The extracurricular student.

Nicole Bostic, won a $10,000 college scholarship by getting great grades, playing sports, and writing essays about her favorite books

No one would argue that getting a college education can be pretty expensive. So we could all agree that getting the funds to finance it can make concentrating on school-work that much easier. Nicole Bostic, a 2003 recipient of a Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship Award, had the right ideas early on.

One of nearly 80 students who also received the award, Nicole began by studying hard and maintaining a 4.2 (out of 5.0) GPA and taking honors courses. But that's not all. "I was a senior class officer, captain for the field hockey team, did the shot put during winter track, and played the tenor saxophone in the band," says the 18-year old student from Poughquag, New York, who won a $10,000 scholarship to attend Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California.

Part of the Education and Leadership Development arm of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, the program offers four-year scholarships of up to $6,000 per year. To be eligible, applicants must be a minority high school senior, accepted at an accredited four-year college or university, and have scored at least 900 on the SAT or 23 on the ACT.

Once Nicole met the requirements, she filled out the application and got down to the business of essay writing, part of the applica lion process. So how would she sum up what judges are looking for in an essay? "They're trying to get an idea of how you think and feel. It doesn't hurt to get advice from a parent or an advisor, but when it comes to the writing, do it yourself," she offers. The freshman also advises to have a teacher review the essay for grammar and punctuation mistakes.

One of the essays Nicole wrote focused on the contributions of Jackie Robinson--the first African American to play major league baseball. "I admired his strenght and character because he broke the color barrier in baseball," says Nicole, who also volunteers as a candy striper. All told, she had to write five in six essays to meet the requirements of the scholarship committee.

After being chosen as a semifinalist, she was called in for a brief interview. "They asked lots of academic questions," says Nicole, who just began her fresh man year. "They asked where I wanted to go to college and why, and asked me to tell them a little about myself." She was ready, though. "Don't try to figure out what they want to hear because you'll never be able to figure it out. Just be honest and truthful."

So what does the future hold for this aspiring business major? "I just want to concentrate on school and do the best I can to prepare myself for the future," she says.

For more information, call 212-290-8600 or log on to www.jackierobinson.org. The deadline is April 1.

Nicole Bostic: A Day in the Life

Sign: Libra

Playlist: A Tribe Called Quest, G. Love, Special Sauce

Favorite Flicks: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Reading Material: Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

Sports:Lacrosse and hockey

Things to Do: Playing piano, hanging out with friends Microsoft Underrepresented Minority Scholarship