For every New Yorker there are places where they’ll run into people they know, even in a city this size. For me, a handful of beanie-wearing Obies can usually be spotted stepping off the L from Williamsburg at the corner of 7th Avenue and 14th Street. On occasion, organists are seen roaming around the Museum of Modern Art before attending an evensong at St. Thomas Church. But without fail, I run into Juilliard students in Koreatown. Nestled between Broadway and 5th Avenue on 32nd Street are cheap holes-in-the-wall innumerable, catering not just to an expat community, but to twenty-somethings bearing the double burden of both the student budget and the musician lifestyle.
I ran into a couple of doctoral students last night at Woorijip, a classic K-town institution. It’s not just cheap – it’s dirt-cheap. Prices are determined by the weight of your plate after you’ve piled on a pound of japchae, bulgogi, spicy pork and a myriad of tofu-ish and crustacean hors d’oeuvres. The quality of the food is questionable, but upon your departure you will not be hungry for a solid 24 hours. It’s a reasonable way to save money and to ensure that your calorie intake doesn’t interfere with your practicing and rehearsal schedule (or your coffee imbibing routine).
I don’t mean to make it look like the life of a Juilliard student is so destitute that we’re constantly forced to cut corners when it comes to our nutritional intake. The Juilliard School provides us with a lot of scholarships, financial aid, job opportunities and even employment opportunities in school with work-study, lab orchestras and composers’ concerts. We get discounts at some local restaurants. Bed, Bath and Beyond gives us a break during orientation week. All in all we’re relatively well taken care of.
That said, a little extra cash doesn’t hurt. I mean, it’s New York City we’re talking about. It’s not cheap. In fact it’s the precise opposite. Fortunately the financial aid office at the Juilliard School constantly points us to external scholarship opportunities, be they grants, audition based awards, or bursaries of some kind. We also receive a lot information about essay contests sponsored by companies around the city. More often than not, these contests don’t pertain to music at all, but relate to some vague notion of entrepreneurship or community engagement. It’s not a bad way to try and make money actually; in exchange for 500+ words, a student could win between $750 and $1000 on average – that’s as much as two dollars a word if you’re really economical.
Before yesterday, I’ve never been too tempted to enter one of these contests. “I don’t have time/I have enough to do/I could just get a couple of gigs instead/what are the chances?” etc. the excuses pile up pretty quickly. But yesterday students at the Juilliard School received information about a truly unique essay-writing contest – so unique, that I’m genuinely tempted to enter.
(N.B. For those of you who may think that the following message is satirical, it is not. Students at the Juilliard School were sent information about the following essay contest by the Office of Financial Aid.)
RemoveWartFast’s $1000 Scholarship for All Students
Students at the Juilliard School were referred to the removewartsfast.com/scholarship/
We are motivated to help students who are dedicated to improving the lives of others and that’s why we hold a $1000 merit-based scholarship twice a year for students from all fields of studies.
Who Are We?
RemoveWartsFast.com is a new website designed and developed to provide information about how to remove warts, the different types of warts and their solution, what is HPV and how is it spread, and the various diseases which are caused due to HPV.
We want to spread the knowledge about Warts to millions of people who are suffering from this disease.
What is This Scholarship About?
We understand the significance of the information online and want to give a platform to students to exhibit their research and literary abilities in this area.
That’s why We have created the Student Excellence Scholarship for Undergraduate or Postgraduate students with the passion of writing and spreading knowledge to receive $1000 award.
There is NO application fee.
Eligibility
This scholarship is only for students who are presently enrolled in colleges, universities or high schools.
Students of any stream/branch of study can apply for this scholarship.
Applicants must be above 18 years of age
Essay Topic:
Applicants have to submit a 500+ word essay on the following topic:
10 Easiest Ways to Cure Warts Fast And Naturally Without Any Side Effects
The essay must be 100% unique.
How to Submit your Application
Step 1: Write the essay on the above mentioned topic. (Sample: Wartrol Reviews)
Step 2: Email the essay via a .doc file to lauren@removewartsfast.com
Step 3: Include the following details in your mail
Your Personal Details (Name and Address).
Your School Name.
Your Current Area of Study.
Any valid document issued by your school/college which will prove that you are a current student.
Deadline For Submission
The last date of submission is Nov 30th, 2016.
How Will the Winners Be contacted?
The submissions will be reviewed by our editors and based on their feedback, the winner will be announced.
Winners will be contacted via email after the results are declared on 15th December.
$1,000 check will be sent directly to you once we verify your address details.
We look forward to reading your submissions.
Good Luck!
. . .
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?