Local Scholarships can pay off!

Paying for College
1

<p>After winning close to $13,000 in local scholarship money at our high school's senior award night yesterday, daughter's first words to me were, "Thank you for making stay home and write those essays!"</p>

<p>She is referring to the weekend before most of these essays were due in mid-April. I told her that if she expected me to pay her sizeable tuition at NYU, that I expected her to put real effort into essay writing. She was told to cancel social plans until these essays were ready so they would make it to her guidance dept by the Monday deadline. Without really arguing, she cancelled all plans and got to writing. She had at least a dozen essays to do.</p>

<p>I know her friends thought I was very mean and controlling to put her under "house arrest". But I knew that as school president and with other leadership roles, she had a real shot at winning something. But only if she handed in the essays.</p>

<p>She cannot even remember what plans she missed that weekend, but was rewarded with:</p>

<p>NYS Leaders of Tomorrow Award (NY Lottery): $5,0000
Local Teacher's Union Award in a Teacher's memory: $5,000
County Guidance Association Award: $1,500
Local PTA Award: $1,100
Tri-M Music Award: $250
Another local Memorial Award: Will find out amount today</p>

<p>There were many qualified kids who didn't even apply for any of these! It seemed that a lot of the same kids were winning awards that required essays because the pool wasn't as large as it could have been.</p>

<p>My advice...your kids will survive if you make them miss a movie or two.
It can really pay off!!</p>

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<p>Wow, she is very fortunate (and your pocketbook!) I'd stay home ALL WEEK for $13,000!!!!!</p>

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<p>Awesome! I always told my son to pay particular attention to the ones that required essays as that is the reason a lot of those aren't applied for, which increases the chances of getting them. Congrats to you and your daughter!!</p>

4

<p>totally agree with OP; even if you only get a few of them...My D received only one ($500) but her BF, not at the top of the class by any means, basically stole the show.....Definitely encourage kids to apply; as OP said, many of the top kids don't even bother.....(and many of them are without demonstrated financial need.....)</p>

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<p>^^none were based on financial need! Even the New York State Lottery one was merit based only.</p>

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<p>Congratulations Uscoolfish!
Those $5000 scholarships are considering only $2500 from National Merit.</p>