Financial Aid. There is no reason to avoid the reality that comes with college, and it is that there are many top-tier universities that come with a $50,000-$60,000 price tag. There are some students who can afford it, but I was not one of them. Even the idea of paying $20,000 would have been burdensome for my family, despite their desire for me to have a good education. So I valued the need to receive any type of aid through grants or scholarships. ...

I was rather fortunate in the sense that it was my high school advisor that introduced me to the Posse Scholarship. The Posse Scholarship seeks to bring students with leadership potential as a group (usually 10-12) to support and to succeed together. It was a relatively selective scholarship that exists within the metropolitan areas (New York, Boston, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, etc). The process consisted of 3 rounds, lasting a total of 3 months. The reward, however, was a full-tuition scholarship and strong network that supported students academically and emotionally. Also, they provide a network to help students find internships, job and scholarships....

Because it's been four years since I have graduated from high school, I will give a brief overview of it before speaking more specifically about college. I think that high school is a time when any experience is "good" because it can be put into the Common App. Volunteering Regularly. Part-Time Job. Internship. Pre-College Courses. Those are all opportunities that demonstrate the commitment that colleges want to see in their applications. They provide experiences and knowledge that can also be used for a compelling personal statement. College is more "intense" in the sense that these experiences could boost your chances...