Zinch: The Quick Report

   There are many scholarship and college services out there, but one of the most common is called Zinch. Zinch is a kind of linkage institution that links your profile to colleges and offers you many scholarship opportunities. A profile is free and easy to create.

 What's good about Zinch?
   Zinch's scholarship database is nearly unmatched by anyone. Hundreds of scholarships can be found with the click of a mouse, and many of them require short essays or no essays at all. Zinch also offers weekly scholarships that are fun and easy to apply for as well as scholarships from other organizations. If you're looking for a scholarship database, this is the one to use.
   Additionally, the college profiles are easy to navigate and provide useful links to that particular school's webpage. The organizer that allows you to list various schools and categorize them based on "interested," "applying," or "accepted" also helps to keep your brain straight.

 What's not so good about Zinch?
   Zinch provides access to many scholarships, but many of these are nation-wide and extremely difficult to win.
  When Zinch advertises that they have hundreds of colleges connected with them, they mean it. You will receive contact requests from TONS of schools, most of which you will not be interested in at all. Luckily, the messages will be kept to the inbox on your Zinch account (unless you choose otherwise), so it will not flood your email inbox with unwanted emails.

Tips for Success:

• Fill in as much information on your profile as you can. Don't worry- personal contact information is hidden from the general public and only visible to you, but if you're not comfortable with providing it, don't. Make sure to fill in your interests and such.
• When using the scholarship database, make sure to "like" scholarships that you are interested in to be able to find them easily.
• Apply for the weekly Zinch scholarships, but be warned that a lot of people apply and the chances of winning are slim.
• Share scholarships with your friends- if they win, you might still receive some money from Zinch.
• When applying for a scholarship, always check the website for the final say! Sometimes (not often), the information on Zinch is from the previous year and might contain old information or essay prompts.

My Personal Experience:

   Zinch features mainly large, nation-wide scholarship contests that are difficult to win. I applied for many a scholarship on Zinch, but did not have huge success. I received some minor scholarship money or items. Despite this, I often found out about local scholarships in a round about way by clicking on links provided in the Zinch scholarship database. Additionally, by applying for these scholarships, I found out about institutions that offer internships that I might be interested in in the future.

The Verdict:

   Create a Zinch account, and use it. Even if you do not get any scholarships, there is still valuable experience to be had in applying for the scholarships. The college organizer tool is useful in itself, and I recommend making an account and using this tool to help you keep track and get in touch with colleges.