One of our greatest pleasures at Chariot Learning is helping students unlock the substantial scholarship opportunities tied to outstanding grades and test scores. It’s no exaggeration that an investment in test prep often comes back tenfold in merit aid.
However, when you help as many motivated, authentic, and endearing students as we do in the college admissions process, you can’t help but want to find more ways to support them. From that thought arose the Tests and the Rest Counselor Select Scholarship. My podcast partner Amy Seeley and I both wanted to add something new to the constellation of local, national, and organizational awards students contend for and consulted with scholarship expert Monica Matthews on the best way to proceed. The concept behind the Tests and the Rest Counselor Select Scholarship is to provide a way for one student per school in multiple states to be nominated for the scholarship by their school counselor and apply for it.
As a proud New Yorker, I wanted to make sure that students across the Empire State could apply for my scholarship. We received applications from multiple counties in New York, and to avoid bias, I asked Amy (based in Ohio) to choose this year’s winner. Interestingly, while last year’s winner came from Allegheny County, this year’s winner comes from Genesee County.
Congratulations to Andrew L. from Le Roy Junior Senior High School, who was recommended by his counselor for a truly impressive blend of academic excellence, leadership, sports, and service. Andrew shared the following statement:
“I am very humbled and honored to be the recipient of this scholarship. I would like to thank my counselor Mr. Dwyer for the nomination and all that he has done for me over the years. He has been in my corner since the day I entered high school and it has been a true pleasure to work with him. I know for sure that he has a positive impact on the lives of all the students he interacts with. I would also like to thank the Chariot Learning organization for selecting me and I look forward to using this award in furthering my education at Williams College, where I will be studying Biology and Computer Science.”
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out how exceptional each applicant for the New York Tests and the Rest Counselor Select Scholarship was. Counselors did an exceptional job of identifying and advocating for remarkable teens from their schools. That’s why we’re already planning ways to expand the Counselor Select Scholarship for the graduating class of 2022. I speak for the whole Chariot Learning team when I wish Andrew and our other scholarship applicants and recent graduates tremendous luck at college this fall!
Mike Bergin