Help

Hopefully your questions can be answered here.

Feel free to contact us if this page doesn't help.

What's Zinch?

We hook students up with colleges and scholarships. We make the college admissions process fun and relaxing. » Learn More

I’m having trouble creating an account.

The most common reason people have trouble creating accounts are:
+ Trying to create an invalid username. This includes anything that has spaces or symbols such as _ or * as well as usernames that are already in use.
+ Forgetting to check the "Terms and Conditions" box
+ Not filling out all of the information required

My Z-Folio doesn't seem to be working.

The Z-folio is the tool that allows students to upload multimedia onto the site. Here are some tips to help solve any problems you may have with the z-folio.

First off, the z-folio doesn't work well in the web browser Safari. If you’re using Safari, you’ll need to try a different browser. Our website is optimal in Firefox and Internet Explorer.

If your file won’t upload, you may be using a file that is too large and you’ll need to try a smaller file. Another common problem is trying to upload an invalid file type. These are the file types the z-folio will accept:

Music: .mp3
Video: .avi, .mov, .wmv, .mpg, .mp4, .flv (max size 100mb)
Images: .gif, .jpg (max file size is 4mb)
Literature: Text needs to be copy and pasted
PDF files: You can only use .pdf

If you’re still having problems, make sure javascript is enabled on your web browser and that your privacy settings are no higher than “medium”.

I can't "confirm" my email address.

Users who sign up on Zinch are required to confirm their email address. Here are some common questions:

I received the confirmation email but the link doesn't work.
If the link doesn't work, all you have to do is copy and paste that link into the web address bar in your browser. It should take you to the page that confirms your email address.

I still haven't received the confirmation email that Zinch says it has sent.
a) Make sure you entered the right email address.
b) If you have a junk mail folder, check it. Sometimes the confirmation email accidentally ends up there. Make sure you have your spam/junkmail settings configured so you can receive email from Zinch.

I lost my password or username. Or it's simply not working.

Go to the login page and click the link that says "Lost your password?" From there, a window will appear where you can type in your email address. We'll send you your username/password to the email address you specify in that window.

I’ve filled everything out, but my percent complete seems really low.

The system that generates percent complete takes a lot of things into account—it’s nearly impossible to get 100%. Just fill everything out as much as you can and don’t worry about the number. What matters is that you’re thorough and really show colleges who you are and what you’re looking for.

I want to delete my account.

If you are a high school student, go here to complete the deletion process. If you are a college student, please contact us, tell us what your username is, and tell us why you’d like to delete your account. We will take care of the deletion for you and send you notification as soon as it’s complete.

I have scholarship questions.

Zinch offers more than $50,000 in scholarships for high school students. » View More Scholarship Info

How do I apply for a scholarship?
It's simple. First step is to create a Zinch profile. Go to the sign up page and get started there. Once you're registered and logged in, click on the tab at the top of your page called "Scholarships”. From there, go to the "Zinch $" tab. All you need to do is click the "apply" button for the different scholarships you want to be considered for. Scholarship winners are chosen based on the info provided in their student profile, so be sure so fill it out as much as you can.

How do I know if my scholarship application was received?
You’ll want to visit the Zinch $ tab on our Scholarships page. Check below the scholarship listing to see if it says, “Congratulations, you have successfully applied!” If it doesn't, just click the "apply" button and you're done.

Once I have clicked "apply" for a scholarship, can I still work on my profile?
Yes. You can update your profile all you want up until the deadline. Once the deadline hits, your profile updates will most likely not be considered for the scholarship.

When will the scholarship winners be announced and how will I know?
Winners are normally decided within 30 days of the deadline. It takes a little time to review the applicants and make a decision, so be patient with us. Once the winners are chosen, we will contact them via email and/or phone. We usually give updates and announce our winners on our Our Blog.