Elite College Scholarships Require Education Commitment In Early High School
Some 16,000 students throughout the country have been named 2011 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. The semifinalists were selected from a pool of about 1.5 million high school juniors. They represent, in proportion to graduating seniors, the individuals who scored highest on Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Tests within the states where they reside.
These scholarships are considered by some to be among the most prestigious of scholarships. To get to even the semifinalist level, students must also perform well academically throughout high school. Their high school principals recommend them for these national awards.
Past National Merit Scholars include Microsoft founder Bill Gates; former first daughter Chelsea Clinton; “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer; CNBC “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer; Amazon.com founder, CEO and chairman of the board Jeff Bezos; Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke; Actress Felicia Day (Vi in “Buffy and the Vampire Slayer”); and Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s.
Winners are chosen based on their achievements and skills, as well as how successful they might be in participating in demanding college and university studies. To get to the next level in the scholarship selection process, the semifinalists must work with high school officials to complete their applications. In addition to demonstrating leadership and involvement in activities within their schools and communities, the semifinalists are required to write essays and score high enough on SAT exams to confirm their previously provided PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test levels.
While the standardized test aspect of these awards has gained the criticism of some, more than 275,000 students have been recipients in the 55 years that these have so far been presented. The top prize of $2,500 is to be provided to 2,500 finalists. Some 5,900 additional Merit Scholarships are to be provided by outside organizations, colleges and universities. Winners are to be announced between April and July 2011.
Many colleges and universities rely on scholarships for merit as a means of drawing academically talented students. According to a 2002 report in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, merit scholarships can serve as motivation for students to place greater emphasis on their studies and can improve the quality of education. The report gave the example of Georgia’s Lottery-funded HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) scholarships and noted that African-American high school students with 3.1 grade point averages in core courses saw their average SAT scores rise by more than 20 points.
National Merit Scholarships are provided by the Illinois-based National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a privately funded, non-profit organization. The corporation also awards National Achievement Scholarships exclusively to high achieving African-American students. Each year, some 1,600 National Achievement Scholarship semifinalists are named from an entry field of more than 160,000. This year’s semi-finalists are expected to be announced on Sept. 29. A total of 700 National Achievement Scholarships of $2,500 are typically awarded, along with an additional 100 or so awards that are sponsored by outside corporations.
Students can combine their National Merit Scholarships and National Achievement Scholarships with other scholarships they might be awarded, but not with each other. To apply the funds to college and university studies, students must often select institutions that are accredited by nationally recognized agencies. The college scholarships are a reward for students who dedicate themselves to their studies and their future.
Advantages of a College Education
In today’s global economy looking for a job can be tough and getting one can be even harder. With so much competition for the few jobs that you are looking for can mean that competitors will go that extra mile to obtain that job and become a part of a workforce. So what can you do to open up more opportunities for your career in the industry that you want to work in?
How about a college education? Many consider a college education a great way to kick start a career in a chosen path. Colleges will provide you with the skills and knowledge that you need to start in the industry of your choice. Whist undertaking the courses you will gain knowledge and get experience from those who can be a great source of information.
A college education will provide you with many benefits over those who aren’t fortunate or do not choose to undertake such a qualification. One such advantage can be the availability of jobs. With stronger competition for jobs the employers can afford to be more selective and you may find that a higher education will give you the edge on any competition applying for the job. To a potential employer a completed college qualification will show them that you are able to study, complete tasks that have been set, meet deadlines and work towards and reach a goal. This allows them to see that you are able of undertaking long term work and stay on the job until complete. Some college courses involve working in a team and this will also show the employer that you are able to integrate well with others and work well in a team environment.
Undertaking a college course will also allow you to gain any experience that you might need with computers. The work place today is vastly populated with computers in various types of industries from admin assistant to architecture all of which use technology to drive the industry forward.
A completed college course also opens up the opportunity to work in many fields that are just not open to those with out a college education. This is not to say that college provides you with the only way in to an industry but it will certainly open up some doors that other wise will remain locked with out one. Many careers that involve science or engineering require a qualification that shows you are able to undertake such work and alongside practical experience the chance of obtaining such a job becomes far more realistic.
Salary benefits are also something that draws people to a college education. People with a recognised qualification can climb up the ladder in a company, usually faster than those without any such experience as this can show you are willing to work hard and focus on the task in hand.
Through these few points it is easy to understand why people are opting for a college education. It’s a great was to gain experience and the knowledge that is needed to enter a certain industry and allows any potential employer to see how committed you are to the industry you have chosen to work in.