Northeastern University, our primary goal in admissions is to seek out and build a talented and diverse student body that is best suited to take advantage of a Northeastern education. The key to Northeastern’s strength is experiential learning, or the dynamic integration of classroom study and work outside the classroom. With one hundred years of global leadership in the integration of study and practice, Northeastern offers an unparalled method of education that leads to infinite personal and intellectual growth.

Since experiential learning is at the heart of everything we do, we look for students that are engaged and successful in and outside of the classroom. Our admissions counselors seek students who don’t just see the world, they are shaping it – whether it be through involvement within the community, engaging in social justice activities in high school, or participating in international experiences that engages the diverse cultures and world beyond your doorstep.

You can start by getting involved in a couple of activities that interest you. We want you to enjoy high school and take advantage of the opportunities to explore, learn and experience new academic subjects, activities and friendships. Most college admissions officers are more impressed with students who have pursued coursework and activities based on genuine interest over those students who are simply motivated by what they think will look good on their college applications. Spend your high schools years clarifying your goals and values; working hard to earn the grades that will place you in the best position to achieve your dreams; and developing the interpersonal and leadership skills consistent with your aspirations.  ...continue reading

Filed under: Dean Turner • College Prep • Outside the Classroom • The Extracurricular Experience • College Admissions

I want to introduce you to a new award for video game players created by Boy Scouts of America. Scouts can now be awarded a belt loop and academics pin for playing video games. This brings a whole new point to the popular argument that video games can be educational, it also means that video games are becoming more mainstream.

Available to the Tiger Clubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts, each scout must meet specific requirements to earn the award. To win the belt loop, there are three requirements that must be met. One of the requirements is that the scout has to learn how to play a new video game. Imagine not having to do chores because your parents knew you had to play video games all day for an award.

To earn the academics pin, they must have obtained the belt loop and meet five of nine additional requirements. Some of these requirements are quite fun. For example, in one requirement they have to teach an adult or friend how to play a video game. You can tell your grandparents to set aside their backgammon board game because it is time for a lesson in video games!

For more details of the requirements go to their video games award page. It is always exciting to see awards that recognize students for skills beyond good grades and test scores similar to the Discus Awards.

Filed under: Johnny 5 • College Prep • Outside the Classroom • The Extracurricular Experience