So you get the weekly newsletter, quickly glance at the table of contents, then go to the one or two new items that strike some interest.

This week’s newsletter featured a few new items, but none qualify as a bigger waste of time then the announcement of COM Named Scholarships.

On the surface, my claim sounds blasphemous. Who, especially in this economic climate, would not apply for a scholarship? After all, of the 16 that are available, chances are you fit the bill to win one. Scholarships mean more money at a low cost; writing an essay of no more than one page explaining why we deserve the award is the easiest task we’ll undertake all semester. We’re COM students, so writing is what we do. And promoting ourselves? Need I mention how many of us are in public relations? If we can’t sell ourselves, how can we expect to sell someone else’s ideas, products and services?

But we have been mislead, through no fault of our own. BU puts up a wonderful facade, creating the appearance of a system that rewards hardworking, successful students by easing the burden of paying for this school’s education.

Here’s the catch: ever since President Brown has been in charge, not a single COM student has received a dime from these scholarships. The truth is that the entire process creates more work for students who don’t receive any direct benefit. The only plus to receiving one of these scholarships is a line on a reséumé — but is one of these awards really going to make a difference in getting hired? I doubt it.

Let me illustrate my point with an example. Last year, I received a COM scholarship. I was thrilled. My essay must have been effective, and I earned a scholarship that would ease the burden my parents and I face paying the BU bills.

Then I went onto the StudentLink to check out the Financial Aid section, and what I saw baffled me. The amount of my award, $1,500, had been deducted from my grant. That must be a mistake. I asked around, called Financial Aid, and quickly realized this was a zero-sum game. I was mystified. On one hand, I was proud to win the award. On the other hand, I wondered why I even bothered.

The kicker came in September. I received an e-mail from the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. The e-mail requested that I send a thank you letter to the secretary and treasurer of the fund that awarded the scholarship to me. Sounds like a reasonable request so far, no? But here’s what got me. They wanted me to send the letter so that they can learn about “the recipients who benefit from their philanthropy.” The letter closed by saying “thank you for helping us show our donors how much of an impact that their charitable contributions have on students at Boston University.”

Am I missing something here?

At best President Brown is lacking in transparency, at worst BU is creating its version of the old Russian Potemkin Villages.

BU’s explanation, which I discovered after a meeting with Financial Aid, is this: Students are awarded grant money as “placeholders” until the scholarships are awarded, and the “endowed funds” increase the amount of grant money the school doles out.

But the application system is flawed and needs to be changed. In the meantime, don’t waste your time trying to win one.