PRE-DEPARTURE; Bridging Japan and Gilman International Scholarships

Hello!

I thought today would be a great day to talk a little about scholarships since I just got news that I will receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and previously found out I will get the Bridging Japan Scholarship. Really, these scholarships are truly helping to make my study abroad possible. They really are. I don't think I could be doing this right now in this capacity if I didn't have these scholarships, to be quite honest.

So first of all I hear it all the time that students think you have to have straight A's or be super poor or you might as well forget about applying for scholarships.

But FORGET ABOUT THAT NONSENSE!
Seriously! I highly recommend reading the book "How to go to College Almost for Free", here's a G4 interview with the author Ben Kaplan. It really puts it into perspective that there are so many different kinds aimed at so many people for different ages, sexs, races, orientations, interests, locations,  heritages and other demographics that you just have to look and try!

It may not be as easy as sitting on the couch watching TV and eating cheese puffs during spring break but if you want it enough you can do it. I know, I have been applying for almost anything I can as long as I meet the eligibility requirements.

I applied for and received Journalism, Foreign Language, and Study Abroad department scholarships at CMU. I have even applied for other outside scholarships that endorse study abroad and language study such as the Gilman and Bridging Japan.

I worked my butt off writing and revising mostly during spring break but if you don't have the money and want to go study abroad, this is a great way to do it.

This isn't so much a soap box preaching but I like to see others succeed, and when I have fellow classmates saying they only wish they could go to X country, or study abroad, and I tell them to apply I see the looks that show they have shut down any notion of scholarships helping them.

So check out the book, or searches like College Board to get a head start on your search!