Home And Garden Tips and Info

What stands between you and your college scholarship money? The answer is the application. The application process is time-consuming, but a stellar one can net you the financial aid that you need to pay for college. Here are ten tips to create an application that stands taller than the rest.

1. Applying for scholarships takes organization. A student that wants to be successful in the application process needs to apply for as many college scholarships where he or she meets the qualifications. To do this, a student has to organize their information for easy retrieval. Each scholarship application requires a separate folder. The folder contains the information about the scholarship and the application. File them under "To Apply at the beginning. Once the application has been filled out, the folder can be moved to "Sent." This way, no application gets missed.
2. Make copies of required scholarship materials. Most applications require some of the same supporting documents. Make extra copies of transcripts, SAT scores, tax documents, and work history records. When the written part of the application is finished, just reach for the folder with these copies in it and add as needed to the application.
3. Proofread the application. Many student scholarship applications are thrown out in the first round because of errors in grammar and spelling. Let an English teacher or other teacher read the application for structure. Another person can read for flow and sentence structure.
4. Make sure that you understand what is being asked of you. This is no time to speed read. Applicants that don’t read the information carefully miss important facts. Application essays that are off topic will not make it through to the final judging.
5. Fill out each line of the application. Answer every question as best you can. Leaving blanks can be misconstrued as the application being filled out in haste. Or, it could be seen as an applicant trying to hide something. Either way, the application won’t survive.
6. Be yourself in the essay. The hardest part for most students is the essay. No one wants to write about themselves. Selling yourself is a necessary part of convincing the judges that you are right for the scholarship. Don’t "fluff up" your experiences or your hardships in an effort to sound needier. Judges have been doing this for a while and can spot a phony.
7. Get the required letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation help to flesh out the picture of the student that is applying for the scholarship. Choose someone that knows you personally and professionally who can attest to your character. Read all letters before sending them.
8. Observe all deadlines. A scholarship application will take at least a week from start to finished application. Don’t wait until the last minute to throw it together and send it out the door. Receiving a late application tells the scholarship committee that the applicant is not time-conscious. Besides that, late applications will not be considered.
9. Be neat . Applications need to be as neat and presentable as possible. Don’t staple the application together. Each part of the application may require viewing by different departments. Writing your name on each sheet will keep the application together.
10. Make a copy of the completed application. Always retain a copy of any document that you send. This confirms what was sent and in which order. If for some reason the application got lost in the mail, another copy can be sent fast.
11. Scholarships are great, but remember student loans. Just because you applied for college scholarships doesn’t mean that student loans will not be necessary. Be sure that you have applied for the loans you may need in order to cover college costs.

Filling out scholarship applications takes time, as does the entire process of getting your full college financial aid package. With the help of parents and good organizational skills, the process can be made simple. Use all of the resources you have available to help the student get the money they need for college.

Tags: scholarship money | financial aid | transcripts | scholarships

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 7th, 2008 at 12:32 pm and is filed under Education resources. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.