When it comes to winning scholarships, geek
is chic. Often, a college scholarship
is not awarded solely based on major, academic ability, test scores, or athletic
talent, but according to a variety of criteria likely to indicate potential for
college success. Students who think creatively, express themselves well, and demonstrate
an interest in acquiring a great depth and breadth of knowledge are likely to stand
out in scholarship applications, as well
as the college application process.
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Students with unusual talents and interests often find themselves uniquely suited
to art scholarships,
writing scholarships, and a variety of other weird
scholarship opportunities. It makes sense. A typical scholarship contest
will seek applicants who stand out from the crowd, and some, like the weird scholarship
contests mentioned below, seek students who have spent their entire lives standing
out from the crowd. The scholarship applicants whose talents and interests have
already earned them school-wide recognition are likely to also receive recognition
from scholarship providers, especially where wacky or unusual scholarships
are concerned.
Free scholarship money abounds for students
with a penchant for the unusual. The hippie girl is going to clean up in
green scholarships and community service scholarships for all her high school activism. The guy who memorized
pi to 250 places is almost guaranteed some sort of
academic scholarship. Duct Tape Pants Guy and the girl hauling around a
battered copy of The Fountainhead can win thousands of dollars just for celebrating
their talents with a photograph or scholarship essay, as well. Even the sci-fi kids can win multiple weird
scholarship awards.
In addition to merit scholarships, scholarships for women, scholarships for minorities,
or other well-known categories, weird scholarships are also worth investigating.
If you have a weird talent, there might be a weird scholarship for it. The only
way to know is to look, so conduct a scholarship search,
check off all your "out there" interests in your profile, and start
finding money for college.
The American Society for Enology and Viticulture annually awards numerous scholarships to students pursuing a degree in enology, viticulture, or a curriculum emphasizing a science basic to the wine and grape industry. ASEV offers two scholarship programs: the ASEV Traditional Scholarship and the ASEV Presidents’ Award for Scholarship in Enology and Viticulture. The awards are not in predetermined [...] More
The Ouimet Scholarship is unique in that it is renewable for up to four years. Ouimet awards range from $1,500 to $15,000 per year, depending on financial need and ranking in our competitive evaluation process. The value of the award over four years can be $10,000 to $40,000 or more. Nearly 5,600 young people have received Ouimet Scholarships, and many have gone on to prestigious positions of [...] More
The LaFontaine Aquatic Entomology Scholarship supports graduate students (MS or Ph.D.) doing a research project in aquatic entomology. A resume, a short synopsis of the project, and a letter of recommendation from his or her faculty advisor are requested for each candidate. Nominations will be forwarded to the VP of Education and the Education Committee for recommendations to the FFI Foundation. [...] More
To qualify for the National Candy Technologists Scholarship, applicants must: be either a college sophomore, junior or senior for the upcoming academic year; have a demonstrated interest in confectionery technology; and, be majoring in food science, chemical science, biological science or related area. A minimum 3.0 GPA is also required. For more information or to apply, please visit the [...] More
Each year, the National Potato Council Scholarship awards a $10,000 academic scholarship to one graduate-level student conducting research for the benefit of the potato industry.
The winner is selected based on a number of criteria, including academic achievement, leadership abilities, potato-related areas of graduate study, benefit to the U.S. potato industry/commercial value, [...] More
The Collegiate Inventors Competition, a program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Invent Now is a national competition that recognizes and rewards innovations, discoveries, and research by college and university students and their faculty advisers. Students frequently come from science, engineering, mathematics, and technology studies, but the creative invention can emerge from any [...] More
The Evans Scholarship is a full tuition and housing college scholarship for high-achieving caddies with limited financial means. To qualify, caddies must meet the requirements of having a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character. Scholarship applications are accepted at the beginning of an applicant’s senior year of high school, as well as [...] More
Metallica, an extremely popular heavy metal band from the 80’s is recently enjoying new-found popularity and relevance with a new generation, thanks to the popular television show “Stranger Things”. Not only did they create the incredibly popular song “Enter Sandman” and “One”, they have also founded the Metallica Scholars Initiative. $100,000 in scholarships will be available for students studying in career programs through Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation (AWMH). [...]
When it comes to financial aid, there are two types that tend to be seen as the most desirable: scholarships and grants. But while most people are familiar with scholarships, grants are less well understood. [...]
With the fall semester almost ending, it’s a good time to apply for scholarships. Students can utilize their Thanksgiving break to apply for the scholarships listed below. Want more opportunities? They can also find a full list of November scholarships here. [...]
