For those who don’t know me, I lucked up on financial aid this year with EIGHT scholarships (5 local, 3 from the college I’m attending). And recently, I’ve been getting all sorts of messages from high-schoolers (mainly upcoming Seniors) about the mystical secrets of how to win scholarships. Well, here in today’s blog, I will do just that—share every little secret I know, for free. We like free, right? Of course we do!
Anyways, to business:
The MOST important tip is…
1. Apply. For. EVERYTHING.
(Insert eye roll here) Yes, it’s what everyone says, but it’s true. Just because the scholarship has a funky name, or the requirements are a little off for you, APPLY ANYWAY. I can’t stress that enough. Most local scholarships are overlooked, when all it takes is one simple form to fill.*MYTH BUSTER: Just because you don’t have all A’s doesn’t mean anything. My grades were pretty mediocre, because I thought I was too cool for school in my Freshie years, not turning in homework or better yet, losing it. But, note that I turned too school for cool in my Junior year. You still have to put in effort. Oh yeah. I went there.
2. Make a weekly visit to your counselors’ office.
You may think you seem like you’re the desperate little senior/junior, but they appreciate your persistence, which doesn’t go unseen, I promise. *Plus, those same counselors judge many of the local scholarships. ;) Keep an eye out for scholarship newsletters, if your school has them like mine did. Also, befriend your [future] college’s financial aid office. Usually they have extra scholarships left over and have to give out money really quickly.3. KEEP AN AGENDA.
Do it. Grab you an agenda with room for notes and calendars to keep the deadlines of every single scholarship, and you won’t be sorry. Plus, it really helps you keep up with meeting and event dates if you’re active in 100 different organizations. (Trust me, I’ve been there.) Being late to turn in an application/resume may cost you a free $50-$1,000-or above. It also helps you recall resume “glitter” such as service projects, competitions, etc.4. Pre-plan your information before you write it on your application.
To me, this sounds like common sense, but I know it isn’t for everyone. I would write the info on a “scratch” sheet to edit, and then write it down on a “final draft”. If the ink were to mess up, or if my words were mixed up, I’d start all over again. I don’t believe in white-out or correction tape. Sorry ‘bout it. I would gather about 3 blank copies of each app, so I would have room for mistakes, though. I suggest you do the same. :)5. Revise your applications, essays and resumes with a second (or third) pair of eyes!
This is something crucial. Well these tips are all crucial, but unslightly grammar is a true deal breaker. My best advice here is to have three different forms of English teachers to look over it, for a better-rounded style. For example, I had my apps, essays, and resumes checked by my journalism teacher, creative writing teacher, and any other lit teacher I could catch in a good mood. However, do NOT take your papers to someone you know will sugar coat it and tell you it’s fine, because if it’s a rough draft, I promise you it’s definitely not. I had to re-write mine several times due to one little mistake. But hey, it’ll help, I promise.6. Speaking of grammar rules, abbreviations and contractions (isn’t, don’t, doesn’t, etc.) are NOT allowed!
The reason abbreviations are a no-no: okay, no matter how renowned your organization is, the judge may not know what LEO, FFA, or HOSA is. It’s best to keep every single abbreviation spelled out. People like details. The reason contractions aren’t allowed is for the same reason your teacher taught you years ago. Such things call for a formal tone, not casual. Contractions are in a casual-type category of words that you would use in a setting with, say, peers. Don’t be lazy. You want to show these judges that you are a successful scholar/leader/etc. Don’t be lazy.*p.s. a good tip I learned from journalism: cut out the flowery, unnecessary words, especially when making a powerful statement. Less is truly more. And not boring… Even though I know I’m guilty of multiple unnecessary words in the first degree.
7. When writing scholarship essays, don’t turn it into an autobiography of accomplishments.
I don’t really know else how to explain this one. I guess, just keep the essay as far as away from “you” as you can while making it relevant to your experiences. Sorry for the confusion. You should be able to tell the difference. I mean, if you truly deserve the scholarship, you would know that the “all about me” attitude is nothing but obnoxious, and boring. Yes, boring. (Yay, you were the winner of the cow-flavored jelly-eating contest at Downtown Dairy’s Jamboree five years in a row[which is not real, I hope]. Whatevs.) Make this something inspiring. Don’t make it about you, because that’s what your resume is for.8. No matter who, or where you are, or what grade-level/classification you’re in, grab a piece of paper and pencil NOW.
Something I still to this day face-palm myself for is forgetting to write down really important things I was involved in while in high school. Which I’m still so proud and most of all, grateful for my eight scholarships, but as I go through the copies of my finished apps (which we will discuss in the next tip), I can’t help but wonder if some of the scholarships I wasn’t chosen for were for my forgetful mistake—which is probably not the case, but I can’t help it.9. Keep a copy of your essays and apps.
I’m a scholarship nerd, and I keep a folder of copies of my apps and essays, both failed and won. I will say that I have made trips to and from my folder several times. Not only can I analyze my apps/essays to see what I can improve, but guess what? Most of the applications are practically the same! And guess what’s even better? Sometimes you can tailor your essays to fit the needs of a separate scholarship. (Great, right? I know I said not to be lazy. But this isn’t being lazy. I would say this is the definition of being a true smart-person.)
10. Prep. Prep. Prep.
For real. Prepare yourself. This is coming from the girl who compiled a list of college necessities her freshman year of high school. Interview-oriented scholarships have a huge need for preparation, and practice. My biggest scholarship was based on a leadership interview, after being one of the students chosen from a stack of applicants. And the major reasons I was able to handle the interview with poise are: I studied my own app, creating questions based on it that I were possible questions, I compiled a list of possible general questions, and I had very intimidating adults to interview me for practice.I really enjoy giving tips about interviews. I will definitely have a whole blog entry for interview advice one of these days.
And the best tip I could ever give is to have faith. What is meant to be WILL happen. Believe it. Have faith.
Anywho, thank you so much for reading, and I hope it helps.
E-mail me! Or leave a comment below!
“Be ambitious. Not oblivious.”
With love,
