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Applying For Scholarships

Obtaining Information

Include a self-addressed stamped envelope when you request application forms by mail. If you can get a form or routine information by telephone or on the web, do so, and save valuable time.

Read the Fine Print

As soon as you receive the application, read the instructions carefully. Pay attention to the information required. If the application requires a transcript from all schools you have attended, request this information as soon as possible. After a few weeks have passed, call the schools to be sure that the transcripts have been sent to the proper addresses. If by chance you have to hand-deliver a transcript, do not tamper with the seal; the transcript may not be accepted if you do.

The Reasons Most Applications Come With a Phone Number

If you find that some instructions on an application are unclear, seek advice either from the scholarship provider, high school guidance counselor or a financial aid advisor. Don't be afraid to call the scholarship provider! Undoubtedly, you're one of many asking the same question!

Letters of Recommendation

Ask for letters of recommendation well in advance and discuss the kind of information needed in the letter. A concrete, detailed letter from someone, usually a professor, who knows you and your work well is usually worth more than three or four letters from people who don't know you well. Find that person and give him or her time to write a strong letter. To assist the people who write the letters, it is helpful to provide a copy of your resume and/or something written about yourself. Let the writer know what sorts of things you would like the letter to say. The more information that you provide to you reference may result in a more substantial and persuasive letter.

Be sure the writer knows the deadline. To ensure that the letter is sent on time, ask the writer once or twice, before it is due, whether it is finished, as a "friendly reminder." If the letter is delayed, ask whether more information is needed. You will be reminding the writer about your letter as well as giving him or her the necessary information.

How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay

If you think that writing essays for college applications was an exhausting experience, we're sorry to break the bad news to you -- there are more to come. Many scholarship applications require at least one essay -- although they are usually (but not always) shorter than those for college admissions.

Similar to admissions officers, scholarship committees see the essay as a window into the hearts and minds of the applicants. Because of this, essays for scholarships should be written similarly to college essays. They should be original, well written, honest, and describe something meaningful about you. Scholarship essays should captivate the readers and make then care about the writer. All the strategies that you learned in the college essay writing also apply to scholarship essays.

While scholarship applications may give you the luxury of writing on any subject -- in which case you can easily submit one of your college essays-- most give you a much more focused topic. For example, if you are applying to a civic group, they may ask you to write about your volunteer experience. In these cases you need to demonstrate in your essay that you are the most suitable candidate because you fulfill the specific criteria of the award better than anyone else.

The final thing you should keep in mind when writing is to consider the kinds of people who will be reading your essay. Make sure what you write will not offend the readers.

Applications should always be written to provide the reader with what they want to see. Before you prepare scholarship applications, do what you can to find out who will be on the review committee. While this information is not always available, it can be gained simply by asking. "Who will be reviewing my application?," when you request materials. You can often use common sense to figure that a bank--sponsored scholarship is reviewed by bankers or a music scholarship by musicians.

Practice Makes Perfect

If essays, statements of purpose, or paragraph-long answers are requested, rework them over a series of drafts until they are as well written as you can make them. A good essay or answer is one that is concise, well-organized, smoothly written, interesting, distinctive, and without clichés or errors. Show your application to an high school guidance counselor, financial aid adviser, or anyone else who can give good criticism. Leave time for this rewriting and consultation.

The essay is often the key item in scholarship applications. This is where the committee can "visualize" the real you, your goals and accomplishments. Write several drafts and share them with teachers, family, and friends. Begin and end with strong statements that capture the reader's attention and leave a lasting impression. Use personal anecdotes or experience to illustrate your points. Committees may read 50 or 100 essays, make yours memorable.

The Finished Product

Type all application forms, letters, essays, questionnaires, or any other information that needs to be sent as part of the application process. Proofread all materials and make sure they are picture-perfect: no obvious white-out, no last-minute corrections with a pen, no misspellings, no errors, and no crumpling of paper. Just to be sure, after making all the corrections, have someone else look over the application and proof it.