<p>I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the ACF Visionary Scholarship. I applied and have just finished my essay. I got a call from them and they had an over the phone interview/resume. I have now been asked to meet with the person in person with my parents. They said that it would be about things I "don't know about paying for college". I really think it is kind of stupid because counselors at school talk to us about it all the time and I have researched about lots of scholarships. I just don't understand why they want to talk to me about it. I just feel like they think I am clueless when I'm not really that clueless. Has anyone else had any experiences with this foundation or scholarship?</p>
<p>Just from looking at the website, my scam radar is pinging loudly. It looks like they give out a few thousand dollars in scholarships each year as a come-on to sell some kind of advisory services to the applicants. That would certainly explain why they want to discuss “what you don’t know about paying for college”. Let us know whether you get a sales pitch at the end of your interview.</p>
<p>Well, which of us older folks hasn’t put up with at least one sales pitch in order to get a “free” weekend at a co-op resort? Looks like some of the scholarships are as much as $5000. Seems like that might be worth listening to an hour’s sales pitch . . .</p>
<p>Just make sure your folks know what you’re getting them into. And please do report back here afterwards and let us know what happened.</p>
<p>It’s one thing to listen to a sales pitch when your “free” weekend is guaranteed, another to listen to one when you are one of who knows how many applicants vying for a small handful of scholarships (one $5000 award and six $1000 awards in 2012).</p>
<p>I actually just went today to that “interview”. The man was full of bull. He was dishonest with us. I plan on going to a nearby school and I know for a fact that the average cost for that school is 6000-9000 a year. He told us it costs 20,000 a year and claimed he did these estimates with my intended major not including room and board. I have a friend majoring in what I plan to major in next year and she is going to pay about 7500 for the year(including books, but not room and board). So I know he was just trying to scare us into falling for his scam. He wanted us to pay 1,695 to help me get scholarships. It was just very sketchy. So we did not go for it. I am disappointed that the ACF Visionary scholarship gave my information to this company because now I keep getting phone calls from several organizations like this from different parts of the US. I have recieved calls from Oregon, California, North Carolina, and Arkansas.</p>
<p>Also, room and board at this college is a little over 3,000. So there is no way that his estimates are correct.</p>