It's time for high school students to gear up for the annual National Financial Literacy Challenge. The challenge (sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury) is a 35-question personal finance test that can be taken online.

The test will be administered between November 3 and November 26; registration is open now. And there's a pay-off for those who do well--the Charles Schwab Foundation will be awarding $1,000 scholarships to 100 students who score 100 percent on the test.

Understanding the basics of personal finance is essential in today's world. I encourage everyone who's eligible to participate in this test. It's a great opportunity to test your knowledge, raise awareness, and earn the chance to win $1,000 for your education.

A lot of business school scholarship contests require applicants to write an essay or fill out long forms. If you are sick of all the paperwork, I have a scholarship contest for you.

It's called the Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest. The winner gets a $10,000 scholarship that can be used for any degree-granting education program.

Entrants must design a greeting card (front only) using original photographs or graphics. The card should be "appropriate for business or consumer use."

Scholarship Contest Details:

• The contest deadline is January 15, 2009
• Only one entry per person will be accepted
• Applicants must be between the ages of 14 and 35

For more information, read the Official Scholarship Rules (PDF).

The Princeton Review released their annual guide to the Best 296 Business Schools today. The book includes surveys students to offer an inside look at 296 of the world's best business schools.

Schools that were ranked #1 among various categories include:

• University of Virginia - Best Professors
• Stanford University - Best Career Prospects, Toughest to Get Into
• Indiana University-Bloomington - Best Classroom Experience
• University of Massachusetts-Amherst - Best Opportunities for Women
• Brigham Young University - Most Family Friendly

See more business school rankings from The Princeton Review.

If McCombs School of Business is one of your target schools (and even if it's not), you might want to take a moment to check out McCombs Today.

McCombs Today is the official news blog of the McCombs School of Business. The blog, which is updated on a daily basis, offers information about rankings, student and faculty awards, event listings, and other items that would be of interest to prospective students.