Graduation is in your Sights!

Can you feel it? Are you ready? It's almost graduation time! How excited are you to graduate? I can remember that I had mixed feelings concerning high school graduation. I was ready to start a new chapter in my life, but I was having a hard time letting go. I didn't know what to expect in college. I had such an amazing high school experience, which I am truly grateful for because I know that it doesn't happen for everyone. I had the opportunity to be one of 23 in my graduating class, causing us to get to know each other on an individual level. Let's just say that 7 years later, we still have a great time together whenever we see one another. You may be feeling the same way I did right before high school graduation, happy but sad; excited but scared. I'll let you in on a little secret... college is a lot of work, but it sure is a blast!

One of the things that made it hard for me to let go of home was the fact that I wouldn't be as financially stable as I may had been in the past. Don't get me wrong, I started working and making my own money when I was 14, so mom and dad definitely did not pay my way for everything while I was living at home. It was the other things I was worried about: food, tuition, and any other necessity I was going to have to pay big bucks for. No longer were the days of living & eating for free or near to free. How was I going to pay for all of this? Scholarships? By working?

Luckily, I did bust my you know what by filling out scholarship form after scholarship form. I had good grades and an average to above average ACT score. However, that still didn't get me what I thought it would concerning scholarship monies from my hometown or my college of choice. I took some time to feel sorry for myself, but then realized that there were a lot of other students out there who were just as deserving of a scholarship as I was. I then turned my sights to "outside scholarships." You can find many of these listings here. The truth is this; there is definitely assistance out there for you. Sometimes, you just have to go the extra mile to get it.

The moral of the story is this. Don't feel sorry for yourself if you haven't received what you had set in your mind as far as scholarships. It doesn't mean that you weren't deserving of them! BHSU had over 700 scholarship applications this year alone, and the field was extremely competitive. If you haven't received the scholarship aid that you had set out for, don't give up! Keep looking for outside scholarships. Also, BHSU is still awarding scholarships, and will be doing so for the next few months. Start thinking of alternative ways to pay for tuition such as getting a part time job. It will all be worth it in the end when you are holding your diploma in your hand 4 years from now stating that you are a college graduate!!

Definitely let us know if you have any questions on how to pay for college. We are almost always readily available! You can reach the Office of Admissions at admissions@bhsu.edu, 1-800-ALL-BHSU, or 605-642-6343.

Have a GREAT weekend! GO JACKETS!

Maria Hartung
BHSU Admissions Counselor
Maria.Hartung@bhsu.edu