Scholarship Advice

In This Section

Scholarship Success Story: Winning Big with Hard Work by Roxana Hadad
Scholarship Applications: The Online Advantage by Chris Diehl
The Scholarship Hunt by Tavia Evans
Develop Your Scholarship Game Plan by Benjamin Kaplan
Maximize Your Scholarship Eligibility by Roxana Hadad
Top Ten Tips for Winning Scholarship Applications by Kay Peterson, Ph.D.

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Scholarship Success Story: Winning Big with Hard Work

by Roxana Hadad

Bernadette Williams is proof that hard work pays off. This University of Southern Maine undergraduate has received five scholarships this year alone, totaling over $30,000. After going the extra mile in her high school career and her scholarship search, Bernadette is reaping big rewards.

Search and You Shall Find
Bernadette’s winning efforts began with a search for scholarships that would help her pay her way. Even though there are hundreds of thousands of scholarships out there, Bernadette knew they wouldn’t just fall into her lap.

So she began to look for information in her school and her community. She also did a scholarship search on FastWeb, where she learned about two scholarships that she eventually won: the Tylenol Scholarship and the MBNA Maine Scholarship.

Out of Class
Though she can boast a great grade point average, Bernadette won most of her scholarships for her work outside of the classroom. Throughout high school, she was heavily involved in community service organizations like the National Honors Society, where she raised money for breast cancer and tutored fellow high school students. Totaling over 500 hours of community service with her peer leadership group, Bernadette mentored elementary school children and participated in a red ribbon campaign for the D.A.R.E. program.

That’s the kind of volunteer involvement that won Bernadette the Sam Walton Community Involvement Scholarship. “We’re looking for students who have a strong academic background and participate in extracurricular activities, but it’s important that they’re focused on community involvement,” said Brad Fisher, Community Project Manager of the Wal-Mart Foundation.

Write to the Top
But Bernadette knew that her grades and community service alone wouldn’t win scholarships. Most of the scholarships she was applying for required essays on topics ranging from “Tell us about yourself” to “If you could change something in your community what would it be and why?”

To help her put together the best applications possible, Bernadette attended special scholarship application sessions held by her school’s financial aid office. She also asked teachers to edit her essays and offer ideas on how she could improve them.

Preparing for the Interview
Once she moved to the semifinals, Bernadette found many of the providers wanted an interview as well. But she wasn’t intimidated. “I had practiced doing interviews before. I set up mock interviews with teachers so that I would know how to answer certain questions and get used to answering on the spot.”

Her practice paid off. After cruising her interview with the MBNA Maine Scholars Review Committee, Bernadette was awarded a scholarship that was renewable for up to four years. “The MBNA Scholarship awards students who have done well in high school and want to go on in college. We determine who receives the award after reviewing each semifinalists credentials and their interview evaluation,” said Alex Giacco, Director of Media Relations for MBNA.

As Bernadette shows, finding scholarships can be easy, but winning them takes more work. Thanks to that work ethic, Bernadette Williams doesn’t have to work as hard to pay her tuition.

Ace Your Scholarship Interview
Lisa Portenga, scholarship coordinator for the Fremont Area Foundation

A good interview is vital to your scholarship application. It’s an opportunity to supplement your credentials with the kind of impression that can’t be put on paper.

But for most, interviews are a major source of stress. Keep the anxiety level under control by thinking ahead and following these tips from a scholarship expert.

It’s a Conversation
To keep yourself relaxed, think of your interview as a conversation rather than a test. The interviewers are there to learn more about you. View the interview as an opportunity to discuss your goals, plans and concerns with experienced professionals.

Be Prepared
You can also decrease your anxiety level and improve your experience by anticipating the questions you’ll be asked. Be prepared to discuss:
• Your background: your educational history, your employment experiences, family background and upbringing.
• Your academic achievements: class-ranking, grade point average, awards you have won or projects you have undertaken (science fairs, debate competitions, etc.).
• Your future plans: academic plans, career plans.
• Your hobbies and interests: extracurricular activities, skills, jobs, etc.
• Your financial profile and needs: income, savings, parent’s resources, level of financial need, anticipated expenses, etc. Information about your financial resources is especially important if the scholarship is need-based.
• Your personal “value structure”: the things you think are important in your life. Information about your personal value structure helps the interviewers determine whether you would serve as an appropriate representative for their organization.

Don’t Forget the Basics
To keep your interview running smoothly:
• Be punctual. Check the interview time and location before leaving home.
• Dress appropriately. Select conservative, semi-formal wear: slacks and a jacket or a dress shirt for men; dresses, skirts or pantsuits for women. Never wear jeans or t-shirts to an interview.
• Make a good first impression. When you meet the interviewers, introduce yourself, make eye contact and use a firm handshake.
• Be brief and honest with your answers. Try to sum up your thoughts quickly. Interviewers will ask follow-up questions if they want to know more.
• Have some questions ready for the interviewers. Prepare these questions in advance by researching the sponsoring organization, school or company.
• Be prepared to reiterate the basic information you supplied on your application. Review your application before the interview to jog your memory.
• Don’t be negative. Interviewers value the individual who perceives difficult situations as challenging and interesting.
• Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” or ask questions. It’s better to ask for clarification than to miss an opportunity to produce an insightful answer.
• Don’t chew gum, bite nails, smoke, yawn, stretch or slouch.
• Show your appreciation. Thank the interviewers for their time at the end of the interview. Afterwards, send a thank-you note.

Use these tips to prepare, and you may find the interview isn’t so scary after all.

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Scholarship Applications: The Online Advantage

by Chris Diehl

Audrey Martinko, a freshman at Ohio State University, won several scholarships and applied for most of them online. “It was a lot more convenient,” she says. “The problem with paper is that you have to mail it. Things get lost. Sending it online was more secure.”

Simpler. Quicker. More secure. It’s no wonder each day, more sponsors make their applications available online.
Online Advantages

There are a myriad of advantages for online applications:
• Apply anywhere: Whether you’re at home, school or work, apply anywhere you have an Internet connection.
• One click: In general, once you click your mouse to send your application, that’s it – there’s no further paperwork.
• Catch errors: Many online applications alert you if spaces are left blank, preventing you from sending an application that is missing required information.
• Immediate confirmation: Usually a page thanks you for your submission right away. If you submit your application via email, save a “sent” copy.
• Quick processing: Sponsors have the ability to score and select applications automatically, which means less time to find out if you’re a winner.
• Save money: There’s no charge for postage. Plus, you avoid paying overnight shipping costs if you need to submit an application in a hurry.
• Save time: Online applications enable you to complete more applications in less time. “Our application takes about 10 minutes to fill out,” says Kristi Sherrill, executive director of the Education is Freedom Scholarship.

Sponsors Benefit Too
By accepting online applications, sponsors don’t have to mail out applications, or manually process them when they come back, saving time and money.
“Paper costs a lot of money to process,” says Greg Lee, the associate program manager at the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. “An average mailing can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The money we save can be used to fund more scholarships, larger scholarships.”
And sponsors find the increased convenience attracts more applicants. “We’ve found that the likelihood of a student sending in an online application is greater than when we offered only paper,” Sherrill says.

Get Around the Disadvantages
The drawbacks to online applications for the student and sponsor are few, but they are significant:
• Computer or site malfunction resulting in loss of data
• Limited access to the Internet

Avoid the risk of lost data by applying early. The increased application activity just before the deadline can slow or shut down a provider’s Web site.

Check if the provider’s site enables you to save your information online. Texas A&M University offers an online application form that saves your information and allows you to make updates up to the deadline. “Our students love our online application process, because if they forget to include something, they can always come back and make changes,” says Jody Ford, assistant director of financial aid at Texas A&M University.

If the provider does not offer this feature, print off the application and use it as a guide. Save your answers to a word processing document, when you’re ready, copy and paste your answers to the online form.

If you have limited Web access, check for a public Internet connection at your local public library, community college or neighborhood Internet café. Also, ask the scholarship sponsor if they have a paper copy available or if you can submit your information via regular mail.

Tips for Success
Consider these other tips when completing your online application:
• Use proper, professional email etiquette: An electronic format doesn’t give you license to be informal. Present yourself professionally. Don’t send your essay from an email address that contains offensive or questionable references.
• Include the right attachments: Verify the required electronic form (plain text, MS Word, PDF, etc.).
• Mail additional items: Some providers may ask for hard copies of documents like transcripts, letters of recommendation or signature pages. Verify the postmark deadline for any such materials and mail the items before that date.
• Follow the directions: The answers to most questions are located in the scholarship rules. If there is any ambiguity, the earlier you can ask the sponsor to clarify their rules, the better.
• Spell and grammar check: This holds true for any kind of scholarship application – spelling and grammatical errors lead to easy disqualifications.
• Contact information: The application should have a place for you to enter it. Provide a mailing address, phone number and/or email address where you can be contacted a month or two after the deadline.
How are Scholarships Judged?
Roxana Hadad

Wouldn’t it be great to know what scholarship providers look for in an application? Take an inside look at how judges pick their favorites.

At First Glance
The judges’ first evaluation of your application is a quick one—usually only 15 to 30 seconds. Most applications don’t get past this quick but important first stage. Give your application one last review to be sure yours makes it through.
• Do you qualify? Nothing makes it easier for judges to say “no” than an applicant who doesn’t meet the minimum requirements.
• Is your application neat? An application with coffee stains or messy handwriting won’t make the cut.
• Are all of the required documents included? Be sure you’re not leaving out references, transcripts, photographs or anything else the application requires.
• Are all of the questions answered? Scan your application to see if you’ve left anything out.

The Second Cut
After an application makes it past the first round, the judges separate “OK” from “great.” The applications that make it through are those that have thorough and well-thought-out responses.

Make sure your responses are complete and answer the question. It’s very important that your grammar and spelling are correct, so check and doublecheck all of your essays.

The Final Decision
This is the most difficult part of the process for judges. They’ve narrowed it down to a few highly qualified students. Now they must examine and compare every detail of the applications.

According to Mark Davis, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, judges pay special attention to:

• Academics—It’s important to have a competitive GPA. However, providers also consider how challenging your course load and school are. They also check to see if you’re taking the right courses to reach your goals and how well you did in those courses.
• Leadership—If leadership is part of the criteria they’re looking for, judges will examine your activities. They’ll also look for a range of leadership positions.
• Service—Some providers are interested in knowing what community service you’ve done. They’ll want to know if you’ve been continuous in your volunteer efforts. If volunteer work is required by your school, they’ll look for activities that go above and beyond the required service job.
• Creativity—You can show your creative side if you play an instrument, write stories, paint pictures or act in plays. Demonstrate your ability by letting the judges know if you’ve won any awards.
• Special circumstances—If you’ve overcome any obstacles to achieve your goals, the judges want to know about it. Let them know how you achieved all that you’ve done, in spite of the roadblocks you’ve encountered.

It’s not an easy job being a scholarship judge. Deciding who will receive an award is a tough decision. By knowing what’s on the minds of scholarship judges, you’ll have a better chance at being one of those winners.

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The Scholarship Hunt

by Tavia Evans

As the cost of a college education rises, students are finding ways to foot the bill. Across the country, students have won scholarships to pay their way through school. What’s their secret?

They know where to find scholarships, when to look for them and how to write for them. There’s no guarantee you’ll win a scholarship, but there are ways to skew the odds in your favor.

Where’s the Money: Anywhere and Everywhere
• Do your homework. Take advantage of free online scholarship searches, such as FastWeb.com. Also, research the Web sites of colleges you want to attend because they have information about scholarships. The reference section in the library provides books and resources of federal, national and state sources of college aid. The library also has scholarship directories that list awards based on age, state of residence, cultural background or field of study.
• Search in your community. Scholarships for college can be as close as your neighborhood bank. Start by asking the organizations and institutions in your community if they offer awards for college. Don’t forget about cultural organizations that grant awards based on ethnic background.
• Talk to your school’s counselor. They know your academic record inside and out. Ask them about private and corporate sponsorships that you qualify for.
• Don’t limit yourself. There are also scholarships for unique talents and abilities. Don’t confine yourself to academic scholarships or big national awards. Small awards will come in handy too.

When: Start Early
It’s never too soon to start your scholarship search. Some organizations give college scholarships as early as junior high school. Others require information that needs to be prepared in advance:
• Make a list. Focus on deadlines. List the scholarships with the earliest deadlines and give them first priority.
• Test scores. Take the ACT and/or SAT well in advance; if you need to improve your score, you’ll have time to take the tests again before the scholarship deadline. Take practice tests in the fall of junior year in high school, then start taking the real tests during the spring of junior year and fall of senior year.
• Financial Information. Most need-based scholarships require family income and tax forms to prove financial need. Prepare these forms ahead of time to qualify for scholarships.

How: Write Your Way to College
Most scholarship applications require short essays. The essay is your chance to tell the selection committee about yourself: your personality, interests and activities, and why you deserve their money.
• Write more than one essay. You should apply for more than one scholarship to increase your chances of winning, so you should have more than one essay. Select at least three essays from your schoolwork that demonstrate creative thinking and good communication skills. Write two more essays that answer general questions, such as:
? Of the books you have read in the past year, which was your favorite and why?
? What is your strongest characteristic and why? What is your weakest?
? What person, living or dead, has had the biggest influence on your life?
• Make an outline. Depending on the essay question, pick one main theme to focus the essay and select three ideas that support your theme. Your first paragraph should introduce the main idea and provide any relevant background information, but avoid simply summarizing the essay. The other paragraphs should highlight one idea per paragraph. Wrap up the essay with a conclusion. Most essays should be no longer than two pages single-spaced.
• Show, don’t tell. It’s easy to say, “Martin Luther King was a great person.” But it’s better to show the reader why: “He led non-violent marches through the streets of Montgomery, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia, to protest racial discrimination.” Include scenery so the reader can visualize your essay, rather than just read it.
• Spellcheck. Many selection committees will automatically reject applications with misspelled words and grammatical errors.

It’s possible to go to college without drowning in debt. Don’t be discouraged by the price tag on your favorite school. Remember, the secret’s in the scholarships.

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Develop Your Scholarship Game Plan

by Benjamin Kaplan

To mount an effective scholarship campaign, the first thing you need is a winning game plan. Start by implementing the following four key action strategies.

1. Plan to apply for as many scholarships as possible
Some students make the mistake of thinking that they maximize their chances of winning by pouring all of their energy into one or two scholarships.

But applying for scholarships is partially a numbers game. A variety of factors outside of your control affect the outcome of any given award. Only by applying for large numbers of scholarships can you minimize such factors, and maximize your chances of winning. In my own scholarship quest, I ended up applying for about three dozen awards.

Even if the scholarship prize is only a couple of hundred dollars, I still recommend entering the contest. This might not sound like much in the context of an entire college tuition bill, but the extra cash can help cover the cost of books for a term, or help pay for that spring break “research” trip to Cancun.

In addition, winning smaller awards provides you with additional credentials that you can include in applications for larger scholarships.

2. Develop a suite of generic reusable materials
When applying for large numbers of scholarships, creating a suite of generic reusable materials saves a great deal of time and energy. By having this suite to draw from, you will be able to focus less on just completing application requirements, and more on customizing and fine-tuning the material you’ve already prepared.

More than just a reduction in your workload, reusing and rethinking old materials can mean vast improvements as you repeatedly refine and edit the same work. By employing this strategy, you gain the opportunity to fine-tune your materials with every submission. And take it from me—your tenth draft will be far better than your first.

To create this suite of generic materials, first seek to develop standard essay responses to perennial scholarship application themes—such old favorites as college plans, career goals, and future contributions to society.

Next, survey the scholarship landscape and isolate common themes and requirements (whether it is a similar essay question or a comparable extracurricular activity worksheet). Attempt to bridge multiple applications with every sentence you write or form you prepare.

Also, go back into your archive of old scholarship applications (you’ll develop one quickly) and try to recycle essays and other past materials. Don’t just recopy such passages verbatim; instead, try to rethink, improve, and hone everything to fit the criteria of each new contest.

3. Leverage schoolwork and class time
If you have to do the schoolwork anyway, why not make it count toward your scholarship quest? For example, if you’re asked to write an essay on a book of your choosing, you may want to select The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. This way, you’ll have a submission ready to go for the annual essay contest on this famous novel. If you’re assigned a self-reflective essay, pick a personal topic that fits in well with scholarship applications you’re pursuing. Moreover, teachers can serve as a helpful source of early feedback for these potential scholarship submissions.

This technique isn’t restricted merely to classroom assignments. Most schools offer some type of independent study credit, in which you can pursue your own project under the guidance of an adviser. At many schools, you’re even allowed to use a class period during the day to pursue this work. Use the time to complete self-initiated projects that add to your record and improve your chances of scholarship (and college admission) success.

4. Learn from past scholarship winners

In playing the scholarship game, it’s extremely useful to have a roadmap of what it takes to win. To obtain this roadmap, make a point of reviewing past winning applications, essays and other materials. Many times, you can request sample winning entries from the organization administering the scholarship program.

In addition, it’s useful to interview past winners of scholarships you plan to enter. Ask them about their unique qualifications, the approach they took in filling out applications, and any insights they have about particular scholarship contests you’re planning to enter. Many scholarship contests will provide a list of past winners upon request. The best way to master the scholarship game is to learn from those who have played it well.

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Maximize Your Scholarship Eligibility

by Roxana Hadad

You may be eligible for more awards than you think. The secret is to “type” yourself. Find the maximum number of scholarship opportunities by thinking about who you are and what you do .

College Major/Field of Interest
If you’re in college, start with your major or academic area. Departments and schools, as well as academic and professional organizations, offer scholarships for students based on their majors. High school students can look for awards in subject areas in which they excel or that they’re considering studying in college.

If you’re a double major, check under both majors to make sure you’re not missing anything. Also, don’t be too specific. For example, if you’re an English major, you can look for scholarships listed under “English,” “Literature” or “Literary Studies” as well as broader categories like “Humanities.” If you’re majoring in Physics, check “Physical Sciences” and “Science,” too.

And don’t forget to include what you’ll become as well. Whether you want to be a lawyer, doctor, journalist or teacher, you may find awards to help you pursue the career of your dreams -— regardless of your major.

State of Residence/State of Study
Part of who you are is where you live. Many state governments offer financial assistance to in-state students. Simply establishing residency, even just in your first year of school, may qualify you for one of these awards. Check with both your home state and the state where you attend college.

Private organizations also offer state-specific scholarships that reward academic merit and extra-curricular achievements. Some scholarships are also available for residents of certain counties or cities.

Student Affiliations
Also think about things you like to do. Start with clubs and organizations. As a member or officer, you’ll qualify for awards sponsored by your club.

Don’t stop there. What are your hobbies? Have you trained in any special skills or sports? Do you attend religious services? Have you worked a part-time job? All these activities are part of your “type” and can lead to scholarships.

Ethnic Background
Awards are given to students of certain ethnic or minority groups. For most of these awards, you don’t have to be a full-blooded member of a particular ethnic group. If your parents are from different ethnic groups, look for awards for each group. Also look for scholarships targeting students from broader ethnic categories like “Asian” or “Hispanic.”

Disability
A wide variety of students may find that there are awards available to them because they are physically challenged, learning-disabled or suffer from long-term illness. Look for scholarships listed under your specific disability or illness, as well as more general awards for disabled students.

Foreign Students
If you are a citizen of a country other than the U.S., that’s part of your “type” as well. You’ll find that some awards are restricted to students from certain countries, but many more target international students in general. Look for awards for both categories.

The key to finding scholarships is to think broadly. Do your own personal inventory and try to figure out how many “types” you fit. FastWeb’s profile page is a good place to come up with additional ideas because the categories and attributes listed there are tied to scholarships. Keeping an up-to-date and detailed profile will also ensure that you’re notified when FastWeb adds scholarships you qualify for. Be true to your type and you might just find the scholarships you need.

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Top Ten Tips for Winning Scholarship Applications

by Kay Peterson, Ph.D.

Before you submit your scholarship application, check out these tips, provided by scholarship sponsors nationwide.

Tip #1: Apply only if you are eligible.
Read all the scholarship requirements and directions carefully to make sure you’re eligible before you send in your application.

Tip #2: Complete the application in full.
If a question doesn’t apply, note that on the application. Don’t just leave a blank. Supply all additional supporting material, such as transcripts, letters of recommendation and essays.

Tip #3: Follow directions.
Provide everything that’s required, but don’t supply things that aren’t requested—you could be disqualified.

Tip #4: Neatness counts.
Always type your application, or if you must print, do so neatly and legibly. Make a couple of photocopies of all the forms before you fill them out. Use the copies as working drafts as you develop your application packet.

Tip #5: Write an essay that makes a strong impression.
The key to writing a strong essay is to be personal and specific. Include concrete details to make your experience come alive: the who, what, where, and when of your topic. The simplest experience can be monumental if you present honestly how you were affected.

Tip #6: Watch all deadlines.
To help keep yourself on track, impose your own deadline that is at least two weeks prior to the official deadline. Use the buffer time to make sure everything is ready on time. Don’t rely on extensions—very few scholarship providers allow them at all.

Tip #7: Make sure your application gets where it needs to go.
Put your name (and Social Security number, if applicable) on all pages of the application. Pieces of your application may get lost unless they are clearly identified.

Tip #8: Keep a back-up file in case anything goes wrong.
Before sending the application, make a copy of the entire packet. If your application goes astray, you’ll be able to reproduce it quickly.

Tip #9: Give it a final “once-over.”
Proofread the entire application carefully. Be on the lookout for misspelled words or grammatical errors. Ask a friend, teacher or parent to proofread it as well.

Tip #10: Ask for help if you need it.
If you have problems with the application, don’t hesitate to call the funding organization.

Create your own personal scholarship search at:
http://www.fastweb.com