Here's my application:

I did put a fair amount of thought into it, but one can only worry so much about something when you've only invested 140 characters in it. (In my case, I believe, 139.)

Now, what exactly is the motivation for completing this scholarship? Let us count the ways:

Since Twitter is still such a new medium, we hoped that by creating a scholarship around it we could help encourage further thinking about how to leverage it. That is why we're giving $1,680.00 to college students who uses Twitter.

• $1,400.00 Winner
• $140.00 First Runner Up
• $140.00 Second Runner Up

If those aren't 1,680 good reasons to spend a minute and consider writing a scholarship app here, I don't know what else could convince you. So without more discussion here about Twitter, go ahead and write something!

Requirements:

• Currently attending full-time in post-secondary education; and
• If you win, you must be willing to allow us to list your name, your picture, and your twitter username, and your winning Tweet on CollegeScholarships.org.

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*(Disclaimer: I did apply for the scholarship, but even if I hadn't, CollegeScholarships.org is run by really nice people, at least as far as I have interacted with them. I wish everyone in the Higher Ed space were as nice! I guess being popular is easier when you give away money, too.)

The program I originally envisioned would be specifically linked to an effort to promote the development of new resources for students in the college admissions / higher ed marketing spaces. I remember how frustrating and painful college admissions was--that's why I started this blog, and why I continue to work to try to make things better. With my younger sister (now 15) just gearing up to apply to college, and the demographics and admissions figures ever-worsening, there is no better time for a scholarship like this one which will hopefully bring us all some really great new ideas. I am going to work to make sure that the best of these suggestions received get heard by schools.

The scholarship is open to fall '08 freshman and those students applying for 2009 (important update as of 5/22!). pursuing an associate or bachelor degree at an accredited U.S. postsecondary institution with a combined household income of $100,000 or less. If that describes you, apply today! If it doesn't, tell a friend for whom it might be applicable. More rules and instructions after the break in this post.

I will be involved in the judging, and personally I would encourage participants to write about ways that new technology (especially the internet and new media) could help improve the college admissions / higher education process -- basically, I'm hoping to see some really great stories and ideas which will then be put into action convincing colleges to make these reforms happen!

I originally wanted to organize a scholarship from the ground up myself, but it turns out that this is quite tricky! Having myUsearch administer the scholarship proved to be a good alternative. I do want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who were ready to put money on the table for my proposed scholarship, and I would say that I hope to be able to do more in this direction, long term. This is going to be a great start.

More details in the days ahead! Complete Press Release and instructions below.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:

Elizabeth Kudner, myUsearch, LLC

303-975-6857

ekudner@myusearch.com

myUsearch Announces Scholarship for Students Frustrated With College Admissions

College matching service, myUsearch.com, will award a $1000 scholarship to the student with the best ideas to improve college admissions

(Boulder, CO.) May 7, 2007 – As high school seniors approach graduation, students and parents can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The college admissions process is finally over. Those countless hours spent agonizing over SAT scores, college essays and admissions standards have finally come to an end. Unfortunately, getting accepted to college is only the first battle…figuring out how to pay for it can be even worse. To numb the pain, myUsearch has launched a college scholarship that asks students to tell the story of their excruciating college admissions process and suggest ways for colleges to make it better.

Last year’s college admissions were reported to be more competitive than ever. The acceptance rates at Yale, Harvard, and Columbia fell below 10 percent for fall 2007 admissions and state schools are becoming much more difficult to get into. This has left many students with shattered dreams and dimmed expectations for the 2008 school year.

“The college admissions process has this smoke and mirrors aspect to it”, says Derek Kraus, founder of myUsearch. “Students have to jump through hoops and they are often left with no idea why they did or did not get in to the college of their choice. By offering this scholarship, we will give students a forum to voice their frustrations with the application process, and hopefully this will start the dialogue needed to convince schools to make the appropriate changes.” This 1000 dollar college scholarship will be open to students starting college in 2008. The scholarship is financial need based, requiring a household income of less than 100,000 dollars. To apply for this and any other open scholarships, students must complete the myUsearch questionnaire and meet the requirements of the available scholarships.

About myUsearch, LLC

myUsearch, LLC is an unbiased online resource dedicated to objectively matching students to schools and providing fair and accurate college enrollment information. The myUsearch Smart Questionnaire determines the needs of students in order to accurately match them with any of the 3,400+ colleges in the company database. The myUsearch blog offers an honest view of colleges and the college enrollment process. myUsearch offers students a completely honest and objective match by providing the names of matching colleges regardless of their willingness to pay for a listing, and allowing only the schools that match the students’ criteria to contact them. For further information, please visit www.myUsearch.com.

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Scholarship Application Instructions

There are a few things you need to know before you start the scholarship application:

1) You must first complete the myUsearch questionnaire (www.myusearch.com).

2) After you complete the questionnaire, you can start the application at anytime. You will be emailed login information to allow you to login to “my prior search” and begin the application.

3) ONCE YOU START THE APPLICATION, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE IT TO COME BACK TO IT.

4) For financial need based scholarships, applicants will be asked to certify whether they meet the income requirement. If selected as a finalist, the applicant will be required to provide a copy of their 1040 tax form. Any applicant that cannot provide this information will be disqualified.

4) Since you will be required to write an essay for the scholarship, we recommend you prepare the essay BEFORE YOU START the application.

Scholarship Essay Questions:

College Admissions Reform Scholarship:

You will be asked to compose an essay of 1000 words or less that answers the following questions:

What has been the most frustrating part of your college admissions process? Why is it important for colleges and universities to change this? What suggestions do you have for colleges and universities to try to relieve your frustration and the frustration of your fellow students?

If you have any further questions about the scholarship, please email info@myusearch.com.

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