When students and parents first start searching for educational scholarships online, they’re often bewildered. As a scholarship advisor, I am often approached with questions like: “So, what’s the trick?” I wish I had the keys to a simpler, more organized version of the internet, but the truth is, I don’t. Blame it on the internet…
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Application Essay Tips [2019 – 2020]
Paul Soros was often overshadowed by his younger brother, financial wizard George Soros, but he was a millionaire in his own right. In contrast to George Soros’s success in the financial industry, Paul Soros made his mark on the world by innovating in the shipping industry, filing patents, winning several engineering awards, and innovating in…
Tips for Your Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program Application
Do you aim to improve the world? Would you like to earn your graduate degree at Stanford — tuition free? Then you may be an ideal candidate for Stanford University’s Knight-Hennessy Scholars program, a program that will cover 100 Stanford graduate students’ tuition for up to three years plus provide a stipend for room and…
Three Community-Based Scholarships That Will Change How You Search for Scholarships
The vast majority of first-time scholarship searchers believe they either have to be brilliant or belong to certain ethnic, racial, religious, or financial communities in order to qualify for merit, need, or identity-based scholarships. I prefer to think about organizations and individuals who have created scholarship opportunities as generous entities that wish to support people…
How to Perform an Effective Scholarship Search
Most students who are looking for scholarships start with a simple question: “Where can I find a list of scholarships that are perfect for me?” During my time at the UCLA Scholarship Resource Center, I used to swivel around in my chair and say, “This whole office is a list. So is the internet.” Though…
What Is a Scholarship? And Why Didn’t I Get One?
This time of year is the most popular time for students to start asking questions about scholarships. Admission notifications have gone out for most graduate programs, and offers related to financial aid packages, admissions-based scholarships, and teaching positions quickly follow. For many recent admits, the moment of admission initiates a series of raw moments in…
Making Sense of Those Financial Aid Awards Letters
Congrats! You have received multiple offers of admission to health professional schools. Any one of them would satisfy your educational goals. The question remains, though, of which of these programs will provide you with the best financial aid package. Do you need financial aid? Probably The most practical approach begins by understanding your financial needs….
Lining Up Letters of Recommendation and Searching for Fellowships
These are some steps that you can start working on well ahead of next winter’s application deadlines. When to Ask for Letters of Recommendation If you’re still in college, asking professors now to be your recommenders will be straightforward; the benefit of doing this early is that the professors who work in your field will…
The Personal Statement That Got Me a Large Scholarship to Cambridge
In October 2008, I submitted an application for a Masters program in Latin American Studies at Cambridge University. At the time, I was a bit lost in life; I was what they call a “super-senior” at UCLA, taking my last three General Education requirements during Fall quarter of a fifth year. I had already walked…
Awards! Grants! Scholarships! Oh My! [Episode 286]
Interview with Rebecca Lippman, Accepted Admissions Consultant [Show Summary] Accepted’s own Rebecca Lippman is a veritable fountain of knowledge when it comes to scholarships and grants, and in this podcast she shares tips on how to find scholarship opportunities and how to position yourself to win them. Everything You Need to Know About Grad School…
We Can Help You Pay for Graduate School!
While we’re not offering to foot the bill for you (sorry!), we are more than happy to share advice on how you can pay for graduate school abroad. Check out the recording of our recent webinar, How to Fund Your International Graduate Degree, during which Prodigy Finance’s Zack Hirschfeld discusses the steps you need to…
The Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Application Essay Tips
This post focuses on application strategies for pre-doctoral students and graduate student applicants to apply for three years of funding from the Ford Foundation through The National Academies of Sciences. What to Know About the Ford Foundation Fellowship Since 1936 The Ford Foundation, created by members of the Ford family, has turned what started as…
International Student Financing Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
While you’ll spend a lot of your pre-study time preparing your applications, it’s never too early to cast an eye on your finances. They’re a big part of international study and it’s easy to become confused or – even or worse – backed into a corner you don’t want to be in. A little time…
How to Understand the Relationship Between CoA and Visa Applications
You may have heard that you shouldn’t worry about financing until you get accepted. And, to some extent that’s true; the first hurdle is achieving that admit. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore the financing side of the admissions process – you’ll need to face it at some point, and the earlier you begin,…
Schwarzman Scholars: For Global Leaders Interested in China [Episode 267]
Gaining Leadership Skills & In-Depth Knowledge of China through the Schwarzman Scholars’ Program [Show Summary] Dr. Rob Garris, Global Director of Admissions for the Schwarzman Scholars Program, discusses the Schwarzman Scholars’ program and admissions policies. Through the program, participants from around the world earn a Masters in Global Affairs at Tsingua University in Beijing. The entire…
International Students: How to Finance Your U.S. Education [Episode 260]
Summary Brian Hoffman started Nomad Credit to primarily work with international students in helping them find and secure student loans, car loans, health insurance, and more. What many don’t realize is how difficult it is to secure credit in the United States if you don’t already have U.S.-based products, many of which you don’t even…
Schwarzman Scholars Application Essay Tips and Deadlines
Up to 200 Schwarzman Scholars will earn their Master of Global Affairs degrees from China’s prestigious Tsinghua University each year. Not only will Schwarzman Scholars receive free tuition, room and board, books, supplies, laptop, and cell phone, but their flights to China for the program and home after its completion are also included in this generous…
What are Interest Rates and APR? (And Why are They Important?)
Let’s face it: education is expensive. And that’s before adding in an international component. Few students can afford the cost of attendance with the money that’s sitting in their bank accounts – their bank, their parent’s bank, and the accounts of half a dozen close friends and family members. The chances are good that you’ll…
Sallie Mae: Student Loans with Options and Flexibility [Episode 222]
How are you going to pay for grad school if you don’t get a scholarship? Loans. Let’s learn about Sallie Mae’s student loan options. Our guest today is Charles Rocha, EVP and CMO of Sallie Mae. Charlie had over 20 years of experience at Bank of America, MBNA and NationsBank before joining Sallie Mae in…
Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans: Funding, Community for Immigrants [Episode 206]
Let’s learn about the $90K fellowships awarded by The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. Today’s guest, Dr. Craig Harwood, earned his BA in Music from Queens College and then a PhD in Music Theory from Yale University in 2002. Dr. Harwood went on to serve as the dean of Davenport College at…
