Mary
What is the most efficient way to find scholarships that fit you
#college #scholarships #myself
3 answers
Rene Hernandez
Rene’s Answer
Hi Mary! Scholarships can be challenging to navigate and spending hours reading through their requirements is unavoidable when looking on your own. I'm sorry to say, in my opinion, there is no real concrete way of pinpointing a scholarship that is right for you with out doing extensive research. However, using a variety of techniques may open more doors to opportunities.
For example, I work at a college, and I find myself reading through many different scholarships that are sent to me by various education outlets. I immediately start to unconsciously envision key students who I believe are best fit to apply. This is usually because these individuals visit my office to update us on their progress or to simply say hi and/or to seek advice for career development. Even though I put the information out to all students, I'll usually make it a point to push qualified students to apply.
That being said, it is important for you to network within your field of choice so that you encourage other people to think of your when opportunities arise. This is key, when tapping into the resource of the perspectives of others.
I wish you all the best!
Rene recommends the following next steps:
Laura E. Lin
Laura E.’s Answer
Colleges usually have a list of scholarships on their financial aid page; if there are specific institutions you are interested in these can be a helpful starting point to see what may be available to you. Additionally, local organizations may have their own scholarships that they offer to town or area residents who meet certain criteria. If you belong to a religious community they may have scholarships as well, or that affiliation may open up scholarship opportunities at colleges with the same affiliation. Finally, there are wider range scholarships that you may qualify for based on other experiences you have, such as a Girl Scout or Boy Scout award, that can be found by searching online.
Once in college, I agree with Rene that networking can be helpful to improve your chances of scholarships; not only because then people are familiar with you specifically as an applicant, but because people may mention opportunities to you that you may not have heard about otherwise. Colleges frequently have internal scholarships and sources of funding that become available after you are a student, which may apply to tuition, research, or travel, to name a few.
Like Rene I am not aware of a single source of scholarship information, but you are your own best resource, with the people most aware of your interests and abilities as a close second. Good luck!
Dasa Miller
