College Xpress Scholarship Contest
There’s no denying that the cost of college is on the rise. According to the College Board, the total annual cost of attendance (tuition, room, board, and fees) of private, nonprofit four-year schools jumped from $46,990 in 2017-2018 to $48,510 in 2018-2019 with the list price of many elite schools soaring to well over $50,000 a year. Scholarships are a great way for college-bound students to reduce the cost of higher education, and scholarships such as the College Xpress Scholarship Contest offer an easy way to lessen the expense.
About College Xpress
College Xpress is a website operated by the education publisher Carnegie Dartlet. In addition to maintaining the website College Xpress since 1995, Carnegie Dartlet has published the magazine Private Colleges & Universities since 1986 and the Winter Orchard House college guides since 1978. College Xpress helps students research and plan for college, providing them with information and advice articles, college lists and rankings, and a variety of search tools.
Every year, College Xpress chooses a winner at random and awards them a $10,000 scholarship!
College Xpress Scholarship Contest Applicant Requirements
There is no application required to be considered for this scholarship. To qualify, a student simply needs to register on the CollegeXpress website or fill out a response card found in one of Carnegie Dartlet’s magazines. The winner of the $10,000 scholarship is chosen in a random drawing. In order to apply their scholarship, winners are required to be matriculating in one of College Xpress’s member colleges for the first time as a freshman or full-time transfer student in the fall. Here is a comprehensive list of College Xpress’s member colleges.
How to Apply
As mentioned earlier, there is no application required to qualify for this fantastic scholarship. There are some restrictions, however, the most notable of which is that entries are limited to one per person and applicants are allowed to apply using only one of the methods, either registering online or filling out a response card.
Tips for Winning Scholarships
One of the best things about the College Xpress Scholarship Contest is that it offers college-bound students a low-effort chance at minimizing their college costs. The drawback of the College Xpress Scholarship Contest is that an applicant’s odds of winning are likely similar to a lottery ticket or a scratch card. Students who are serious about winning awards and lowering college costs can take the time they saved thanks to College Xpress’s quick-and-easy registration process and devote it to applying for more rigorous scholarships. Keep reading for a few tips to increase your odds of winning scholarships that require an application.
Though it might sound simple, meeting deadlines can be one of the most challenging aspects of applying for college scholarships. Unlike the College Xpress Scholarship, many large programs typically require students to complete a supplemental task such as writing an essay, acquiring letters of recommendation, and often submitting financial information. Getting all these documents collected and submitted on time is essential to winning awards. Be sure to provide adequate time to nominating teachers, counselors or coaches so that they too can submit any forms or recommendations by the specified deadline.
Students applying for scholarships need to be diligent. In addition to knowing due dates, students also need to familiarize themselves with the rules of each scholarship and make sure they follow them—this includes making sure that all the information they submit is formatted correctly.
Speaking of making sure that a scholarship application is submitted correctly and that follows the scholarship’s guidelines, students should also take special care to ensure all the information submitted is correct. After all, you don’t want to miss out on a big award because you misspelled your email address. If the scholarship you’re applying for requires an essay, proofread it thoroughly, then have a grammatically proficient teacher, advisor, or parent proof it as well for grammar, spelling, and flow before submission.
Applying for a scholarship often means a student is opening themselves up to examination. While the application and essay are commonly the basis of a student winning or losing an award, there is a good chance someone on a scholarship’s selection committee will also look at applicants’ social media profiles. Now is the time to clean up those profiles and delete anything that could be perceived as damaging or potentially affect your odds of winning. Similarly, if you don’t have a professional-sounding email address, now is the time to create one—even if you only use it apply for scholarships.
Just as applicants want to present themselves in the most positive light digitally, they should strive to do the same through their application and essay. Before filling out forms or writing your essay, create a profile highlighting your achievements, awards, and activities. Use this profile to keep you on topic and focused when applying for scholarships and to ensure you shine a spotlight on your most notable qualities.
Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!
