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Applying for Scholarships Tips
Toot Your Own Horn in Your Scholarship Application Essays
Before you actually start filling out your scholarship applications, you need to spend some time thinking about how to write a scholarship essay that will get the results that you want. For many people, the hardest part of writing a scholarship essay is getting comfortable singing their own praises. In order to convince the judges that you should receive the scholarship instead of the other applicants, you have to tell the judges what makes you a better candidate.
Therefore, one of the most important things you have to do when getting ready to write your college scholarship essays is to spend some time reflecting on just how wonderful you really are. When you write down all of the great things you have accomplished, it will be much easier for you to create an essay that conveys your strong points to the judges.
Tips for Getting Ready to Toot Your Own Horn:
1. Make a list of all your accomplishments.
2. Develop a list of your extracurricular activities.
3. Write down the three accomplishments of which you are the most proud.
4. Think of a problem that you have faced and write down how you were able to overcome it.
5. Put in writing your career goals, or your reason for wanting to attend college.
6. Pretend that you had to write a letter of recommendation for yourself. Write down the three most important things you would say.
Armed with this list of your best traits, accomplishments, and goals, you’re on your way to writing a winning essay. Of course, you have to make sure that your essay is well written, on-topic, sounds sincere, and is free of typographical errors. No matter what you end up saying about yourself, be sure to proofread it very carefully. It’s always a great idea to have someone else double check for spelling, grammar, and mechanical errors.
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Preparing to Write a Scholarship Application Essay
Most college scholarship applications consist of a questionnaire, one or more scholarship essay questions, letters of recommendation, and transcripts from previous academic work. For many students, writing scholarship application essays can be the most stressful part of the scholarship application process. When preparing for scholarship essays, it is important to consider the purpose of the writing assignment before getting started.
Scholarship Application Tips for Essay Preparation:
1. Make sure you understand the question before you start writing.
2. Look up the mission of the organization, so you get a general idea of the perspective and values of individuals who will be reading your essay.
3. Think about why this particular topic was chosen for the scholarship competition.
4. Put thought into what the scholarship committee hopes to learn about you as a result of reading the essay.
5. If appropriate, decide on a theme for the essay.
6. Write an outline of the major topics to discuss or points to make in your essay.
Going through these steps before you start writing scholarship essays helps give you direction and focus. Once you have gone through the steps of getting prepared to start your essay, the task of writing it won’t seem quite so daunting.
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Common Scholarship Essay Questions
If you are planning to apply for several scholarships, be prepared to write answers to scholarship essay questions covering a wide variety of topics. Scholarship providers who require applicants write essays do so for several reasons. One of the main reasons for requiring an essay as part of a scholarship application package is to verify that the student is willing to commit the time and energy to putting together a thoughtful and well-written essay.
Another common reason for requiring an original writing sample is that the judges have a chance to get a better sense of who applicants really are from an essay than from a standard scholarship application form. Scholarship essay topics that focus on the applicant’s background and career goals often have this objective.
Scholarship programs that award funding for related to special interest groups or for people with certain majors or career goals often require applicants to write essays that demonstrate their commitment to the organization’s cause or reasons for wanting to gain employment in the field of study. In a sense, essays can give these types a scholarship providers as to whether or not an applicant is a “good investment.”
Examples of Real-life Scholarship Essay Questions include:
Describe one specific example of your leadership ability.
Describe why you wish to obtain a college education and why you are deserving of a scholarship.
Describe what influenced your decision to pursue Nursing as a career.
What personal information do you wish to share with the scholarship selection committees?
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Gather Information Needed For Scholarship Application Forms
The process of researching and applying for scholarships can be a major undertaking. As you explore your options for finding scholarship opportunities, you are likely to have a number of questions. One of the most common scholarship FAQs from individuals who are just getting started with the scholarship application process is: What information will I need to complete my scholarship application forms?
The type of information you will need to complete scholarship applications will vary from one scholarship program to another, based on specific scholarship guidelines. Most applications will require general demographic information about the applicant, such as contact information, date of birth, gender, etc.
Scholarship applications usually require details about educational background, such as grade point average, standardized test scores, prior schools attended, date (or expected date) of high school graduation, and other information. You are generally required to submit official transcripts, either from your high school or previous college coursework.
Some applications have a series of short answer questions, such as questions about career goals, work experience, extracurricular activities, and similar details. Some may even require a resume. Many applications require candidates to include a letter of application and/or an essay.
In addition to samples of your own writing, you may also need to submit letters of recommendation from teachers, your guidance counselor, an employer, or other person who can attest to your qualifications. For example, if you are applying for funding from a national professional organization, you might have to ask a member of the local chapter to write a letter on your behalf.
If the scholarship is need-based, documentation of financial need might need to be provided. Keep in mind that you should always validate that you are working with a legitimate scholarship provider before releasing any sensitive financial information.
Specialty scholarship programs may have very specific requirements. For example, many music scholarship programs require applicants to submit audition tapes. If you are applying for a scholarship program for minorities, you are likely to be asked to provide documentation of your minority status.
When you are ready to start applying for scholarships, it is a good idea to start gathering the information you are likely to need and store it in a central location. Assuming that you plan to apply for a number of scholarships, you are likely to need the same types of information several times. By keeping your information organized and easily accessible, you can save a lot of time when filling out scholarship application.
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Sample Scholarship Essays Can Be a Source of Inspiration
Reviewing scholarship essay samples can be very helpful when preparing to write scholarship application essays of your own. A great source of scholarship essay help can be learning from examples of successful essays. You can even get inspiration about what not to do in your own essays from poorly written sample documents. Looking at other essays can give you ideas about the best scholarship essay format to use for your own documents. It can also be reassuring to see proof that other students have been able to successfully complete the task of composing scholarship application essays!
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The Online Scholarship Application Process
For many programs, completing scholarship applications online is a mandatory part of the application process. Online scholarship applications can be very convenient and time saving for applicants and scholarship providers.
When applying for a scholarship via an online application, it is in your best interest to type your application and any scholarship essays in a word processing document first, and then copy and paste it into the application form when you are ready to submit the application. This is very important for two reasons.
First, if you type information directly into the online form, and something goes wrong before you are able to submit the form, you are likely to lose all the information that you worked so hard to enter into the form. If you are filling out an online form and your computer loses power or freezes, all of your hard work will be gone. However, if write your answers in a word processor and save frequently while working, you aren’t at risk of losing all of your work.
Second, there is a greater risk of having typographical errors when you enter information directly into a form instead of a word processor with an automated spell check function. One of the worst things an applicant can do is submit a scholarship application that has typographical errors in it. Type your information in a word processor, print it, proofread it, and then have someone else proofread it. When you are sure that it is error free, copy and paste it into your online form and hit the submit button.
Remember that submitting your application online doesn’t mean that you actually have to compose it online. By taking the time to work offline first, you will protect yourself form unexpected data loss and have a better chance of submitting and error-free application form.
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Full V. Partial
College scholarships come in two basic types :
• Full Scholarships : A Full scholarship covers all the bases: tuition, books, living quarters, and may include a stipend for expenses.
• Partial Scholarships: A Partial scholarship, on the other hand, only covers some expenses such as tuition or books, but the rest is left up to the student.
Be sure to be clear on what is covered by any scholarship offered and then take the money and run. You may need to apply for several scholarships to cover all of your expenses.
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Scholarship Guidelines For Application Letters and Letters of Recommendation
Scholarship application letters play an important role in the selection process. There are two types of letters frequently requested as part of a scholarship application packet. The first type is a letter of application, written by the student in support of why he or she should be considered for the award.
The second type of scholarship application letter is a letter of recommendation, written by someone who knows the applicant stating if and why the author would recommend the student for the scholarship. Most scholarship guidelines specify the criteria for who may write letters of recommendation. Applicants are frequently required to submit letters from current or former teachers or employers.
Common scholarship guidelines dictate that people who are asked to write recommendations tell candidates if there is concern about not knowing what to write. In such a situation, it may be a good idea to provide a sample scholarship letter as a way of making the writing process easier for the person who has agreed to serve as a reference.
If you are confident of your writing skills, you can put together a sample scholarship letter to make available to your references. If you do this, be sure not to give the impression that you are trying to tell your references what to say about you.
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Guidelines for Writing a Good Essay
Many programs require scholarship essays as part of the application process. When tackling an essay, there are several steps that will help ensure a winning essay:
1. Brainstorm ideas—look at the topic and write down some ideas relating to it. 2. Outline—this helps put ideas into a coherent order. 3. Write a good introduction—you want to capture the reader's attention from the start. 4. Write coherent, strong content throughout your essay. 5. Make sure the conclusion brings it all together. 6. Write what you know. Your voice will come through if the essay is about something you know, love or care about.
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The Dog Ate My Scholarship
No excuses!
Not only do you absolutely have to complete and submit your scholarship application on time, you should absolutely keep a back up or copy of every application you complete. We all know that emails and electronic submissions can be sucked into the electronic space time continuum, so protect yourself.
Keep back ups and then, after you follow up to make sure your application was received, if there was a problem, you can resubmit your application in a timely fashion.
This can also be a great time saver because in many instances, the questions and applications themselves will be very similar. Cutting and pasting can be much speedier than filling out each individual application - hopefully they will even use a universal scholarship application form and make your life that much easier!
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Who to Ask to Write a Letter of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are not popularity contests—they are an important part of the application process. Ask the people who will be able to paint you in the best light to write these letters. Pick someone who knows you well and can write intelligently about you and your academic achievements.
Teachers, guidance counselors, club advisors, coaches and religious leaders are all good sources for recommendations. However, be sure that the person you ask has the ability to write a good letter and the time to get it completed by the deadline.
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Typical Topics for Essays
There are as many different topics for essays as there are stars in the sky. Scared? Don't be. While applications can ask for an essay about anything, there are some old stand bys that tend to be used more than others. Here are a few popular ones:
• Statement of Intent essays ask applicants why they want to attend X University or major in Y.
• Role Model essays ask about a person who influenced the choice to study X or helped to mold the applicant.
• Personal Growth is an introspective essay that asks the applicant to discuss an event that helped to shape him/her.
Always read the essays requirements carefully and be sure to follow the instructions to a T.
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Senior Year, the First Half
Even at the beginning of your senior year, the end is near. Time will fly and graduation day will be here before you know it. It is important to remain focused and committed to your college search so you don't get left behind. In the first part of your senior year, you should:
• Retake SAT/ACTs to try to improve scores. • Try to visit as many colleges that you are interested in as you can. • Request applications and pay careful attention to deadlines (circle dates on a calendar). • Start narrowing down the list of colleges that interest you.
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What to Put in a Letter of Recommendation
Most teacher and coaches write so many recommendations they could do them in their sleep. But, if a person asked is unsure of what to put in a letter, there are some basic pieces of information that should be covered.
• The context of association (how long this person known you and in what way). • How your performance is now. • What standards you have met and surpassed. • Preparedness to achieve and excel at the next level. • It is also always good to add an altruistic element to the letter to add a personal touch.
Some schools may ask for other specific information, but these basics should always be covered.
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Preparing for College
Preparing for college is not a weekend event; it's a process that takes about two years. Like preparing for battle, getting into college takes time, organization, and dedication. Here are some tips to help you prepare:
• Set a time line and stick to it. • Always check and double check what's been done to be sure everything actually was done. • Don't wait till the last minute, hoping for a winning lottery ticket. • Be organized • Be motivated. • Be dedicated.
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Providing a Good Base for a Good Letter
Are you having someone else write a college admission letter for you? After a person has agreed to write a letter, be sure he or she is provided with all the information needed to write an effective one. A copy of the requirements for the letter is important so the person knows what to write about. Here are some important requirements:
• Transcripts to show overall academic achievements. • A resume to help to paint a full picture of you and your achievements. • A copy of one of your college essays to give the writer some insight into your dreams. • An addressed, stamped envelope to mail the letter in.
Once the letter is sent, remember to send a thank you note to the person who wrote the letter for you.
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Due Dilligence
It may seem like a simple concept, but you must complete your scholarship applications in a timely fashion - and when we say complete, we mean every field should be complete and every supporting document should be on hand.
Don't think that a creative or great essay will overcome the tardiness of an application or the missing transcript or recommendation. Don't think that a spelling error won't disqualify you and don't think that a hand written scholarship application is going to meet the requirements of the program.
Remember, there is a lot of competition for this funding and if you make your exclusion simple, an evaluator will take advantage of that. The good news is that Scholarship applications are very similar to the competitive job market, so if you can master this task, you are well on your way to a successful career!
