TGIF, scholarship seekers. Can you believe another week has come and gone. We are nearing the end of the school year and that means it’s really coming down to crunch time to figure out your finances for next fall. Scholarships can play an essential part in anyone’s college financing — especially if you aim to pay for school without having to take out student loans. This week, I hope to make your search for scholarships a little bit easier by telling you about three great opportunities with upcoming deadlines: The $10,000 Ayn Rand Fountainhead Essay Contest for high school juniors and seniors, the SEED Scholars Program for southeast Asian youths, and the Six Flags Friends scholarship for community service contributions.
1. The Ayn Rand Fountainhead Essay Contest: $10,000
Open to high school juniors and seniors around the world, the Ayn Rand Essay Contest is seeking out the best essays on her classic work, The Fountainhead. Essays must be between 800 and 1,600 words and address one of the following three topics:
- Howard Roark refuses a major contract when he most needs it, claiming that his action was “the most selfish thing you’ve ever seen a man do.” (Ch. 15) Why does he call his action “selfish”? And why do other people call it “selfless”?
- Gail Wynand is a brilliant individual who rose out of the slums by means of his own talent and effort. But despite his reverence for man’s noblest achievements, his newspaper, The Banner, presents the most lurid and loathsome values. Why does Wynand pander in this manner? And why doesn’t Howard Roark?
- Choose the scene in The Fountainhead that is most meaningful to you. Analyze that scene in terms of the wider themes in the book.
Essays will be judged on style and content, including the ability to demonstrate an outstanding grasp on the philosophic meaning of her novel. A total of 25 prizes will be awarded, including one $10,000 grand prize scholarship; five $2,000 scholarships; ten $1,000 scholarships; 45 $100 finalist prizes and 175 $50 semifinalists prizes. Essays must be submitted online or postmarked no later than April 26, 2010, no later than 11:59PM, Pacific time. Winners, finalists, semifinalists and all other participants will be notified via e-mail and/or by mail by July 26, 2010.
2. The SEED Foundation’s Scholar Program: $ Varies
The SEED Foundation is dedicated to supporting the higher education endeavors of Southeast Asian youth. To date, the program has awarded $137,000 to 28 young men and women, making it the largest scholarship program for Indian youth. To qualify, you must be of Asian-Indian heritage with at least one parent of Indian ancestry and be a graduating member of the high school class of 2010. Additionally, you must have a minimum G.P.A of 3.0 and plan to be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in a U.S. university in the Fall of 2010. The application deadline is April 30, 2010.
3. Six Flags Friends Scholarship: $1,500
DoSomething.org and Six Flags Friends has teamed up to award college scholarships to young community leaders. A total of six $1,500 scholarships will be awarded to students with proven passion, commitment and leadership skills for community activism. Applicants must upload to the online application form information about their community project. The inclusion of videos or photos is recommended. The online application deadline is April 30, 2010.
If you would like to learn more about college scholarships, please visit the Financial Aid Finder’s section on scholarship information https://www.financialaidfinder.com/scholarships/ . Let us show you how to navigate the scholarship application process, write killer scholarship essays, take advantage of scholarship search engines, and win weird & unusual scholarships.
Good luck with your scholarship applications this week!
