The Scholarship GPS Podcast: Your Directions to a Debt-Free College Degree – Details, episodes & analysis

Dominique Padurano, or Dr. P. as she is known, founded Crimson Coaching to help all students fulfill their potential. A Harvard grad, Dr. P. has experience as a high school teacher and tutor. In 2014, she opened Crimson Coaching, where she helps students in several ways, including as a college counselor and essay coach.

In our conversation, Dr. P and I discussed:

• Why a family would want to work with a college essay coach

• The ideal college essay writing timeline for students applying for the first time

• How involved should parents be during their child’s college essay-writing journey

• What makes Dr. P different than college essay coaches

• Advice for students about to embark on the college essay-writing journey

• And much more…

To connect with Dr. P., email her at info@crimsoncoaching.com, visit the Crimson Coaching website or her YouTube Channel.

Dr. P. and I are hosting a FREE webinar on Thursday, March 13th, at 7:00 pm Eastern Time.

Crimson Coaching's President and Head Coach, Dr. P. (Dominique Padurano, Ph.D.) and Scholarship GPS's Creator and Coach Dave Peterson team up to share how students of any age can start preparing NOW to apply for outside college scholarships that could lead to a low- or NO-cost college degree. Students, parents, grandparents, and other loved ones are encouraged to attend -- with notebook and pen -- and to share news of this actionable webinar far and wide.

Click here to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/BGQq-1BYSBSdjpa3eRSX4A#/registration

----------

Scholarship season for the Class of 2026 is officially open!

The Bryan Cameron Foundation Scholarship is just the first of the many HUGE scholarship opportunities your Class of 2026 student will have over the next 17 months. Starting your scholarship journey now provides your student with many advantages, including:

• Getting a head start with scholarships compared to their peers
• More opportunities to earn scholarships
• Resume enhancement (a scholarship win on a resume looks great!)
• Improved writing skills (needed to do well in college!)
• Preparation for the huge scholarships open during senior year
• Great practice for the college admissions process
• The opportunity to build a set of re-usable essays for future scholarship applications
• And much more

However, most families struggle with the scholarship process, which is why we are proud to introduce…

The Class of 2026 Scholarship Navigator Program 

This program includes:

• Bi-weekly webinars: A new topic or scholarship will be covered in depth during these live webinars. Plus, time will be allotted for Q&A.
• Online Support: You'll have direct email access to Dave The Scholarship Coach, a seasoned expert in the field. Dave is here to help you navigate the complex world of scholarships and get your questions answered!
• A custom list of scholarships for which your Class of 2026 grad is eligible. Your student’s custom list will include a minimum of 20 scholarships, including national and local scholarships (if local scholarships are available) and a mix of small and large scholarships.
• Personalized help with one scholarship application & essay each week. These can be any scholarships of your choice, not just scholarships from your custom list.
• Access to the Scholarship GPS Course, where students can learn best practices for scholarship success. Lessons include: How/Where to find scholarships, application and essay best practices, sample scholarship-winning essays, and much more. 

Best of all, the program is available for just $47/month! You may cancel anytime.

To get started, go to https://www.scholarshipgps.com/2026navigator

Sign up before March 1, 2025, and get a free copy of the book, "Straight From The Admissions Office: Insider Strategies for College Applications” by Dr. John Durante. This practical resource contains hundreds of tricks, tips, shortcuts, and strategies. Whether you’re a student or parent, John Durante will equip you with the knowledge and confidence you need to tackle the college application process head-on.

----------

Check out this Scholarship GPS student who won a $5000 scholarship! Read the article here. This student is only a high school sophomore and already has accumulated $15,000 in scholarship wins! That’s why I suggest starting on your student’s scholarship journey early.

Did you know that more than 50% of Scholarship GPS students who entered the VFW Voice of Democracy Contest in 2023 and 2024 won scholarships? Your student could be next! Check out our Class of 2026 program here and our program for high school sophomores and freshmen here.

----------

This week's featured scholarships:

• $2000 GoSkills Be the Boss Scholarship
• Innovation In Education Scholarship
• $2500 College Investor Side Hustlin' Student Scholarship
• Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest
• $2000 Book vs. Movie Scholarship

----------

Sign up for our FREE newsletter, Your Daily Scholarship: https://nodebtcollege.substack.com/

For over a decade, Lisa Marker-Robbins has helped nearly 4,000 high school students and young adults gain the insight, experiences, and confidence they need to embark on their post-high school path.

Along the way, however, she noticed an alarming trend: Teens struggled to find their true purpose - devastatingly impacting the student’s college admissions and scholarship success.

In our conversation, Lisa shared:

• Why strong GPAs and high test scores may not be enough to gain admittance to your student’s dream college.
• Why “knowing where you want to go” is critical for college admissions and scholarships.
• Why your teen is NOT too young to get clarity on their future college major and career, and how most of the world is better preparing teens for career clarity.
• The role of college major clarity in college admissions, based on actual data from the colleges.
• Why high self-awareness is critical for a student’s future success with college admissions and scholarships.

Lisa has a complimentary video on “How to guide your teen to choose the right major, college, & career” that she created for parents (and students), and she’s given me permission to share this with my audience! In this, she’ll cover:

• How flipping the script on the college admissions process can help ensure an on-time (and on budget!) graduation and a career your teen will love.

• How to know *beyond any doubt* that your teen has chosen the right college, major, and career path, and hasn’t based their decision on luck, picked the “safe” option, or inadvertently restricted their potential.

• How to ensure your teen’s senior year choices don't trap them in an unsuitable major or close the door on an opportunity no amount of money or persuasion can open.

Click here to watch Lisa’s complimentary video, “How to guide your teen to choose the right major, college, & career,” here: flourishcoachingco.com/gps

----------

Scholarship season for the Class of 2026 is officially open!

The Bryan Cameron Foundation Scholarship is just the first of the many HUGE scholarship opportunities your Class of 2026 student will have over the next 17 months. Starting your scholarship journey now provides your student with many advantages, including:

• Getting a head start with scholarships compared to their peers
• More opportunities to earn scholarships
• Resume enhancement (a scholarship win on a resume looks great!)
• Improved writing skills (needed to do well in college!)
• Preparation for the huge scholarships open during senior year
• Great practice for the college admissions process
• The opportunity to build a set of re-usable essays for future scholarship applications
• And much more

However, most families struggle with the scholarship process, which is why we are proud to introduce…

The Class of 2026 Scholarship Navigator Program 

This program includes:

• Bi-weekly webinars: A new topic or scholarship will be covered in depth during these live webinars. Plus, time will be allotted for Q&A.
• Online Support: You'll have direct email access to Dave The Scholarship Coach, a seasoned expert in the field. Dave is here to help you navigate the complex world of scholarships and get your questions answered!
• A custom list of scholarships for which your Class of 2026 grad is eligible. Your student’s custom list will include a minimum of 20 scholarships, including national and local scholarships (if local scholarships are available) and a mix of small and large scholarships.
• Personalized help with one scholarship application & essay each week. These can be any scholarships of your choice, not just scholarships from your custom list.
• Access to the Scholarship GPS Course, where students can learn best practices for scholarship success. Lessons include: How/Where to find scholarships, application and essay best practices, sample scholarship-winning essays, and much more. 

Best of all, the program is available for just $47/month! You may cancel anytime.

To get started, go to https://www.scholarshipgps.com/2026navigator

Sign up before March 1, 2025, and get a free copy of the book, "Straight From The Admissions Office: Insider Strategies for College Applications” by Dr. John Durante. This practical resource contains hundreds of tricks, tips, shortcuts, and strategies. Whether you’re a student or parent, John Durante will equip you with the knowledge and confidence you need to tackle the college application process head-on.

----------

This week's featured scholarships:

$2000 Achieving My Potential Scholarship

$3000 “You Can’t Label People, but You Can Label Products” Scholarship

$3000 “Unboxing Your Life” Video Scholarship

$5000 Robert Redick Memorial Scholarship

$5000 Christian College Scholarship

----------

Sign up for our FREE newsletter, Your Daily Scholarship: https://nodebtcollege.substack.com/

The 12 Days of Christmas Scholarship Gifts: I’m gifting my loyal readers something to help them on their scholarship and/or college-bound journey. So, the best way to learn about these gifts is by subscribing to the Your Daily Scholarship Newsletter. To subscribe for free, go to NoDebtCollege.Substack.com

By subscribing, you will get the rest of the 12 Days of Christmas Scholarship Gift offers delivered to your inbox every day. 

Day 1 Gift: A FREE College Planning Timeline! Click here to get your free copy: https://www.scholarshipgps.com//timeline

Day 2 Gift: A FREE SAT Reading and Writing Diagnostic! To get this valuable tool that provides instant feedback on the question types and concepts your student needs to focus on, go to WalkerTestPrep.com/ScholarshipGPS

Day 3 Gift: The Personal Narrative Mini-Course for just $17! A strong Personal Narrative is critical for scholarship success. In this mini-course, you will learn about the Five Pillars used to build a student's Personal Narrative, as well as a lesson on responding to one of the most common scholarship essay topics in which a strong Personal Narrative is critical. This program normally sells for $77, but use coupon code DAY3 to get the Personal Narrative Mini-Course for just $17! This offer expires Christmas Day, so click here to sign up today: https://www.scholarshipgps.com/personal-narrative-mini-course

Learn about the rest of the 12 Scholarship Christmas Gifts by subscribing for free to the Your Daily Scholarship newsletter: NoDebtCollege.Substack.com

--------

This week's featured scholarships:

• $5000 Law Offices of Daniel Kim Scholarship
• Power of Resilience Scholarship
• Zack Zolin Scholarship Foundation
• $2,500 Construction Careers Scholarship
• Love Your Career Scholarship
• $1000 ScholarshipOwl No-Essay Scholarship

 

The Scholarship Bootcamp provides personalized help with three scholarship applications and essays of your choice (up to 2500 words each). We will go through up to five rounds of review, feedback, and editing for each scholarship to help you submit your best scholarship application.

The Scholarship Bootcamp also includes lifetime access to the Scholarship GPS Course, where you will learn how and where to find scholarships, how to pick the best scholarships based on your student’s unique profile, and tips and suggestions for scholarship essays.

So that we provide the highest quality, personalized scholarship essay help possible, the number of spots available for the Scholarship Bootcamp is limited. So, click here to sign up for the Scholarship Bootcamp today.

--------

This week's featured scholarships:

• $25,000 Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship
• $5000 Flavorful Futures Scholarship
• Unigo $10K Scholarship
• Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship
• Appily Easy Money Scholarship

-------

Sign up for my free newsletter, Your Daily Scholarship, to be the first to learn about the Twelve Days of Christmas Scholarship Gifts!  Every day, starting December 14 until Christmas, I’ll gift my loyal readers something to help them on their scholarship and/or college-bound journey. These incldue significant discounts as well as FREE giveaways! Go to https://nodebtcollege.substack.com/ to subscribe for free, so that you don't miss these offers.

 

This week's featured scholarships:

• $1,000 Campus Dream Scholarship Giveaway
• $40,000 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
• Wellroot Family Services Scholarship Program
• $60,000 Burger King Foundation Scholarship
• $2500 Cirkled In No Sweat Scholarship
• $5000 Christian College Scholarship Drawing

-------

Holiday Shopping for College-Bound Teens and Students:

• Custom diploma and other frames from Church Hill Classics: Use discount code Dave2024 to get $15 off orders of $100 when shopping at https://diplomaframe.com/DaveFrames.
• “Go To Class: How to Succeed at College” by Karen Dentler - the perfect gift book for your college-bound teen. Available on Amazon.

I recommend waiting until your student has committed to a college before buying most of their dorm needs so you know exactly what the school allows and recommends. However, a few items are universally needed, no matter which college, dorm, or apartment your student ends up in. Here are a few of those items:

Dorms are notoriously dusty, moldy, and full of germs. A good air purifier is a great investment to help your student stay healthy at college.

Speaking of dirty, keep your kid’s feet clean with a pair of shower shoes.

It seems that no college student can survive these days without carrying their Stanley filled with their favorite beverage.

And, to keep their devices charged on the go, don’t forget a portable charger.

By the way, you support Scholarship GPS at no extra cost to you when you shop on Amazon using my affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3CPcoyO

 

This “gift” is for the parents and guardians…

When our kids turn 18, we lose the ability to legally help them in emergency situations unless the proper paperwork is in place. That is why I recommend Mama Bear Legal Forms Young Adult Power of Attorney. Be sure to read my recent article on why I’m so thankful that we have a Young Adult POA in place.

With the Power of Attorney documents, you can:

+ Make health care decisions if your student is incapacitated

+ Avoid court-appointed guardians

+ Gain access to medical records in case of an emergency

+ Interact with landlords and insurance companies

You can use my discount code, ScholarshipCoach,  to take 20% off the total price at Mama Bear Legal Forms.

-------

Sign up for my free newsletter, Your Daily Scholarship

 

I recently spoke with Karen Dentler, author of the gift book, “Go to Class: How to Succeed at College.” Karen has over 20 years of experience in higher education. She has held positions in student life and academic administration at Rutgers University, Princeton University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Dentler has her MA in higher education from the University of Michigan and a BA in philosophy from Colgate University.

In our conversation, Karen shared:

• Her number one tip for success for inbound college students!

• The role of parents in the life of their college student

• Why admissions is the least important part of your student’s college experience (and what IS the most important part)

• And much more…

Karen's gift book, “Go to Class: How to Succeed at College” makes the perfect gift for your college-bound student. Order your copy on Amazon or on Karen’s website, CollegeGiftBook.com.

-------

Announcing the Scholarship Bootcamp!

You asked for it, and now it’s here!

The Scholarship Bootcamp offers students lifetime access to the Scholarship GPS Course to learn how to find, prioritize, and apply for scholarships.

This unique program also includes personalized reviews, feedback, and editing help for three different scholarship applications of your choice, including essays of up to 2500 words.

You could even have me help you with your entry for the Dominguez Law Firm Collegiate Scholarship! Plus, with access to the Scholarship GPS Course, you’ll learn how to craft a strong Personal Narrative, which is critical for this scholarship.

If purchased separately, this program would cost $428. However, the Scholarship Bootcamp is offered at a special price of just $247! Click here to sign up today: https://www.scholarshipgps.com/bootcamp

-------

This week's featured scholarships:

• $3,000 Intoxalock Drunk Driving Prevention Scholarship
• $1500 Comedy Defensive Driving Scholarship
• $2500 Kitchen Cabinet Kings Entrepreneur Scholarship
• $5000 Dominguez Law Firm Collegiate Scholarship

• $1500 Future Leaders Scholarship (No Essay)

 

In last week’s episode, I shared my interview with Lisa Marker-Robbins, who has helped nearly 4,000 high school students and young adults gain the insight, experiences, and confidence they need to embark on their post-high school path.

In that conversation, we discussed why strong GPAs and high test scores may not be enough for your student to gain admittance to their dream college. Today, Lisa was kind enough to let me share an episode of her College and Career Clarity Podcast.

At many schools, like the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, prospective students must apply to a specific major when applying to college during the high school senior year. Since this is not standard at all colleges, it can be a confusing hurdle for many high schoolers and their families – but it doesn’t have to be. What does this mean for your teen? In this episode of the College and Career Clarity Podcast, Lisa Marker-Robbins speaks with Andy Borst, UIUC’s Director of Undergraduate Admissions, you’ll learn how college major-based admissions works and how to set your teen up to successfully navigate the process.

Although it can sometimes seem like it, admissions officers aren’t in the business of crushing your teen’s dreams. In fact, they want to make things possible for as many students as they can, and that’s where a college major-based admissions process can come into play. Each university can only accommodate a certain number of students in each program, so this type of application can help admissions staff focus on the students that are truly interested in the major and most likely to thrive.

When it comes to schools that admit by major, you might be surprised to learn that certain majors at these schools might be restricted to your student applying only as a 12th grader. For instance, if your child wants to study Computer Science at UIUC, they can only be admitted as a freshman or a transfer from another school. This means it’s crucial that your student does the work in high school to identify a college major that aligns to their wiring. 

Andy warns not to try to take a shortcut into these highly competitive majors by applying for a different major in the hopes of transferring into your student’s desired field later. Trying to game the system isn’t wise. In these cases, your teen will be better off attending a different university where they have an assured start in their top choice major.

Highlights 

• What is college admission by major

• What majors are among the most popular and therefore most competitive

• How do restricted majors eliminate options for many high school students

• When can your teen choose a second college major

• Question to ask colleges about admission by major

Lisa has a complimentary video on “How to guide your teen to choose the right major, college, & career” that she created for parents (and students), and she’s given me permission to invite my people! In this, she’ll cover:

• How flipping the script on the college admissions process can help ensure an on-time (and on budget!) graduation and a career your teen will love.

• How to know *beyond any doubt* that your teen has chosen the right college, major, and career path, and hasn’t based their decision on luck, picked the “safe” option, or inadvertently restricted their potential.

• How to ensure your teen’s senior year choices don't trap them in an unsuitable major or close the door on an opportunity no amount of money or persuasion can open.

Click here to watch Lisa’s complimentary video, “How to guide your teen to choose the right major, college, & career,” here: flourishcoachingco.com/gps

In a recent interview, the mom of a $111,000 scholarship winner said that college major and career clarity are ‘essential’ for success with scholarships!

That is why I am offering several special bonuses for families who sign up for Lisa’s Launch Career Clarity Program. Those bonuses are:

• Access to my Personal Narrative mini-course: In this video-based course, you will learn about the Five Pillars and how they relate to a student’s Personal Narrative - a key component for winning scholarships. You’ll also get my lesson on answering the common scholarship essay prompt, “Why Do You Deserve To Win This Scholarship?”

• Two live 45-minute one-on-one Q&A sessions with me to discuss anything about scholarships. I’ve never before offered this type of one-on-one scholarship help outside of my premier services.

• Personalized one-on-one help with one Personal Narrative scholarship essay of your choice.

This special offer is only available until Midnight Eastern Time on November 18, 2024.

So, don’t delay. Sign up for Launch Career Clarity today to enjoy these special scholarship bonuses! Click here to get started: flourishcoachingco.com/gps

-------

This week's featured scholarships:

• Courage to Grow (Scroll to the bottom of the linked page for info on this scholarship)
• Gen and Kelly Tanabe (Scroll to the bottom of the linked page for info on this scholarship)
• MoolahSPOT (Scroll to the bottom of the linked page for info on this scholarship)
• College JumpStart (Scroll to the bottom of the linked page for info on this scholarship)
• MENSA (Scroll to the middle of the linked page for info on this scholarship)
• Student Scholarships.org (Scroll to the middle of the linked page for info on this scholarship)
• Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship (Scroll to the middle of the linked page for info on this scholarship)

 

For over a decade, Lisa Marker-Robbins has helped nearly 4,000 high school students and young adults gain the insight, experiences, and confidence they need to embark on their post-high school path.

Along the way, however, she noticed an alarming trend: Teens struggled to find their true purpose - devastatingly impacting the student’s college admissions and scholarship success.

In our conversation, Lisa shared:

• Why strong GPAs and high test scores may not be enough to gain admittance to your student’s dream college.

• Why “knowing where you want to go” is critical for college admissions and scholarships.

• Why your teen is NOT too young to get clarity on their future college major and career, and how most of the world is better preparing teens for career clarity.

• The role of college major clarity in college admissions, based on actual data from the colleges.

• Why high self-awareness is critical for a student’s future success with college admissions and scholarships.

Lisa has a complimentary video on “How to guide your teen to choose the right major, college, & career” that she created for parents (and students), and she’s given me permission to share this with my audience! In this, she’ll cover:

• How flipping the script on the college admissions process can help ensure an on-time (and on budget!) graduation and a career your teen will love.

• How to know *beyond any doubt* that your teen has chosen the right college, major, and career path, and hasn’t based their decision on luck, picked the “safe” option, or inadvertently restricted their potential.

• How to ensure your teen’s senior year choices don't trap them in an unsuitable major or close the door on an opportunity no amount of money or persuasion can open.

Click here to watch Lisa’s complimentary video, “How to guide your teen to choose the right major, college, & career,” here: flourishcoachingco.com/gps

-------

This week's featured scholarships:

• $5000 Unigo Education Matters Scholarship
• $10,000 Profile in Courage Essay Contest
• $6000 Knight Essay Contest
• $4000 Digital Marketing Scholarship
• 30 DAR Scholarships for High School Seniors and College Students
• Weekender: $1000 No Essay Scholarship

-------

Sign up for my free newsletter, Your Daily Scholarship

 

The Scholarship Bootcamp provides lifetime access for your entire family to the Scholarship GPS Course, where you will learn how and where to find scholarships, how to prioritize scholarships based on your student’s unique profile, and how to build your student’s Personal Narrative, which Audria said was essential for her son’s scholarship success.

Plus, you will also get my help with three scholarship applications and essays of your choice! 

So, to get the same level of support that I gave to Audria and her son, sign up for the Scholarship Bootcamp today.

-------

This week's featured scholarships:

• FRA Americanism Essay Contest
• National Parent Volunteer Association Aaliyah Lee Scholarship
• $1000 Bookoo Scholarship
• $5000 Ted & Holly Rollins Scholarship
• Full-Ride Vermont Pitch Challenge
• Weekender: $1000 No Essay Scholarship

-------

Sign up for my free newsletter, Your Daily Scholarship

 

Is the cost of your child's college education keeping you up at night?

Is your college savings plan insufficient or non-existent?

Are you worried that your student will be paying back student loans for the rest of their life?

Those were my fears, too!

I didn't want my son to be burdened with student loans for 20+ years of his life. But, I had failed to save enough money to pay for his college degree. So, I coached him to win nearly $100,000 in scholarships, and he's now a debt-free college graduate!

Students don't need a perfect 4.0 GPA to win scholarships!

Average students can win scholarships if they know how.

Students don't have to come from a low-income household to win scholarships!

Most scholarships don't even ask about a student's financial situation.

Students don't have to be star athletes to win scholarships!

Sports scholarships make up a tiny fraction of the scholarships out there.

Having success with scholarships requires a plan, and that’s what Scholarship GPS provides.

The course features concise video lessons designed to seamlessly fit into your busy schedule, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Throughout the course, you'll acquire essential scholarship skills, including:

- How to identify the best scholarships based on your student's profile

- Tips and best practices for scholarship applications, essays, and projects

- The importance of crafting your student's Personal Narrative, a key element in winning scholarships

Additionally, you will have access to helpful tools such as:

- A scholarship tracking tool preloaded with quick and easy no-essay scholarships for immediate application

- A scholarship checklist template to ensure completion of applications

- An activity log to track your student's volunteer experiences

Now is your last chance to get lifetime access to the Scholarship GPS Course at the introductory rate of just $97.

Soon, the price of Scholarship GPS will more than double! So, don’t delay.

Go to https://www.scholarshipgps.com/scholarship-gps/1iqyq to start your scholarship journey today!

Cheyenne Alexander is generously offering my listeners to proofread the first 250 words of a scholarship essay FOR FREE when you sign up for the Scholarship GPS Course. To get this offer, you MUST purchase the Scholarship GPS Course using this link: https://www.scholarshipgps.com/scholarship-gps/1iqyq

-------

This week's featured scholarships:

• All-American Pest Control STEAM Trailblazer Scholarship
• Carson Scholarship for Students in Grades 4 - 11
• $1000 Lamber Goodnow College Scholarship
• Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship for the Class of 2025: 20 $30,000 Scholarships!
• $20,000 Equitable Excellence Scholarship® Program
• Weekender: No-Essay $1000 Appily College Prep Scholarship