Scholarships for Scholars

Scholarships for Scholars, Inc., is a nonprofit organization formed to reward scholastic excellence.  The scholarships are awarded to graduating students who attend Anne Arundel County Public Schools, other Anne Arundel County educational institutions that are in compliance with all requirements of the Maryland State Department of Education, and home schooled students registered with the Anne Arundel County Board of Education.  The applicant must physically reside in Anne Arundel County.  The awards are to be used by students toward tuition, fees, and books at the institutions of higher education (community colleges, four-year colleges or universities, and private trade and technical institutions) of their choice. 

Since the specific qualifications differ for each of the available scholarships, it is important that you read the attached directions very carefully and provide all of the information requested in your application packet. (See Mrs Rudder in College Counseling for an application packet.) The application, checklist, and scholarship requirements are also available for downloading and printing online here. 

**You may submit separate applications for a total of two (2) scholarships offered in Sections I and II of this packet. Applications which are not complete or do not meet all the minimum criteria as outlined in the attached packet will not be accepted or reviewed. 

By law, the results of CEEB Advanced Placement exams can not appear on high school transcripts.  Therefore, if you wish the results of your exams to be considered, you will have to provide that information as part of your Scholarships for Scholars, Inc. application(s).

Your completed application packet(s) must be given to the appropriate school official by the close of the school day on February 3, 2012.  Applications may not be submitted online.

We look forward to your participation in this scholarship program.  Successful scholarship recipients will be our guests at the annual Scholarships for Scholars, Inc., Awards Presentation on April 30, 2012  We wish you the very best.  Please contact Debra Hardie at 410-626-7013 or scholarshipsforscholars@yahoo.com should you have any questions.

College of the Week--Gettysburg College

With great appreciation for the enthusiastic and informative presentation of Darryl Jones (Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Gettysburg College) in our recent College Counseling Summer Workshop,  we are highlighting Gettysburg College for this year's first "College of the Week" post.

Link: Gettysburg College

Gettysburg College has earned its strong academic reputation. Since its founding in 1832, the College has upheld a rigorous commitment to the liberal arts in all their breadth and depth. On a beautiful campus in a world-famous town, 2,600 students discover their intellectual passion through more than 64 academic programs. There are no bystanders here. Students prepare for leadership through experiential learning opportunities, an extensive career network, and countless co-curricular, service, and off-campus study activities.

Accessible professors: 10 to 1 student-faculty ratio; average class size of 18.
Academic clout: Students come from more than 40 states and 35 countries. Recent grads earned Rhodes, Fulbright, and many other prestigious fellowships.
Career connections: A four-year career prep program and international alumni network lead to internships, externships, and careers. One year out, 95 percent of graduates are on a career track or in graduate school.
Small campus feel, big campus resources: music conservatory, professional performing arts center, state-of-the-art science center, Eisenhower public policy institute, Garthwait Leadership Center, and brand-new Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Fitness.
Historic setting near urban centers: an hour to Baltimore, 90 minutes to Washington, D.C., two hours to Philadelphia.

(**Don't forget--when it comes time to review your essays don't rely on Spellcheck. PROOFREAD!! Keep your essay off the Admissions Office Wall of Shame!  Great advice by Mr. Jones from an admiral's perspective!)

Calling all Seniors!!

 
College Counseling Summer Workshop: August 16th

Severn's college counselors will run two half-day workshops for members of the Class of 2012 on Tuesday, August 16, 2011.  Please let us know if you plan to join us by answering this quick survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V8KXYKT

There will be two identical sessions, one in the morning from 10 a.m. until 12 noon, and another from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. We will provide juice and donuts in the morning and pizza for all for lunch from 12 noon to 1 p.m.  Seniors can choose which session to attend according to what best fits their schedule, especially athletes who may have a morning or afternoon practice.

These sessions are not mandatory, but they are highly recommended. We intend to lay the groundwork for the policies and procedures students will need to follow to assure that the application process throughout the fall runs as smoothly as possible. There will be activities involving Family Connection and the Common Application, and there will be plenty of time for questions.  Please come prepared to take notes!

Additionally, we have invited a guest speaker, Darryl Jones, the senior associate director of admissions at Gettysburg College, to provide advice and exercises regarding the college admission essay. He will be present at both sessions.

The College Essay

Reprinted from the NY Times 5/20/11

Juniors: In the Quiet of Summer, Start Your Essays

By ALAN GELB

Mr. Gelb is the author of “Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps.”

In preparation for the senior year, most students try to plan their summers around some kind of résumé-building job, internship, coursework or community service, with the necessary stops along the way for beach and barbecue. Summer is also an ideal time to get the jump on your college admissions essay. These less hurried months before the onslaught of a highly pressured fall offer the chance for students to think, reflect and connect with a writing topic that can then be developed into 500 words of polished prose.

So how can you use the summer before senior year to your best advantage?
Here are half a dozen suggestions to keep in mind:

• Clear your head. Distractions like TV, texting, video games and Internet surfing can seriously inhibit inspiration. Once your school term is over, schedule some time away from those electronic diversions and find a park bench, rooftop, library carrel or some other quiet place where you can hear your thoughts bubbling up from deep down in your consciousness.

• Ask yourself exploratory questions. In looking for an essay topic, an excellent way to begin is by asking questions that can turn up some juicy conflict. Some examples: What has been the hardest thing I have ever had to face? If I had to quickly replay my life, which two or three moments would jump out ahead of all others? Which experiences have really pulled me out of my comfort zone? When have I ever felt pure rage? Write down your answers to these questions (trying to devise questions of your own as well) and, as time passes, note the answers you keep coming back to. There may be some fertile ground for an essay in those responses.

• Write it down. While we’re on the subject of writing things down, let’s make this the summer that you carry around a pad and pencil or some kind of wireless device to record your thoughts. Take it from this writer: if you don’t write it down, you’re bound to lose it.

• Familiarize yourself with the narrative form. Everyone loves a good story — particularly the overburdened college admissions counselor who has to read hundreds of student essays, too many of which view this assignment as an opening for self-promotion. It is far better to think of the college admissions essay as your chance to tell a good story. Stories are narratives, and narratives have formal elements, like a specific time frame, a point of view and a certain degree of conflict. Read some good stories this summer — not just sample essays — and be conscious of their narrative techniques. Where do they start? How do they end? What is the central conflict? How is it resolved?

• Enjoy yourself. These warm, feel-good months make it easier to relax, and approaching the college admissions essay with less anxiety is a good thing. In fact, it would be extremely beneficial to view this assignment not as an onerous task but as a creative act. In that vein, you’ll want to commit yourself to the work, accept the idea that your essay will evolve through a series of drafts and allow yourself to take some pleasure in the process. Who knows? You may even discover the joy of rewriting.

• Own your essay. Make an ironclad commitment that this is going to be your essay. No one should be permitted to write it for you — not a parent, not a sibling, not a hired gun. This essay needs to reflect your authentic voice, and perhaps making such a commitment is one of those things you’ll actually want to affirm, in writing, this summer.

It’s no mean feat to produce a powerful essay on a highly personal subject, but the good news is that we all have stories within us that deserve to be told. In the quieter, less pressured time of summer, those stories stand a better chance of coming into their own.