If you already sent in your college applications, search for those colleges. Make sure you know of all available scholarships. Someone has to win this money, why not you?

If you are not a high school senior, reviewing this list can help you find where the big scholarships are located. You can start preparing now to make yourself a qualified candidate (for example, some are awarded based on SAT scores or community service work).

Here are just a few examples:

• Did you know that the State University of Brockpor in New York gives $4,500 away to qualified freshmen, and that amount is renewable for three years? This is one of several scholarships offered!
• Texas A and M is offering a truckload of scholarships, including freshmen scholarships ranging from $4,000-$10,000 based solely on SAT/ACT score (no separate application required!!) These scholarships are also renewable!
• At Eastern Illinois University, top students can get FULL FOUR-YEAR PAID TUITION for high ACT scores and class ranking, up to a $40,000 value.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit NextStepU for the full listing!
Search by region, the colleges are list alphabetically.

Happy (scholarship) hunting!

I’d worried, of course, that we’d lose touch. The two of us were part of a small group of friends who liked to do everything together and she was the only one of us who ended up going out of state. What exactly would we have to relate to anymore when she was practically on her own planet?

The answer, friends, comes from “The Necklace” (capitalization necessary). Taking inspiration from one of the greatest young adult books and movies of our generation, “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” my five other friends and I hatched a scheme that would keep us in contact better than any of those other suckers who had only Facebook between them. Our idea: a traveling necklace. But not just any necklace, no, if we’re going to be cheesy we might as well go all the way. We bought a heart-shaped necklace at Things Remembered and engraved “Wish You Were Here” with stars on the back so that the wearer would never forget where it came from (aww). The necklace was to be passed among the six of us, each taking it for a couple weeks at a time before sending it on.

We got to thinking though, how is a necklace going to tell what we’ve been up to since we’ve had it? It was then that we added “The Journal,” a flowery, girly number from Target in which we highlight our greatest accomplishments, our saddest failures and our most unforgettable experiences. Some entries are funny, some are serious, but they all are distinctly us. I couldn’t ask for a better group of friends to keep in touch with and I know that the (actually hand-written!) memories that we shared will be topics of conversation long after we graduate.

You don’t have to be as lame (or extremely cool, whatever you think) as my friends and I are by passing around a necklace across the country. The moral of my story really is just to remind you all that even though it might seem devastating that you and your friends will be going your separate ways when going off to school, sometimes getting away can bring you all closer. So, keep in touch and don’t forget where you came from.

Until next time,

Laura the Intern
@NextStepU on Twitter
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/NextStepU
E-mail me at writer@nextstepu.com

I’m a junior at Nazareth College, a small liberal arts school in Rochester, NY, and I’m majoring in Communication with minors in Graphic Design and Digital Marketing and Design (it’s a mouthful, I know). Over the course of the next couple of months I’m going to be using this blog to talk about some of my college experiences, but I’m also going to be here to interact with you guys and answer all of your burning questions or concerns you have about going to college! (Seriously, though, ask me anything).

If you want to reach out to me, you can e-mail me at writer@nextstepu.com or send me a message on NextStepU.com’s online forum (my username is InternLaura).

I can’t wait to start answering your questions and start sharing my experiences with you!

Your college mentor,

Laura

For participating, Eleeza will receive a copy of The Anxious Test-Taker’s Guide to Cracking Any Test, by The Princeton Review.

All Eleeza had to do was show NextStepU some love on one of our social media sites. Eleeza gave us a shout on twitter @NextStepU (#freebiefriday) and was entered into our random drawing.

Eleeza- please email your address to editor@nextstepu.com and we will send out your book!

NexStepU does a monthly giveaway, stay tuned to our blog for the next one! You could be our next winner!

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Office of Campus Life prepares co-curricular activities and programming designed to enrich the social, cultural, intellectual, recreational and spiritual life of the students. Activities such as the annual Hawaiian Luau and dragon boat racing are just two examples of the importance St. Martin’s places on exposure to diversity.

Academically, students choose from 21 undergraduate programs in liberal arts and can continue their education with any of the six graduate programs offered at St. Martin’s. The University also offers numerous pre-professional and certificate programs.

Cool fact:  St. Martin’s University is a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) and is an NCAA Division II program.

Located in the Pineywoods of East Texas, only a few hours from Dallas, Houston and Shreveport, SFA is a public four-year university enrolling 11,500 students.

Students can choose to major in liberal arts fields such as Accounting, Business, Creative Writing, Forestry and Dance. After graduation, they can pursue one of 60 graduate degree and two doctoral programs.

SFA recently added $168 million in enhancements to the campus, including two new residence halls, three parking garages, an expanded and renovated student center, a student recreation center and a baseball-softball complex.  Students can choose to join the Greek community, play intercollegiate varsity sports or participate in over 200 student organizations and activities.

Cool fact: SFA awards approximately $76.8 million in financial aid annually!

Click here to visit our college match tool, one click of a button puts you in touch with colleges nationwide!

I am so excited to start a fresh new year. We have lots of fun things planned for NextStepU this year, including ways to get more of our high school fans involved in the magazine! But, more on that later.

Are you sad the holidays are over? Miss the joy of receiving gifts? Let NextStepU dry your tears with another giveaway!

This month, you can win a copy of  The Anxious Test-Taker’s Guide to Cracking Any Test, by The Princeton Review. This book is chock-full of strategies and advice on how to succeed on all kinds of exams. By reading this book now, you will be prepared for your next big exam or the SAT!

To win, all you have to do is give us a shout on twitter @NextStepU that you want to win #freebiefriday!

Not on twitter? You can also enter by sharing NextStepMagazine on your facebook wall. Bonus points if you comment back on our wall space!

We will pick a winner on Friday, January 20.

Happy sharing!

Congratulations Corning Community College Career and Transfer Services!

The administrator of this facebook page will receive a copy of Paying for College Without Going Broke, by the Princeton Review. Please contact editor@nextstepu.com with your mailing address to claim your winnings!

Thank you to everyone who participated in Freebie Friday! Stay tuned to our blog for monthly giveaways.

Happy Holidays!

There are over 100 academic programs in areas such as Education, Business Administration, Art and Social Work. SUNY Fredonia’s renowned music programs keep the campus alive with performances throughout the year.

The University Commons combines a residence hall with the college bookstore, a convenience store and a Starbucks. Students can also choose to join Greek life on campus, participate in Fredonia’s Leadership Development program, play intramural sports, or choose from hundreds of other campus activities. SUNY Fredonia is a member of NCAA Division III athletics and features 17 competitive sports teams.

Internships, research experience and study abroad opportunities are available to students.  In addition, Fredonia’s Honors Program provides unique educational opportunities to highly motivated students.

Cool fact: Check out SUNY Fredonia’s 3-1-3 program, a innovative program that allows students from certain high schools to graduate in three years!

You could be suffering from a sleep related disorder, such as sleep apnea, insomnia or narcolepsy. There are 84 different classifications of sleep disorders, and more than 70 million Americans are suffering. In fact, sleep disorders are one of the fastest growing health concerns today. With this in mind, the need for trained sleep disorder technologists is in high demand. Requirements to work in this field vary from state to state, but most involve technical training and licensing.

Recently, Genesee Community College developed a Polysomnographic Technology curriculum to train students to evaluate, treat and care for patients with sleep problems. After completing a 66-credit program in classes such as Anatomy and Physiology, Sleep Study Instrumentation and Psychology, students are prepared to take the national Registered Polysomnographic Technology examination. In Ohio, Mercy College offers a short-term certificate program that prepares students to work in the field in one year.

Typically, a polysomnographic technologist will work in a sleep clinic atmosphere, observing a patient’s breathing, brain waves and heart rate while they sleep. They will collect data and report the information to a sleep physician who makes a diagnosis and recommends treatment. They may also counsel the patient on how to use special devices that will help them sleep.

Consider this career if: You are interested in sleep science, detail-oriented and willing to work nights (you are watching people sleep, after all!)