{"id":72412,"date":"2012-04-17T14:11:11","date_gmt":"2012-04-17T18:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freestufftimes.com\/contests\/?p=72412"},"modified":"2012-04-17T14:11:11","modified_gmt":"2012-04-17T18:11:11","slug":"microsoft-stores-skys-the-limit-for-your-education-contest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freestufftimes.com\/contests\/17\/microsoft-stores-skys-the-limit-for-your-education-contest\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Store\u2019s Sky\u2019s the Limit for Your Education Contest"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/winbig.microsoftstore.com\/\" >https:\/\/winbig.microsoftstore.com\/<\/a><br \/>\nentrants must submit an essay of two hundred fifty (250) words or fewer answering the following questions: In 250 words or less, tell us how the Microsoft Store can help you better your future and take your education or career path to the next level. Tell us what the next level means to you and how the Microsoft Store can help you get there. In addition, each entrant has the opportunity to earn up to fifteen (15) bonus points by submitting a photograph that supports the entrant\u2019s essay (see Rule 2(b)(i) for additional photograph criteria requirements).<br \/>\nFINALIST JUDGING CRITERIA AND SELECTION\/CONFIRMATION: This is not a game of chance. Odds of winning depend on the quality of entries received. The Judging Panel (defined below) will select up to fifteen (15) entrants (each a potential \u201cFinalist\u201d) on or about May 21, 2012, based on the judging criteria below. The \u201cJudging Panel\u201d will consist of marketing representatives from Microsoft and\/or GMR. All Submissions will be evaluated on a 100-point scale, with maximum points in each category as follows: a maximum of twenty (20) points for clearly identifying and defining the next level in your education or career path; a maximum of twenty (20) points for creating and clearly defining a plan to get to that next level with Microsoft Store and explaining how the plan would take your education or career path to the next level; a maximum of forty (40) points for originality, effectiveness and creativity of the plan; a maximum of ten (10) points for including Microsoft Store as part of the plan; a maximum of ten (10) points for spelling, grammar and organization of the essay. In addition, entrants may also earn a maximum of fifteen (15) bonus points by submitting an eligible photograph that supports the entrant\u2019s essay in a creative and engaging fashion. Any Submission may be eliminated, regardless of point total, in the judges\u2019 sole discretion (i) if it is not consistent with the Microsoft brand\u2019s reputation in the marketplace, including its reputation for quality and integrity,<\/p>\n<p>Finalists: Up to fifteen (15) potential Finalists will be notified by phone\/mail to the phone number\/address indicated on each potential Finalist\u2019s Official Entry Form on or about May 22, 2012.<\/p>\n<p>ONLINE VOTING AND GRAND PRIZE DETERMINATION: Up to fifteen (15) Finalists, along with the associated Submissions, will be posted online on the Contest Website from approximately 12:01 a.m. PT on June 1, 2012 to 11:59 p.m. PT on June 11, 2012 (the \u201cContest Voting Period\u201d) for the online voting phase of the Contest. To vote, visit the Contest Website, choose the Submission you feel has the most original, effective, and creative plan, click the \u201cVote\u201d button, and provide your email address during the Contest Voting Period. Limit of one (1) vote per person\/authorized e-mail account holder per day. Entrants are eligible to vote.<\/p>\n<p>Ten (10) Grand Prizes: One (1) Graduation Bundle, which consists of: One (1) laptop (laptop make, model, manufacturer, and all other aspects of the laptop are at the sole discretion of the Sponsor); one (1) copy of Microsoft Office Professional 2010 software (software edition, features, and all other aspects of the Microsoft Office software are at the sole discretion of the Sponsor); one (1) laptop bag (laptop bag make, model, manufacturer, and all other aspects of the laptop bag are at the sole discretion of the Sponsor); one (1) $250 Microsoft Store gift card; one (1) 250GB Xbox 360\u00ae with Kinect; three (3) Xbox 360\u00ae video games (video game titles, editions, manufacturers, and all other aspects of the video games are at the sole discretion of the Sponsor); and $1,287.88, awarded in the form of a corporate check intended to assist with taxes associated with acceptance of the prize. The Approximate Retail Value (\u201cARV\u201d) of each Grand Prize is $3,787.88.<\/p>\n<p>Approximate Retail Value of all prizes combined: $37,878.80.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>https:\/\/winbig.microsoftstore.com\/ entrants must submit an essay of two hundred fifty (250) words or fewer answering the following questions: In 250 words or less, tell us how the Microsoft Store can help you better your future and take your education or career path to the next level. Tell us what the next level means to you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7783,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"fst_prize":[],"class_list":["post-72412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-one-entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Microsoft Store\u2019s Sky\u2019s the Limit for Your Education Contest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Microsoft Store\u2019s Sky\u2019s the Limit for Your Education Contest\" 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