Streeter Seidell, editor-in-chief of comedy website CollegeHumor.com, was an average student. He graduated from Fordham University without any academic scholarships.
“I wasn’t good enough to get money, and I wasn’t bad enough to get money,” he said.
In support of other average Joes, CollegeHumor.com will host the first “Average Student Scholarship Contest” to award two mediocre students $5,000 toward their tuition. The application deadline is Feb. 1.
“Getting straight A’s was not what I needed in my life to confirm that I was a functioning member of society,” said Seidell. “A lot of it was born out of that. I remember when I was getting into colleges and applying for scholarships, I didn’t get any because I wasn’t that good or that bad.”
Seidell said CollegeHumor is managing the contest without an outside sponsor.
The application process requires a student’s basic personal information and a written argument that supports his or her average qualifications. The essay must be no longer than 1,000 words and may be accompanied by photographs or videos.
“I think it’s a good idea to have something like this,” said Kelsey Jenkins, a 19-year-old UF public relations sophomore. “Overachievers are always going to apply for scholarships, but you want to have some like this to motivate average students. It could help to bring people from a good level to a great level.”
According to a news release, the CollegeHumor editorial staff will select the two winners based on “a combination of academic averageness, humor and originality.”
“This isn’t CollegeHumor’s grand critique on society,” Seidell said. “Mostly, we just thought it was funny because no one else was doing it. At the same time, it feels nice to make some random kid’s life that much easier.”
Participants must be 18 or older and enrolled at a four-year college or university.
Winners will be announced and featured on the CollegeHumor website in early February. For more information, and to enter, go to www.collegehumor.com/average-student-scholarship-contest.
