FastWeb Scholarships List
Mood:  rushed
Topic: Scholarships

Scholarships: Amounts and Deadlines

Name	Amount$$	Deadline
AAA Travel High School Challenge	Up to $25,000	Varies
Ventures Scholars Program	Varies	Varies
AXA Achievement Scholarship Program	Up to $25,000	Dec 15, 2004
2005 Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarship Program	Up to $25,000	Jan 07, 2005
Most Valuable Student Competition	Up to $15,000	Jan 07, 2005
Young Epidemiology Scholars Competition	Up to $50,000	Feb 01, 2005
Bruce Lee Scholarship	Up to $5,000	Feb 28, 2005
Armed Services YMCA Essay Contest	Up to $1,000	Mar 12, 2005
Christian Science Monitor-NFWL College Freshman Award	At least $2,500	Jun 30, 2005
Horatio Alger National Scholarship	At least $10,000	Oct 01, 2005
Prudential Spirit of Community Award	Up to $6,000	Oct 29, 2005
Target All-Around Scholarship	Up to $10,000	Nov 01, 2005

 

Sample College Letters of Reccomendation
Mood:  sharp
Topic: College-General
Sample College Recommendation (One)

This letter is intended to serve as a college recommendation for Ezra Edlarruti. I have been acquainted with Ezra for four years but came to know him well last year, as he was in the one class that I taught, a thirteen-student junior English class.

Last spring, while he was singing the lead in "The Marriage of Figaro, " Ezra became especially interested in a short story that we read as a class, Albert Camus's "The Guest." It is a challenging story for any reader, and Ezra became interested in the subtleties of interpreting it, especially in the difficulties inherent in the translation of such a story. What did Camus really mean to say and how might his intentions have been compromised by its English translation? Ezra read the original, French, version of the story and then wrote a superb analysis of the compromises inherent in its English translation. His essay was flawless -- his wording apt, and his analysis insightful, logical and comprehensive. Some of our English faculty can't write so well.

Students and faculty often remark that Ezra is blessed with considerable talent. What many of them overlook is how hard Ezra works to cultivate his talent, whether it be the development of his beautiful voice for an operatic performance or of his writing skills as he works through an essay. I know of the effort that he put into book reviews of _1984_ and _Animal Farm_ because he shared early drafts with me. I also appreciate the time that he put into his analysis of "The Guest" because he stopped by periodically to share his enthusiasm for the project and his progress with it.

In over twenty-five years of teaching, I have known other students with talent equivalent to Ezra's. Many of them lacked his good nature and humility, and few demonstrated the genuine intellectual curiosity that Ezra has exhibited over and over -- a curiosity that is often accompanied by his excitement or enthusiasm for an idea, an author, a literary work or the lead role in a challenging operatic performance.

When I decided to set up a debate on Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience, " regarding the role of government in our lives today, in an effort to have the class appreciate more fully the contemporary implications of Thoreau's sophisticated essay, it was Ezra who was most helpful in creating a resolution that would lead to that appreciation. Ezra, to no one's surprise, then agreed to argue on any side of the debate.

Ezra is a motivated young man of numerous talents and considerable self-discipline. He is fun-loving, likable, enthusiastic, trusting and trustworthy.

Gary Youstis

Sample College Recommendation (Two)

To Whom It May Concern,

Alicia Stone is an exceptional young lady. Most everyone knows of her intellectual acumen, lofty ambitions, dancing abilities, and kindness - indeed, she is a sort of legend in her small hometown of Northfolk - but few know of the struggle Alicia endured during her middle years of high school. Alicia had a close friend, Lori, whom she had met at summer camp. She and Lori had grown very close during the first two years of high school.

During the middle of tenth grade, Alicia received news that Lori was suffering from a rare degenerative disease. It was terminal, Alicia was told. Alicia did not cry. She did not even take a moment to worry about how this might affect her. She simply called me, her principal, and asked if she could miss a few days of school, explaining to me the grave situation. I told her that, of course, she may miss school, provided that she make up her work, which she assured me she would, and which I already knew she would without asking.

Then, before she hung up, Alicia asked me to pray on her friend's behalf, and said, "I can go on without Lori - I have many friends and I will mourn but I have a wonderful life. Lori is suffering so much, though, and when it's all over, that will be it for her. And she is her mother's only child, how will her mom go on." I was so impressed that Alicia was thinking about everyone affected except herself: Lori, Lori's mother, but not Alicia Stone. Such maturity. Alicia knew she had a wonderful life, she had a strong Faith, but she felt for others so profoundly.

Alicia visited Lori often for several months, always bringing her cards and flowers and of course, good cheer. Lori finally passed away that Spring, and Alicia made sure to visit Lori's mother every week that following summer.

You will read of Alicia's grades and scores and sports abilities, of her awards and accolades; I wanted to relate this episode, as it characterizes what this remarkable young lady is really all about. As she graduates high school, I and all of Northfolk are so sad to see Alicia go, but realize that she is destined to effect great things far beyond the narrow confines of our small Rhode Island town.

Sincerely,

Taryn Decker
Principal, Northfolk High School

OU
Topic: University of Oklahoma
Visiting OU
The best way to experience the Sooner Tradition at OU is to visit. Contact us at (405) 325-2151 or (800) 234-6868 and we will be happy to arrange a tour. Tours are offered at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays (except holiday weekends).

Application Deadlines
If you plan to live on campus or seek financial aid, early enrollment and scholarships, you should submit your application as soon as possible at the beginning of your senior year.
Applications must be RECEIVED in the Office of Admissions by the dates below. A $40 non-refundable application fee is required of all applicants.
April 1 -- fall semester or summer session

November 1 -- spring semester


Automatic Admission Criteria*

Resident

An unweighted cumulative
grade point average of at
least a 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale)
and Rank in the top 25% of your
high school graduating class An ACT score of at least 24 and An unweighted cumulative
grade point average of at least a 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale)**

OR

An ACT score of at least 24
and Rank in the top 50% of your
high school graduating class**

Non-Resident

Unweighted cumulative
grade point average of at
least a 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale)
and Rank in the top 25% of your
high school graduating class


An ACT score of at least 26
and
An unweighted cumulative
grade point average of at
least a 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale)**

OR

An ACT score of at least 26
and Rank in the top 50% of your
high school graduating class**


High School Curricular Core Requirements for Residents and Non-residents
4 units of English
taken from grammar, composition and literature only

3 units of college prep math
Taken from algebra I, algebra II, geometry, math analysis, calculus, or Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics

2 units of laboratory science
(does not include general science, with or without a lab) one year of principles of technology may substitute for one of the lab science courses, provided that the student also completes a traditional lab science course
3 units of history and citizenship skills
to include one unit of American history and two additional units from the subjects of history, economics, geography, government, non-western culture

3 units of additional subjects
from any of the subjects previously listed or computer science or foreign language. Two years of the same foreign language will satisfy the University's foreign language general education requirement.

Coursework in music, art, drama or speech is also recommended.

Tuition and Fees
2004-2005

Tuition Estimator

Estimated costs
for the academic year
Undergraduate Students
(U.S. citizen & permanent resident)
Resident Non-resident
Tuition/Fees* $4,140 $11,658
30 credit hours
Room & Board $5,814 $5,814
Housing and Food Services (fall/spring)
Books $953 $953
Personal expenses $4,107 $4,107
Total $15,014 $22,532
Graduate Students
(U.S. citizen & permanent resident)
Tuition/Fees* $3,058 $8,614
18 credit hours
Room & Board $9,114 $9,114
Off-campus (fall/spring)
Books $953 $953
Personal expenses $4,104 $4,104
Total $17,229 $22,785

www.financialaid.ou.edu
www.fafsa.ed.gov
March 1, 2005 - Recommended FAFSA filing date for the following fall/spring semester
June 1, 2005 - File must be complete at FAS to be eligible for fall early disbursement
November 1, 2005 - File must be complete at FAS to be eligible for spring early disbursement

http://www.ou.edu/bulletins/html/03-06catalog.htm

OU School of Meteorology
http://weather.ou.edu/

B.S. Meteorology Requirements (pdf) Official degree sheethttp://www.ou.edu/bulletins/degree-sheets/metrlgy.pdf


Minor in Broadcast Meteorology with Journalism & Mass Communication (pdf) http://weather.ou.edu/pdf/minor%20jmc.pdf

Minor in Computer Science (pdf)
http://weather.ou.edu/pdf/minor%20cs.pdf

Residence Halls
Adams Center
Adams Center, with its four air-conditioned towers, provides many amenities. Each tower features 12 floors comprised of suites, two rooms connected with a bathroom. There are several lounges in the center of the residence hall for entertaining guests, studying, relaxing or watching TV.

Adams Center is home to the Housing Learning Center, sponsored by Housing and Food Services, which provides free tutoring to students. A variety of subjects are tutored and no appointment is necessary.

Adams Center conveniently houses Burger King, Baskin Robbins, and a branch of the United States Post Office.
2004-2005 Academic Year

RESIDENCE HALLS (Room and Meals)*
TOWERS (Walker, Adams, Couch)
Double $2,907
Single $3,762


SOONER SATURDAY
NOV 20 2004
visiting day

Prospective Student Tours
Tours for prospective students and their families are conducted Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. This tour program includes an information session that will answer questions about admissions, housing, scholarships, financial aid and campus life.

Individual appointments may be scheduled with academic departments and faculty. Advance notice (2-3 days) is required.

Tour reservations are recommended, but not required. Please call 405.325.2151 or 1.800.234.6868 or e-mail ou-pss@ou.edu to schedule a convenient date.

Basic Training Tips
Topic: USAF
If you have been to basic training, you will always remember your first day: lying in your bunk on that first night, thoughts rushing through your head, your mind scrambling as you tried to remember everything your Drill Sergeants taught you. Your muscles and mind were fatigued. On that first night, you felt helpless, alone and at the bottom of a very big hill to climb.

For those of you who are planning to enter the military, I will tell you this: Your first day will be the worst. You will be homesick in an unfamiliar environment, and you will not see an end in sight. This will be the time where you need to be mentally tough. Remember, take your days one at a time, because looking at the entire basic training period ahead of you will be very difficult.

In my book, the Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook, I interviewed many soldiers and wrote about their first day of basic training. After I wrote this chapter, I discovered something very important: No matter where these recruits went for basic training, their experiences were very similar, and encompassed basically the same aspects. In this article I will explain what others go through on their first day of basic training, and most likely what you will be going through. You'll also find pieces of advice to help you make your first day much more enjoyable.

The Pick-Up

This takes place after the Reception Process (when all your paperwork and medical tests are completed). A bus or "cattle truck" will pick you up. You will be packed in a crowded vehicle, and you may or may not have Drill Sergeants on board. If there are Drill Sergeants they will either introduce themselves, tell you to be quiet or ask you to sing the star spangled banner as loud as you can. Drill Sergeants look intimidating, but do understand, they cannot physically hit you.

Tip: Try your best not to show off or stand out at this point. There is always one person on that ride who tries to show he/she is different, and it doesn't bring the right results.

The Drop-Off

When the vehicle stops, you and the other recruits will be asked to get out as fast as you can. At this point, you may be asked to do a number of various exercises. For example, on my first day, when I got out of the vehicle they asked 150 other recruits and me to line up and place our luggage in a perfectly straight line, in alphabetical order, in under 3 minutes (which is 45 seconds in Drill Sergeant time). Since it's pretty much impossible for 150 strangers to know each other's names, we were forced to do exercises because of our failure to complete the mission. You will fail the first mission you are asked to accomplish; it is designed that way. The purpose of basic training is to turn you from a civilian to a soldier. In order to do that, you need to realize how difficult it is to become a member of the strongest military power in the world. You will be broken down, and built back up.






Tip: At this point, you need to show your Drill Sergeants you are capable of handling physical activity. Mentally prepare for physical activity when you wake up in the morning on the day you will meet your Drill Sergeants. Also, don't be let down when you fail your first mission -- that's what the mission is designed for, failure.

The Meet and Greet

After the exercises you will bring your luggage up to your bunk and meet the members of your platoon. You are all strangers now, but rest assured, you will know a little more -- maybe even more than you care to know -- about each and every member of that platoon when basic training is over.

Tip: I cannot stress how important it is to get the rest of the members of your platoon to like you. Don't order people around and don't be too passive; come off as a team player. You can accomplish this by asking each person in your platoon a personal question such as "Where are you from," "What sports do you like to play," anything at all. Personal questions show others that you're interested in them, and they begin to respect you because of that.

Lights Out

Despite your physical fatigue, you will probably have trouble sleeping on the first night. Your mind will be shuffling through many thoughts. Before you go to bed, make sure each member in your sleeping area is prepared for the next day. Often, recruits will need help preparing their uniform or finding certain items. Offer your assistance -- your favor will be appreciated, and returned in the future.

Tip: Keep the big picture in mind. Remind yourself why you joined the military, and how proud everyone will be of you when you return. Mental toughness is 99% of surviving basic training.

SGT Michael Volkin is the author of The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook. The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook is available in both book and e-book format at www.ultimatebasictrainingguidebook.com.