Scholarships >> Browse Articles >> Scholarship Spotlight

FastWeb's Scholarship Triathlon: $9K in Prizes

FastWeb is bringing you this summer’s hottest and most competitive triathlon. Dust off your training shoes because this race starts on July 9, 2009.

First Leg: The World’s Shortest Essay Contest. You’ll be asked to enter an essay with a maximum of 140 characters. That’s so short we’re hoping to get into the Book of Records. Prize: $1,500.

Here’s how to enter the World’s Shortest Essay Contest:

Enter from your computer via email by sending your entry to essaycontest@fastweb.com. Remember that Dell computers are pre-installed with Windows Vista Ultimate, making this an easy way to enter The World’s Shortest Essay Contest.

Deadline for First Leg submissions: July 31, 2009.

Need Tips on how to get the most out of your 140 Characters?

Read our Editors’ expert advice on using abbreviations, and even Japanese characters to squeeze extra meaning out of your essay effort.

• LOL, LMK, and TTFN
• Asian languages get a whole thought in one character.
• :-) and other emoticons in the World’s Shortest Essay

The triathlon is ON all summer.

Here are the upcoming events, making this an awesome, ongoing contest. And remember, EVERYONE who participates is automatically entered in the Grand Prize for $2500 in October.

Second Leg: Why I Deserve a Scholarship Video Contest. Grand prize: $2,500. One lucky voter receives $1,000. Helpful Hint: Windows Media Center comes with Windows Vista Ultimate so you can watch all the Scholarship Videos on your own terms.

Third leg: Toughest Tech Quiz. Grand prize: $1,500. Bone up on your Tech history, including ways that Windows Vista Ultimate and Dell work together for your total video, and music experience. At the end of the triathlon, one lucky winner will be randomly drawn for another $2,500 prize.

Start training and look for updates on each Leg of the Scholarship Triathlon here from now thru October. Here are the Official Rules and Regulations for the Scholarship Triathlon and Grand Prize.

Scholarship Triathlon

OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

THERE ARE FOUR (4) “LEGS” TO THIS PROMOTION. YOU MAY ENTER ALL OR ANY OF THE LEGS FOR A CHANCE TO WIN. YOU MUST BE A FASTWEB MEMBER TO ENTER OR VOTE IN THIS PROMOTION. KEY DATES:

• Leg 1: ”The World’s Shortest Essay Contest”: 7/9-7/31/09
• Leg 2: Why I Deserve a Scholarship Video Contest: 8/1-9/7/09
• Leg 3: Technology Quiz Sweepstakes: 9/15-10/7/09
• Leg 4: Grand Prize Sweepstakes 7/9-10/7/09

ENTRY INTO LEGS 1-3 AUTOMATICALLY ENTERS THE ENTRANT INTO THE GRAND PRIZE SWEEPSTAKES (LEG #4).

1. ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are thirteen (13) years of age or older or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is older and to registered members of FastWeb. Joining FastWeb is free visit www.FastWeb.com for details. This promotion is governed by US law and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations. Employees of FastWeb, LLC (“Sponsor”), Monster, Cohen-Friedberg Associates, LLC (“Administrators”), and each of their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies collectively,( the “Promotion Entities”) and members of the immediate family or household of each are not eligible to participate.

2. LEG 1: WORLD’S SHORTEST ESSAY CONTEST. Begins at 12:01 am Eastern Time (ET) on Tuesday, July 9, 2009 and entry ends at 11:59 pm ET on Friday, July 31, 2009.

To enter write a short essay (not to exceed 140 characters in length) on one (1) of the following topics:

• Option 1: The best way you have used technology to your advantage in school in the past year.
• Option 2: How do you think technology will impact your college career?

Enter: Essays may be sent via Email to essaycontest@fastweb.com. All entries submitted become property of the Sponsor, and will not be returned or acknowledged.

Once a participant registers an essay, there will be no access to the original and such participant will be unable to make any edits or changes. All essays must be original and created by the entrant. By entering, entrant warrants that such entries are his or her own original work and not the work of others.

Judging: A team of FastWeb employees (the “Judges”) will read each essay and utilize the following equally weighted criteria to determine a winner:

• 1/3 Based on “originality”
• 1/3 Based on “creativity”
• 1/3 Based on “directly answering the essay question”

The winning entry will be announced on or about August 21, 2009.

Prize: One (1) Grand Prize: $1,500. Odds of winning depend on the number of valid entries received and the total number of points awarded to each survey.

LEG 2: WHY I DESERVE A SCHOLARSHIP VIDEO CONTEST.

Begins at 12:01 am Eastern Time (ET) on Saturday, August 1, 2009 and entry ends at 11:59 pm ET on Monday, September 7, 2009. To enter, submit a 1-3 minute video describing/showing/depicting “Why you deserve a scholarship”. Video must be no more than one to three minutes in length, in a compressed Quicktime, Flash or Windows Media format. Entries must include a title and description for your video.

Enter: Post finished video at WhyIDeserveAScholarship.com. All entries submitted become property of the Sponsor, and will not be returned or acknowledged. All videos posted to the gallery will be accessible by the public and submission of a video entry constitutes entrant’s consent for Sponsor to post entrant’s video in the gallery for public view.

Submissions must adhere to Monster’s Terms of Use for User Generated Content, located at: www.fastweb.com/terms Once a participant registers a video, there will be no access to the original and such participant will be unable to make any edits or changes. Videos must be original and created by the entrant. By entering, entrant warrants that such entries are his or her own original work and not the work of others.

VOTING: Registered FastWeb members may vote for their favorite video between 12:01 am ET beginning September 8, 2009 and ending at 11:59 pm ET on September 15, 2009. LIMIT: Members may vote one time per day at WhyIDeserveAScholarship.com. Members should vote based on the following equally weighted criteria:

• 1/3 Based on “description of their need for a scholarship”
• 1/3 Based on “creativity in explaining their financial need”
• 1/3 Based on “originality of their answer”

The video that achieves the greatest number of votes over the voting period, will win. The winning entry to be announced on or about September 21, 2009.

Prize: One (1) Grand Prize: $2,500. Odds of winning depend on the number of valid entries received and the total number of votes awarded to each survey.

VOTERS BONUS SWEEPSTAKES: Grand Prize: $1,000. One winner will be randomly selected from all valid registered voters participating in the Why I Deserve a Scholarship Video Contest. Odds of winning depend on the total number of valid registered voters. The winning entry will be announced on or about September 21, 2009.

LEG 3: TECHNOLOGY QUIZ SWEEPSTAKES.

Begins at 12:01 am Eastern Time (ET) on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 and entry ends at 11:59 pm ET on Thursday, October 7, 2009 (the “Promotion Period”). To enter, test your knowledge by answering the 10-question quiz on technology topics. Once you enter it does not matter how many you correctly answer however you must complete the quiz to be eligible for entry into the Sweepstakes. LIMIT: One entry per person over the Promotion Period.

Enter: Visit www.FastWeb.com and register for the 10-question quiz. All entries submitted become property of the Sponsor, and will not be returned or acknowledged. The random drawing will be conducted on or about October 10, 2009.

Prize: One (1) Grand Prize: $1,500. Odds of winning depend on the number of valid entries received and the total number of completed quizzes.

LEG 4: GRAND PRIZE SWEEPSTAKES.

Open only to those entrants that participated in one or more of the LEGS #1-#3 during the Promotion Period. DRAWING: A random drawing will be conducted on or about October 20, 2009 to select one (1) Grand Prize winner.

Prize: One (1) Grand Prize: $2,500. Odds of winning depend on the number of valid entries received over the Promotion Period.

3. GENERAL NOTES: Total approximate retail value of all Contest prizes $5,000 and all Sweepstakes prizes $4,000.Entrants must have full and complete rights in the submissions. Submissions must not infringe the rights of any third party and must be suitable for publication. Sponsor reserves right to reject, delete and/or disqualify any essay or video found in Sponsor’s sole discretion to violate Monster’s Terms of Use or these guidelines or to be fraudulent, to infringe upon existing rights of others, to be incomplete, damaged, obscene, vulgar, offensive or otherwise unsuitable for publication. Limit one entry per person per Leg. Sponsor may reject any entry it believes is the result of fraud or was submitted in violation of the official rules and Monster’s Terms of Use. If a potential prize winner is disqualified for any reason, the prize will be awarded to an alternate winner based on the next highest score or in the case of a Sweepstakes by random selection. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, damaged, stolen, late or misdirected entries, and all such entries that are ineligible. Altered, illegible, or incomplete entries are also ineligible.

4. WINNER SELECTION: Judges will be a panel of FastWeb employees, whose decisions are final and legally binding in all respects. Potential winners will be notified by email, telephone, overnight carrier, or regular mail within approximately five (5) days of selection. If Sponsor is unable to contact the potential winner after reasonable effort, or if potential winner fails to an alternate winner will be selected based on the related Official Rules.

5. RIGHT TO USE SUBMISSION AND INFORMATION: Entries and all other submitted material become the property of Sponsor. By submitting an entry: you irrevocably assign to Sponsor all right, title, and interest in your entry in any and all media whether now known or hereafter devised, in perpetuity, anywhere in the world, with the right to make any and all uses thereof, including, without limitation, for purposes of advertising or trade. The rights granted under this paragraph shall extend to all entries and all other submitted materials related to the Contests and Sweepstakes, including those submitted by non-winners and winners. By submitting an entry, you grant to Sponsor and its affiliated companies, the right, except where prohibited by law, to use your name, likeness, picture, address (city and state), e-mail address, voice, biographical information and written or oral statements, for advertising and promotional purposes in promoting or publicizing Sponsor and its products or services, without compensation unless required by law. You shall have no right of approval, no claim to compensation, and no claim (including, without limitation, claims based on invasion of privacy, defamation, or right of publicity) arising out of any use, blurring, alteration, or use in composite form of your name, picture, likeness, address (city and state), e mail address, biographical information, or entry. The rights granted under this paragraph shall extend to Sponsor and its affiliated companies with respect to all entrants in the Contests and Sweepstakes, including non-winners and winners.

6. NOTICES: Each potential winner will be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release, and, where legal, a Publicity Release, within seven (7) days of first attempted notification. In the event of noncompliance with these requirements, the potential winner may be disqualified and an alternate winner selected, at Sponsor’s discretion based on the next highest score or in the case of a Sweepstakes via random drawing. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for the Promotion Entities and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers and employees and agents to use winner’s name and likeness in any and all media, now known or hereafter devised, without notice, review or approval, in perpetuity and throughout the universe for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation or consideration, unless prohibited by law. By entering, you release and hold harmless Sponsor, the Promotion Entities from all liability or any injuries of any kind arising from or in connection with participation in this promotion or acceptance, travel or use of any prize. By entering, you agree to abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Judges and Administrators regarding this Promotion, which are final and legally binding in all respects. All disputes will be resolved under applicable U.S. laws.

7. INTERNET: If, for any reason, the Internet portion of this promotion is not capable of running as planned, whether due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Promotion, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Promotion. In the event of termination, prizes may be awarded from all valid entries received up until the time of termination. Sponsor and the Promotion Entities assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, or incomplete entries. Sponsor and the Promotion Entities are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail or entry to be received by Sponsor on account of technical problems, human error or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any web site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in this Promotion. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY A PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS PROMOTION IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. In the event of a dispute as to the identity or eligibility of a winner based on an e-mail address, entries will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at time of entry provided he/she is eligible according to these Official Rules. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

8. DISPUTES: Except where prohibited, entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Promotion or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Promotion, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (3) unless otherwise prohibited, under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, indirect, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and Sponsors in connection with the Promotion shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the state of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

9. WINNERS LIST: For the name, city and state of residence of winners send a self-addressed stamped envelope by 10/20/2009 to Scholarship Triathlon Winners List Request, PO Box 2312 Framingham, MA 01703-2312.

________________________________________

---