3 answers
joan
Student
Central Luzon, Central Luzon, Philippines
1
Question
3 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1591
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Joan the only way to have a shot at winning scholarships is to apply for scholarships.
Joan you'll also hear time and time again – apply early, and apply often. If you miss a deadline and send in your application late, your scholarship application will go to the bottom of the pile. If you skip out on an award because you think you don't have a good shot at landing that award, you could be missing out on free financial aid. The more scholarship information you have, the more prepared you'll be to start the process and land your share of the free college money out there. You may feel like scholarship awards are too competitive for you to win, but someone has to win, so why shouldn't it be you? There are ways to improve your chances of landing a scholarship, even if it's the most competitive scholarship around.
When you are ready to start applying, it's important to get organized. One of the most important steps once you find an award that interests you is to read the directions, qualifications, and fine print carefully (beware: scholarships that charge a fee are most often scholarship scams). You may even find some of the work you do can be applied to multiple scholarship applications - such as an essay or writing sample. Be sure you read the directions for those essays carefully. Make sure you're answering the essay question accurately and thoughtfully, as many judges will look to those essays to narrow down a long list of applicants. Start working on those essays early, and ask teachers or your peers for honest feedback. If it sounds too easy, that's because it is actually easy to apply for scholarships. Some may require that you put in some time, but once you've completed an application or two, you might find it will get easier and take less time with each additional scholarship application. Don't psych yourself out or let yourself get overwhelmed by all you need to do before you graduate high school. Start early and work diligently and it will pay off, literally. And remember: you're not alone. Many students feel unprepared when they're starting the process, but with a little research, you could be on your way to an impressive financial aid package.
Hope this helps Joan
Spread the word to your employer, coaches, friends, and members of your community that you’re looking for scholarships. Ask your parents to check with their friends and HR departments at work about scholarships for family members. There are usually a lot of scholarships offered locally that are not particularly well advertised. You can often find these through your high school counselor, in the local paper, or at the library. Check in directly with local foundations, community organizations, and local businesses to see if they offer any scholarships, too.
Don’t be afraid to apply for as many scholarships as you can. There are many to choose from and the more you apply for, the better the chance you will earn money for school. If you only apply for a couple and don’t get them, you will wish you had done more. Thinking outside the box can also be a good idea. There are many different scholarships out there, on all different types of topics. Go beyond the usual ones and see what you can find.
The more work a scholarship requires, the fewer people will apply for it. That means a better chance of you winning the scholarship if you do apply for it. Keep that in mind when you are working on a scholarship application that seems a lot more complicated than others. Make sure you stay super organized when it comes to due dates. Have a calendar just for this. Write down all the due dates and make sure you stay on track. You don’t want to miss out on a scholarship because you missed the date.
Joan you'll also hear time and time again – apply early, and apply often. If you miss a deadline and send in your application late, your scholarship application will go to the bottom of the pile. If you skip out on an award because you think you don't have a good shot at landing that award, you could be missing out on free financial aid. The more scholarship information you have, the more prepared you'll be to start the process and land your share of the free college money out there. You may feel like scholarship awards are too competitive for you to win, but someone has to win, so why shouldn't it be you? There are ways to improve your chances of landing a scholarship, even if it's the most competitive scholarship around.
When you are ready to start applying, it's important to get organized. One of the most important steps once you find an award that interests you is to read the directions, qualifications, and fine print carefully (beware: scholarships that charge a fee are most often scholarship scams). You may even find some of the work you do can be applied to multiple scholarship applications - such as an essay or writing sample. Be sure you read the directions for those essays carefully. Make sure you're answering the essay question accurately and thoughtfully, as many judges will look to those essays to narrow down a long list of applicants. Start working on those essays early, and ask teachers or your peers for honest feedback. If it sounds too easy, that's because it is actually easy to apply for scholarships. Some may require that you put in some time, but once you've completed an application or two, you might find it will get easier and take less time with each additional scholarship application. Don't psych yourself out or let yourself get overwhelmed by all you need to do before you graduate high school. Start early and work diligently and it will pay off, literally. And remember: you're not alone. Many students feel unprepared when they're starting the process, but with a little research, you could be on your way to an impressive financial aid package.
Hope this helps Joan
Doc recommends the following next steps:
Nailah Ricco-Brown, J.D.
Higher Education Program Manager
15
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Nailah’s Answer
Hello!!!
There are sooo many resources online for obtaining scholarships, and the good thing about many of them is that they allow you to filter out various aspects that may or may not apply to you. This allows you to directly identify the perfect fit for you, your academic career thus far, and your academic plans in the future!
Some websites I suggest are:
- The U.S. Federal Government's scholarship search: https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/training/find-scholarships.aspx
- Sallie Mae's scholarship search engine: https://www.salliemae.com/college-planning/tools/scholarship-search/
- Cappex/College Greenlight: https://www.cappex.com/scholarships
- Niche: https://www.niche.com/colleges/scholarships/
- Gates Millennium Scholars: www.gmsp.org
- Fast Web www.fastweb.com
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation www.jckf.org
- Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars www.jackierobinson.org
(The following are for highschoolers)
- Posse Foundation: www.possefoundation.org (Students must be nominated by school or community-based organization in 11th grade)
- Questbridge: www.questbridge.org (Applications for Questbridge’s College Prep Scholarship are due in 11th grade; applications for Questbridge’s National College Match are due in September of 12th grade)
Some great one time scholarships:
American Indian Graduate Center ($1,000-$10,000) www.aigc.com
Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund ($2,500-$15,000) www.apiasf.org/scholarship_apiasf.html
AXA Achievement Scholarship ($10,000-$25,000) www.axa-scholarship.com
Coca-Cola Scholars ($10,000-$20,000) www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org
Davidson Fellows ($10,000, $25,000, or $50,000) www.davidsongifted.org/fellows
Dell Scholars ($20,000) www.dellscholars.org
Hispanic Scholarship Fund ($1,000-$20,000) www.hsf.net/en/scholarships/programs
Horatio Alger (up to $21,000) www.horatioalger.com/scholarships
United Negro College Fund ($2,500-$10,000) www.scholarships.uncf.org
Last but not least - if you have a prospective school in mind, familiarize yourself with their financial aid office staff! They can inform you of internal scholarship opportunities that may be a perfect fit, for you. :-)
Remember - persistence is key! Try to create a daily practice of searching and applying for the best fits, as expansively as possible!
Best of luck to you!
There are sooo many resources online for obtaining scholarships, and the good thing about many of them is that they allow you to filter out various aspects that may or may not apply to you. This allows you to directly identify the perfect fit for you, your academic career thus far, and your academic plans in the future!
Some websites I suggest are:
- The U.S. Federal Government's scholarship search: https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/training/find-scholarships.aspx
- Sallie Mae's scholarship search engine: https://www.salliemae.com/college-planning/tools/scholarship-search/
- Cappex/College Greenlight: https://www.cappex.com/scholarships
- Niche: https://www.niche.com/colleges/scholarships/
- Gates Millennium Scholars: www.gmsp.org
- Fast Web www.fastweb.com
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation www.jckf.org
- Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars www.jackierobinson.org
(The following are for highschoolers)
- Posse Foundation: www.possefoundation.org (Students must be nominated by school or community-based organization in 11th grade)
- Questbridge: www.questbridge.org (Applications for Questbridge’s College Prep Scholarship are due in 11th grade; applications for Questbridge’s National College Match are due in September of 12th grade)
Some great one time scholarships:
American Indian Graduate Center ($1,000-$10,000) www.aigc.com
Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund ($2,500-$15,000) www.apiasf.org/scholarship_apiasf.html
AXA Achievement Scholarship ($10,000-$25,000) www.axa-scholarship.com
Coca-Cola Scholars ($10,000-$20,000) www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org
Davidson Fellows ($10,000, $25,000, or $50,000) www.davidsongifted.org/fellows
Dell Scholars ($20,000) www.dellscholars.org
Hispanic Scholarship Fund ($1,000-$20,000) www.hsf.net/en/scholarships/programs
Horatio Alger (up to $21,000) www.horatioalger.com/scholarships
United Negro College Fund ($2,500-$10,000) www.scholarships.uncf.org
Last but not least - if you have a prospective school in mind, familiarize yourself with their financial aid office staff! They can inform you of internal scholarship opportunities that may be a perfect fit, for you. :-)
Remember - persistence is key! Try to create a daily practice of searching and applying for the best fits, as expansively as possible!
Best of luck to you!
Jerel L.
Management Consultant
85
Answers
Columbia, South Carolina
Updated
Jerel’s Answer
Some scholarships for college are merit-based. You earn them by meeting or exceeding certain standards set by the scholarship-giver. Merit scholarships might be awarded based on academic achievement or on a combination of academics and a special talent, trait, or interest. Other scholarships are based on financial need. You can learn about scholarships in several ways, including contacting the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend and checking information in a public library or online.