2017-1-21 今天下课后妹妹在学校舞台上进行一年一度的文化遗产舞蹈表演，这已经是第四年。妹妹说，她学校的老师都说她跳的好。然后在学校参加女子篮球比赛的拉拉队表演，接下来是毕业班篮球队员庆祝活动，妹妹又收到一大束低年级同学送的鲜花，拉拉队的教练说这还不是正式的毕业班庆祝活动，等两个星期后男队员比赛结束，才是正式的活动。 妹妹今年参加的Scholastic艺术和写作奖的地区结果出来了，妹妹得两个金钥匙，一个银钥匙，和三项提名奖。金钥匙和银钥匙都要在地方博物馆里展览一个星期，金钥匙还要送到纽约参加全国评审，这在妹妹是第一次，在妹妹的高中，今年也只有另外一个女孩得了一个提名奖。妹妹很高兴，因为从前摘金摘银在全县所向无敌的是姐姐，今年终于走出了姐姐的阴影，开始扬眉吐气了。 然后是妹妹接到迈阿密大学STAMPS奖学金申请的邀请： Dear 妹妹： Greetings from the University of Miami! I am happy to inform you that the Office of Undergraduate Admission has nominated you for the University's most prestigious merit scholarships: the Stamps Leadership Scholarship, the Isaac Bashevis Singer Scholarship, and the Marta S. and L. Austin Weeks Endowed Scholarship. Congratulations! The Stamps Leadership Scholarship covers the cost of attendance for four years of undergraduate study. It includes tuition, fees, room and board, books, and a stipend of $12,000 for research and study abroad opportunities over four years of study. The Singer Scholarship and Weeks Scholarship each cover the cost of four years' full tuition. We hope you will accept this invitation to join us on campus for a special scholarship event on one of three weekends: February 24-25 , March 3-4 , or March 24-25 . 这个STAMPS奖学金，和佐治亚理工大学的STAMPS奖学金属于同一个基金会，是这两所大学对学习成绩优秀的学生奖学金中资助金额最高的一个，连吃住都一起包括在内的，而且是不看家庭收入的。妹妹申报的几所二类大学，基本上都属于这种情况。 网上查了一下，迈阿密大学的Stamps奖学金的面试过程比佐治亚理工相对要简单一些，没有初选过程，但多了一篇论文，因为在开始申请学校的时候，论文不再需要的材料之列： Selection Process - Selected candidates for the Stamps Scholarship are invited to participate in the Scholarship Weekend at the University of Miami. During this weekend program, candidates will meet with University of Miami faculty and current scholars. Scholarship candidates and their families learn about the unique educational and leadership opportunities available to the best and brightest students at the University of Miami. They also learn about the University of Miami's interest-driven education, meet both current and other prospective student scholars, and attend a special scholarship dinner. After the weekend, a selection committee identifies finalists whom they recommend to receive the Stamps Scholarship based on the students' overall achievement and performance during the weekend. Finalists participate in an additional interview with the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation. 下面的材料，是2011年迈阿密大学刚开始实行Stamps奖学金的时候一个学生在College Confidential上讨论时贴出来的，但另外参加讨论的人不同意这些硬性的指标，说学校更看重的是你是不是fit： Stamps scholarship is a new one and it offers full-ride to UM. Also, the slection criteria is very picky. Almost ACT score of 35 or SAT score over 2300 (or CR and Math is over 1550). I have a score of 1500 in CR and Math and I am a HS val in Orlando school. Taken 15 AP classes. AP National Scholar. Huge amount of ECs. Won the Siemens SF award for my cancer research paper. I did not get invited for the Stamps. So you could assume what level of competition is required. If my speculation is right, it all boils down to SAT or ACT scores for Stamps invite. This scholarship has no bearing on any major etc. Simply put, this is offered for the best of the best. Good luck and do not feel about Stamps. Also, getting Singer award is very slim too (15% award rate, they select 55 students out of 350 short-listed applicants). 这是2016年一个学生家长贴出来的2015和2016年迈阿密大学Stamps和Singer奖学金的授予信息，和南加州大学优秀奖学金的授予情况类似，但规模稍小： 2015 - Yes, my daughter attended last year. Three hundred students were invited. Seventy received the Singer and five the Stamps. 2016 -Hey guys! Current UM student and Singer recipient here. We were told that 300 students are being interviewed over two weekends and 75 will receive either Singer or Stamps. You won't here about the results until after the second weekend on March 18-19. 而且比较有趣的是很多学生最后纠结于是去UM的Stamps或是去USC的Trustee奖学金。前者是全部免费，后者是免学费。
2016-2-23 今天姐姐从LA转过来全国奖学金基金会给姐姐发来的入选全美500强的祝贺信： You did it! Your National Foundation 2016 Scholarship application has been reviewed by the state judging committee. We are pleased to advise you that it advanced to the national level. You are now a National Finalist, and will receive an National Foundation scholarship of at least $4,000. Welcome to the family! Now, you have the chance to compete for one of the coveted top scholarships! Of the 500 National Finalists, 20 will be selected to attend a Leadership Weekend in Chicago . These 20 top National Finalists will receive a scholarship of at least $20,000, and will compete for a top award of $30,000, $40,000 or $50,000. To be considered for the Leadership Weekend, National Finalists must submit a secondary application online, which includes an essay, college plans, and scholarships/grants/aid/awards received to date. Part of the application requires you to mail the Teacher Evaluation form and your FAFSA Student Aid Report to the National Foundation office in Chicago. You will download and print the Teacher Evaluation form from the application and bring it to a respected teacher to complete. However, to obtain your Student Aid Report, you must submit your FAFSA online as soon as possible. The secondary application must be submitted online by 11:59 a.m. ( noon ) Central Standard Time on Friday, March 4, 2016 . Your Student Aid Report and Teacher Evaluation Form must be received by March 4, 2016 . 不管怎么说，姐姐原先想申请的每年一千块钱奖学金的目标算是实现了。 网上查了查，这个全国500强，每年每个州的分配名额都不相同，今年是560名，比原先预计的502名多出58名，分给我们这个州的名额是37名，其中一对看起来是双胞胎，比原先计划的多出了3名。就我们这个片来说，自2000年至今，共有15名入选，平均是每年不到一名，加州首府也差不多，共有16名，纽约也是16名，不过旧金山湾区名额就多一些，27名，而且一多半是华裔。从姓氏拼音上看，今年入选奖学金全美500强的华裔或近似华裔的学生大约有四十名，比例还算是蛮高的讲。
2016-2-4 这两天给姐姐订好了二月下旬去USC奖学金面试的旅馆和机票，也敲定了去MIT体验校园生活的机票和日程，管吃管住。总体来看还是MIT的安排对学生更是合情合理，不但提早录取的新生有着自己的联系网络，新生的家长也建立了一个讨论群，世界各地的家长都有参加，交流彼此的心得体会。 USC给姐姐的信中说: Scholarship interviews will take place on the second day of your program. Your specific interview time and location will be made available to you during the Academic Information Session on the first day. Interviews are scheduled to last 20 to 30 minutes. Business attire is strongly recommended. (The rest of the program is casual). You will receive a "What to Bring to Explore" checklist 5 days prior to the event. 姐姐说她们高中学校只允许旷课10天，只是到全国青年艺术家协会学习的一个星期不算是旷课。 另外 姐姐转过来一封信，是年前递交的一份奖学金的申请进展通知，说姐姐已经通过了该项奖学金的地区评审，现在已经转到州里去评审，离成功更近了一步，二月底会再来通知云云。说如果姐姐能通过州里面的评审，就成为该项奖学金全国五百强之一的终选者，每年会获得至少1000块钱的奖学金。其中的前二十名终选者会被邀请补充申请材料，到芝加哥进行终极比拼，竞争每年5000到12500美元的奖学金名额。网上勾一勾，该奖学金的资助信息如下： 一等奖学金2名，年资助金额12500元，四年总金额5万元 二等奖学金2名，年资助金额10000元，四年总金额4万元 三等奖学金2名，年资助金额7500元，四年总金额3万元 四等奖学金14名，年资助金额5000元，四年总金额2万元 五等奖学金480名，年资助金额1000元，四年总金额4千元 想当初姐姐递交申请的时候，也只就是冲着这第五等奖的每年一千美元去的。
2015-12-20 今天陪 下午 家领导在逛街的时候，姐姐来短信说，她被芝加哥艺术学院录取了！说学校提供的优等生奖学金加上根据学生家庭需要而提供的奖学金，应该满足所有的费用还有剩余。 开始我们都不相信，因为根本不知道姐姐申请过这个学校，虽然这个学校广告做的很厉害，经常在网上举办大学申请和奖学金申请讲座，帮她报过名听讲座，姐姐也仅听过一次，后来就没有再感兴趣过。学校寄来的伊妹儿和信件，我们也基本上全部删除或随手就丢进了废纸回收框，没想到姐姐自己倒没有忘记，回来就给我们看他收到的学校寄来的录取通知包裹。 一个防水的橙色的大信封，上面写着大大的“CONGRATS”和“Welcome to America‘s Most Influential Art and Design School”以及“150 Years of SAIC - School of The Art Institute of Chicago”等字样。里面是一个设计精致的文件夹，文件夹里有二十几页信或学校的情况介绍，其中最重要的两封信，一封是招生办主任Asia Mitchell亲笔签名的录取通知书，日期是12月2号，须知芝加哥艺术学院的提早申请（EA）日期是12月1号。一封是芝加哥艺术学院专管招生的副校长Rose Milkowski女士亲笔签写的，给姐姐提供的校长优等生奖学金的信，日期是12月16号。四年总金额10万零八百美金，平均每年两万五千二百块。 姐姐说，前一段芝加哥艺术学院招生办的人到她们学校来面谈，姐姐和招生办的人见过面，招生办的人说从姐姐这里学到很多东西，姐姐可以到他们学校当教授等等。前几天芝加哥艺术学院还来信邀请她一月份去学校参加一个讲座，后来还打过来一个电话，都被我在不经意间给拒绝了。所以姐姐说她早就知道这个学校会录取她，等等等等。 赶紧上网查一查，原来这芝加哥艺术学院的研究生院，在著名的美国新闻和世界报导全美最佳艺术类院校排名中，和罗德岛设计学院并列排名第二，仅次于耶鲁大学，2015-16年学费和生活费加起来差不多五万七千一百多块钱，校长奖学金的资助金额，是学生所需学费的50%： SAIC annually awards a substantial number of undergraduate, merit-based scholarships to new students. All students who have successfully completed the admission process by the priority deadline are automatically considered for merit scholarships. Recipients are selected through a holistic review of each student's academic history, portfolio, and statement of intent. Students considered for a merit scholarship may receive one of the scholarships listed below 1) Presidential; 2) Distinguished; 3) Honors; 4）Recognition； 5）Incentive； 6）Enrichment。 Presidential scholarship recipients are selected during the admissions process . The scholarship covers 50 percent of tuition and is awarded in combination with need-based aid. 另外，芝加哥艺术学院每年还从30-40名申请者中，授予一到两名学生，资助额3万3千美元的奖学金： SAIC receives 30 to 40 requests for Tuition Exchange scholarships each year and is able to award one to two. The annual scholarship amount is determined by the consortium on a yearly basis. For the 2014–15 academic year, the set amount is $32,500 and for the 2015–16 academic year, the set amount is $33,000. 在芝加哥艺术学院毕业的知名校友中，也有迪斯尼公园的创始人和中国诗人闻一多。 当然这所艺术学校，比MIT和芝加哥等综合性大学，在名气和录取难度上都差很多，和罗德岛设计学院和卡耐基梅隆大学相比，也难望他们的后背。可是这些学校，学费都很贵，靠工资生活的中产阶级们，有点儿吃不消啊！
标签: 奖学金申请