Juan
What are the chances of winning a scholarship?
I was wondering of my chances of getting an scholarship. I have applied to a few, I am still new to the process. So I was curious in the precentage of people who win. #scholarships
2 answers
Alana Russell
Alana’s Answer
There are a lot of different scholarships that are offered. It's important to research different scholarships since they vary from athletic, to academic, to diversity, to hobby/extracurricular scholarships. Colleges often offer athletic and academic scholarships directly whereas outside companies, businesses, local groups, and organizations may offer scholarships in different areas such as diversity or extracurriculars. My high school had an award that was given to a female recipient pursuing business from a local company. If you are aiming for an academic scholarship, look up the GPA requirements and test scores that are typical for a college you would like to attend.
Nailah Ricco-Brown, J.D.
Nailah’s Answer
The odds of winning a scholarship are very tight, but the key to winning a scholarships is to 1) apply for a scholarship that is a good, strong fit and 2) apply early with a very strong application. While the data for scholarships was a little more bleak in, say, 2015-2016 (1 in 8 undergrads were awarded a scholarship), 25% of college students received some amount of scholarship or grant money in 2019-2020.
My advice is to 1) apply generously to all aligned scholarships with your academic profile or your academic ambitions, 2) create a strong application for your scholarships, do not use the same application recycled if you can help it, 3) do not rule out smaller scholarships, as they can add up and 4) use scholarship search engines as well as your prospective school's financial aid office to identify scholarships that are obtainable!
Best of luck to you!!