obscurans

Replaces the Student Rewards (1% blanket; 2% dining/textbooks/entertainment; 23.9% APR) with 1.25% blanket (as long as you pay on time) and 19.8% APR.

Approved with CK 680, graduate stipend, and another card from C1. They really like giving you just $500 then saying if you pay X months on time, it goes up to $750. I got X = 5 instead of 3 last time. However, after the $750 good luck getting the next increase - I'm close to a year by now and still no. The best thing about it is that the 25% bonus is applied automatically - on my first statement I had 1.25% cashback on net purchases.

For comparison, AMEX Blue Cash gives 1.25% blanket (5% everyday) after $6500 in annual spending. As usual, if you ever not pay in full (especially with the puny limits C1 gives out), stay away from the sky-high interest rate. If you do however, this is a great way to farm top-tier rewards, and don't forget C1's shtick about no foreign transaction fees.

Approved with no history whatsoever, not even store cards/secured cards. Stipend amount ~2k/mo.

No annual fee, no international transaction fees, and the high-tier (blanket 1%) rewards is crazy - I think this is the only fixed category (not those 'rotating' 5%s) cash-back program that gives 2% on restaurants and entertainment. Also, you can seriously say 'give me a 0.02 statement credit' and they'll do it; other programs restrict redemptions to say $50 or higher. Pretty much the best of the bunch, unlike Citi who hates F1s with a passion.

That is, if you plan on never paying a red cent in interest and are capable of actually doing it. Otherwise, stay very far away: you buy these perks with a sky-high interest rate.