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by Agnes Jasinski

The latest group of Rhodes Scholars was announced by The Rhodes Trust yesterday, with 32 Americans chosen to receive two to four years of study at the University of Oxford in England, all expenses paid.  The Rhodes scholarships were created in 1902 through the will of Cecil Rhodes, who hoped to broaden leaders' minds by exposing them to different cultures, and the first group of Americans entered Oxford in 1904. It is now the oldest international fellowship offered, and the number of applicants who apply make it one of the most competitive academic and merit-based scholarships out there. This year, more than 1,500 students sought their college or university's endorsement into the program, and 805 received those endorsements, just the first step in the application process. The winners will enter Oxford next October.  So how do you apply for the prestigious award?

• Candidates for the award must be endorsed by their college, and any rules or deadlines regarding that endorsement will be set by your Rhodes Scholarship institutional representative.
• In addition to that endorsement, applications will require five to eight letters of recommendation, a personal essay, a certified transcript, a list of activities, photograph, and proof of citizenship. Deadlines fall in October annually, but as the process is involved, it's best to get an early start.
• Committees in 16 U.S. districts across the country invite the strongest applicants to appear for interviews, where questions will explore the information you've given on your application.
• Applicants are chosen based on the following criteria, set forward by Cecil Rhodes: high academic achievement, integrity of character, a spirit of unselfishness, respect for others, potential for leadership, and physical vigor. (You don't need to be a star athlete to fulfill that last criteria, just show a "fondness for sports.")

A group of international students is also chosen annually, with 80 scholars joining the Americans this year. If you're interested in an international experience but aren't interested studying at Oxford, there are hundreds of study abroad opportunities available in nearly every discipline, and nearly every country. Broaden your horizons, and know there are also study abroad scholarships out there to help you fund your time abroad.

by Agnes Jasinski

As opposition to the new Arizona immigration law only continues to grow, a new scholarship that would target illegal-immigrant students has led one Congressman to suggest that the school offering the award may lose federal funding as a result.

The $2,500 matching Tam Tran Memorial Scholarship is offered by the Santa Ana College Foundation, the fund-raising body of the two-year school. The award was created in memory of Tam Tran, a Santa Ana College and University of California-Los Angeles alumna who was killed by a drunk driver in Maine last month. Tran was enrolled at Brown University as a graduate student at the time of the accident.

According to a press release from the foundation, the award will be given to a student who excels academically, has financial need, and is working toward their American citizenship, as Tran was. Tran was a vocal supporter of the DREAM Act while she was a student at Santa Ana College, and testified before Congress in favor of passing the legislation. The DREAM Act would provide those students who are in the country illegally the opportunity to apply for permanent residency if they have graduated from an American high school or have been accepted into an institution of higher education. 

A recent article in The Orange County Register details the first negative response to the award, from California Congressman Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. Rohrabacher called the scholarship “unforgivable,” especially at a time when other, legal students are having a difficult time finding funding for rising college costs. The Congressman has already sent a letter to the president of Santa Ana College. In effect, the letter tells the president that if the school goes forward with the award, the move would put “continued public financing for Santa Ana College in jeopardy.”

Santa Ana College defends their decision by saying it is only fitting that the scholarship go to other undocumented students, the group Tran rallied for and supported as an illegal immigrant herself. As the award comes from the school’s foundation, it would also be driven by donations, not public dollars. What do you think about the award? Should schools be setting aside funds for undocumented students, even if they come from private funds? Let us know what you think about this controversial topic.

by Agnes Jasinski

More study abroad participants outside the kinds of majors that typically spend time overseas are going to places like Asia, Africa and Latin America, according to recent data from the Institute of International Education, with less growth in European countries that have traditionally been considered study abroad staples.

While Britain is still the most popular study abroad destination, the number of program participants there grew by only 2 percent over the last year, compared to 19 percent in China, nearly 20 percent in India, and 18 percent to countries in Africa, such as Ghana. An article in The Chronicle of Higher Education this week describes possible reasons for the trend. College students could be looking toward the future and are intrigued by technological advances in countries like India, as many of the new study abroad participants come from majors outside the usual liberal arts programs. (The number of math and science majors studying abroad increased by about 17 percent.) And signing up for a program in a developing country will cost a lot less than spending a semester in Western Europe.

Last year was a record year for study abroad programs, with more than 260,000 American students participating in programs across the world, an increase of about 8.5 percent over the year before. Why the increase? Looking at the kinds of programs that have seen increases could lead to some explanation. Study abroad programs in the health sciences increased by about 19 percent. At home, more undergraduates are interested in focusing on public health issues, which lends itself easily to study abroad programs. And economic problems in the United States have affected the global economies, making it less expensive to travel to many destinations.

The number of foreign students coming to study in the United States has also increased by about 8 percent over the last year, according to the Institute. The number of first-time international students rose even more, by about 16 percent. The increases were most apparent among undergraduate students, which is somewhat surprising as international students have traditionally come to study here for graduate programs.

If you're interested in studying abroad, don't assume you'll need to pay for a program out of pocket or increase your student loan debt. There are study abroad scholarships available to help you cover those expenses, especially if you’ve shown that you have significant financial need.

by Agnes Jasinski

If you're the type who'd rather report on the happenings of the NCAA Championship Game tonight than participate in them, this week's Scholarship of the Week may be of interest to you. The John Bayliss Broadcast Foundation has been awarding scholarships to aspiring broadcast students for more than 20 years, so if you're a junior or senior interested in communications, you could have a good chance to land $5,000 toward your college education.

The scholarship, named after long-time radio man and a former president of Gannett Broadcasting John Bayliss, is meant to bring more attention to the radio industry, which has taken a backseat to television broadcasting over the last several decades. The number of awards, which will be given in time for the fall 2010 semester, depends on the size of the foundation's annual endowment. And if you're interested in a communications field outside of broadcast radio, know that there are plenty of communications scholarships and journalism scholarships out there to help you cover college costs.

Prize:

$5,000

Eligibility:

Juniors and seniors majoring in broadcast communications who have maintained a 3.0 GPA or better are encouraged to apply. Although financial need is considered, students of merit with an extensive history of radio-related activities are given preference.

Deadline:

April 30, 2010

Required Material:

Applicants must provide one original and four photocopies of the scholarship application, available online. Applicants must also provide an official transcript, a resume (one original and four photocopies), three letters of recommendation evaluating their scholastic and personal strengths from people other than relatives, and a two-page, descriptive essay outlining their future broadcasting goals.

Further details about the application process can be found by conducting a free college scholarship search on Scholarships.com. Once the Search is completed, students eligible for this scholarship award will find it in their search results.

by Agnes Jasinski

In the wake of the first lawsuits filed against the Arizona immigration law, the University of Arizona’s President Robert E. Shelton released a letter Thursday describing the effects the law has already had on the school’s admissions.

In that letter, Shelton says administrators are worried about the international community on the school system’s campuses. He goes on to say the college will do whatever they need to do to keep the “health and safety” of those international students a top priority, and will put procedures in place to allow them the “free movement” they are accustomed to on the college’s campuses. Perhaps most significantly, however, Shelton describes how the law has already hurt the college on the admissions level:

“We have already begun to feel an impact from SB1070. The families of a number of out-of-state students (to date all of them honors students) have told us that they are changing their plans and will be sending their children to universities in other states. This should sadden anyone who cares about attracting the best and brightest students to Arizona."

The new law requires all immigrants in the state to have their alien registration documents or other documents proving citizenship available at all times, and allows police to stop and question anyone in the state suspected of being in the United States illegally. The law would also crack down on illegal day laborers looking for work and those who hire them. There has been a national uproar since the law was passed, with many concerned that the law encourages racial profiling against Latinos.

College students have been particularly vocal. A story on CNN.com today describes the mood on the University of Arizona’s Tucson campus. One student there, Francisco Baires, has been circulating a petition summing up students’ concerns with the new law. He and others plan to present that petition to the school’s president next week, and will ask him to sign it himself. Another student, Jessica Mejia, organized Immigration Awareness Week on the campus, which included a series of programs and informational sessions on the intricacies of the law and acted as a place where students could share their personal immigration stories.

Students outside of Arizona have protested the measure as well. Throughout the Denver area today, hundreds of both high school and college students will stage a walk-out in protest. Administrators at the schools and police departments are all in on the walk-out. Is anything happening at your high school or college campus related to Arizona’s immigration law? What do you think about the immigration law, and what has the mood been like at your school since it was passed?

by Alexis Mattera

Were you ever the new kid in class? What about the new kid in class in an unfamiliar country or culture? If this sounds like you, apply for our Scholarship of the Week: Clements International’s Expat Youth Scholarship!

This unique contest is for expat students who spend their childhoods moving between different countries and cultures. Simply create a two- to three-minute video explaining your favorite thing about your host country and its culture (if you have lived abroad in more than one country, please only select one), upload your video to YouTube then visit Clements International’s website to submit your entry by the May 13th deadline.

For more information on this and other scholarship opportunities, complete a free scholarship search today!

by Alexis Mattera

So you’ve found your dream college. The place where you’ll not only obtain the knowledge and skills to succeed in the real world but will make personal connections and precious memories to last a lifetime. As you take the appropriate standardized tests, schedule an interview with a member of the admissions committee and make sure your applications are in on time, you can’t help but begin counting the days until your acceptance letter arrives. The only problem is that you’re not the only one thinking these thoughts: Your competition has increased thanks to many colleges’ upping their marketing efforts abroad, specifically in China, to increase diversity on campus. And you thought finding a valentine was hard.

According to the New York Times, American institutions are seeing surges in applications from China, where a booming economy means more parents can turn their children’s dreams of American higher education into realities. At Grinnell College in rural Iowa, for example, nearly one of every 10 applicants being considered for the class of 2015 is from China. These applicants also display high test scores and exemplary grades but lack command of the English language (some families even hire agents to pen application essays) and access to Advanced Placement courses, making it difficult for the school’s 11-member admissions committee to determine who gets big envelopes and who doesn’t because they cannot be judged using the same standards as American applicants.

The confounding variables do not cease there – Grinnell is "need-blind" when considering American students but is "need aware" for international students, meaning an applicant could have an edge if he or she does not need financial aid and can pay full tuition – but the school does appear to be selecting the right applicants: About 84 percent of students who enroll graduate in four years and double major in subjects including math, science and economics. Do you think there should be different standards for U.S. and international students applying to college? Would you rather have greater diversity in your classes or a better chance of gaining admission to your first-choice school? Does this information impact the schools you'll put on wish list?

Scholarship opportunities for international students can seem few and far between. However, money is out there. If you want to study in the United States but are having trouble finding money for college due to your citizenship status, this week's Scholarship of the Week is for you. The myUsearch International and Undocumented Student Scholarship will award $1,000 to one student who is not a United States citizen but plans to attend college in America. All you have to do is register on myUsearch and complete a short scholarship essay to be eligible.

Prize: $1,000

Eligibility: International students and other non-citizens planning to study in the United States. Must begin your first semester at an accredited undergraduate institution on or before October 1, 2010, either as a freshman or a transfer student.

Deadline: July 15, 2009.

Required Material: Completed myUsearch registration, plus an essay addressing how the completion of a U. S. degree will impact your life, your family, and your home community.

Further details about the application process can be found by conducting a free college scholarship search on Scholarships.com. Once the search is completed, students eligible for this scholarship award will find it in their search results.

by Agnes Jasinski

Not everyone will be saying grace and sitting down to football and multiple helpings of turkey and pie on Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. Some of you will be spending the holiday in the dorms, or elsewhere on campus. Perhaps you're an international student who doesn't celebrate the holiday. Or maybe home is too far away to justify the costs of flying back for both the turkey dinner and winter break. You may then be wondering how you can make the most of your time off from class. Well, don't fret. You won't be the only one seemingly stranded, and there are on-campus alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving Day meal.

If you know of others sticking around for the holiday, consider getting together. Your college could be hosting Thanksgiving Day-related events for students like you who are staying in town. Or, if you feel like you'll be missing out on that home-cooked meal, consider a potluck with those other students to eat on a budget. You don't need to break the bank for a Thanksgiving meal, especially if you're sharing the duties, so look for tips on Thanksgiving on a budget. Pick up the boxed stuffing and canned cranberry sauce rather than making things from scratch like  Mom might. If you're in the dorms, consider checking out the Thanksgiving meal deals on campus. If you're really lucky, you've made a good enough friend who wouldn't mind having you over to their family's Thanksgiving. Don't be shy about taking leftovers back to the dorm, which you'll surely be offered if you play the "I miss home" card.

Take the time to get acquainted with your college. You've probably been in too much of a rush balancing work and college or getting used to larger loads of homework to appreciate what the student center has to offer, or that new walking path on the outskirts of campus. Explore your surroundings, so that you have plenty to share when your friends come back from their long weekends home.

Study at your own pace. You'll probably have finals week on your heels shortly after this mini-break is over, so take advantage of a quieter campus and emptier student lounges to get the bulk of your studying done before everyone comes back and the chances of procrastination and distraction are greater. Enjoy the time off, but try your best to be productive, too. You'll feel a lot less stressed than everyone else when they're cramming and pulling all-nighters before their big exams.

Don't forget about your family. If Thanksgiving is typically a big deal at home, but you just couldn't swing the costs of the trip, make sure you check in once in a while over the next few days. Chances are your family will be missing you just as much as you're missing them, and while you don't want to be moping around or hiding away in your dorm room the entire weekend, you want to make sure everyone knows you're thinking of them. Talk about how excited you are about the upcoming winter break, and your plans for your own alternative Thanksgiving Day on campus. It could be a pretty good time if you're a little creative.