U.S. News & World Report Announces Winners for First Path to College Scholarship Program

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in education rankings, today announced the winners of its first "Path to College" scholarship program, which was created to assist high school students pursuing a college degree. Salvatore Castronovo of North Rockland High School in Thiells, New York, and Tony Liu of South Oldham High School in Crestwood, Kentucky, received merit-based awards of $2,500 each.

Both students have obtained top academic honors and admission into numerous national honor societies. They are also heavily involved in extracurricular activities ranging from Boy Scouts of America to various orchestra and choir programs.

As part of the scholarship application, students were asked to write a brief essay explaining the most challenging aspects of the college search process. For Castronovo, declaring a major, searching for schools that fulfill all of his interests, finding the time to visit prospective universities and, ultimately, affording a college education were top challenges.

In his essay, Liu stated, "In my search for the perfect college, I have learned one thing: it does not exist," before diving into the difficulties of balancing his two passions: sports and education. "After much deliberation, education prevailed," he writes.

"U.S. News' mission is to help students navigate their education options. Identifying the right colleges to apply for, getting in and then paying for a degree can often be overwhelming," said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News. "We're proud to play our part in helping these scholarship recipients reach their goals."

In addition to the essay component, recipients are selected on the basis of academic performance, extracurricular activities, community volunteering, leadership honors and awards and paid work experience. Castronovo and Liu were part of the first scholarship round in 2017. Administered by Scholarship America, the second round opened April 7. The deadline for submission is on or before June 2, 2017.

The new scholarship initiative is one of many efforts undertaken by the U.S. News Education channel, which publishes daily editorial content and annual rankings of the Best High Schools, Best Colleges, Best Global Universities, Best Graduate Schools and Best Online Programs.

For questions about the U.S. News Path to College Scholarship, email [email protected]. For more information on U.S. News initiatives, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report

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