Have you been thinking about scholarships? If so, now is the time to get started! Don’t wait until college applications are due; read our top 5 tips to improve your chances of landing a scholarship and get started early so you have the best opportunities for success possible!
1. Do Your Research Early
Why wait until your junior year—or worse, when college applications are due—to start researching which scholarships are ideal for you? You can explore what’s out there in terms of scholarships and at the same time find out what kind of education would be best suited to achieving your personal goals. Not only will this strategy give you a head start, but by doing so early on before time runs thin, you’ll decrease your stress levels exponentially. Create an event in your calendar and set aside time every week so that way it becomes part of your routine rather than something unusual or unexpected. The sooner you start searching out potential awards with regularity, the better your chances for success.
2. Reach Out to Your Counselors and Teachers
High school counselors and college advisors can help you with the applications for scholarships. They will guide you through choosing which types of scholarships are best suited to the kind of student you are, give you some insider tips to help your application be as appealing as possible to reviewers, and they can help you make sure your application packages are submitted correctly. It is important to request letters of recommendation early from your teachers so they can be prepared. You should give your teachers at least four weeks’ notice in order not to pressure them, and provide them with as much information about yourself as possible. They have your best interest at heart and want you to be successful, so it\’s important that you reach out when needed. Ultimately, there are advantages to working with both teachers and counselors; teachers often know you well and can speak to nuances in your personality and who you are as a student, while counselors are often less familiar with you as an individual and can be incredibly helpful when you need someone to be an impartial guide as you make decisions.
3. Make Your Essay Personal
Personal essays are often the most memorable parts of scholarship applications and it\’s easy to see why. They give you an opportunity for some extra creativity, which should be taken advantage of! Make an impression by being specific and genuine with honest details about yourself or what makes YOU unique – don’t shy away from including anything important or interesting! On the other side of your essay will be the person reading it. It will be easier for them to understand your writing if they can relate personally with some part of what you’re writing. Whatever the story about yourself that you tell, find a way to focus on some aspect of it that is easy to relate to, and make it as genuinely “you” as possible.
4. Establish Your Presence
There\’s no faster way to elevate an application than by staying professional and demonstrating your character. The scholarship process is tough, so you need to use all of the tools in your tool chest to be successful and establish a good reputation. It’s important to be professional and timely through all of your communications, as well as in your public persona. Pay attention to your online presence as well! From social media to your resume, website, and in search results, make sure you\’re giving yourself the best chance by polishing these areas so they reflect well on who you are as a person. In the hunt for a scholarship, it\’s those little things that can make all the difference. As an applicant, you should be thinking about how to stand out and establish yourself as someone who is worth considering when they are reading through thousands of other hopefuls vying for their dream school funding!
5. Follow Up With a Thank You
Lastly, never underestimate the power of thanking those who have been so instrumental in your scholarship application process, like teachers, counselors, mentors, and scholarship reviewers. Whether it\’s an email or mailed thank you card, send them a heartfelt thanks for their time! It will show that you appreciate all they do to help students like yourself achieve academic success, and demonstrate the strength of your character.
The ETC Foundation hopes you are having a great summer! Check out our other blog, where we show you three ways to make the most of your vacation time.
