WHERE AM I GOING TO PARK THAT PRIUS? Orlowski won $50,000 and a car for his essays. Glenn Matsumura

Just in time for tax day, sophomore Jeff Orlowski’s bottom line suddenly got complicated. The grand-prize winner in the MTV and mtvU Free Ride Contest this spring, Orlowski took home a $50,000 college scholarship and a hybrid Toyota Prius.

Not bad for writing two essays.

Contestants from across the country were asked to discuss how music and the environment have influenced their lives. Orlowski, a longtime classical pianist and manager of the a cappella group Talisman, drew on his experience for his winning papers. “Talisman is my musical outlet at Stanford. It’s a very diverse group and we sing world music from different cultures to diverse audiences. It’s really given me a different perspective of the world, a global perspective that makes me want to preserve the environment,” he says.

Freshman Edwin Chiu, who wrote his essays about his middle-school teacher’s love for music and the hazards of SUV culture, nabbed second place in the competition. His main prize: $1,000 in gift certificates to Finish Line, an athletic shoe chain. Asked by the Stanford Daily how he planned to spend his winnings, Chiu replied: “It’s hard to say because I’ve never bought a pair of shoes for more than $8.”