Know your Strengths
It is important for students to know their own assets. Although a majority of scholarships are based on a student’s grades and academic performance, some scholarships are based mainly on their extracurricular activities. It is crucial for students to make a list of all their extracurricular activities as a reference for applying to scholarships and awards.
This list should include:
- School Events
- Sport Events
- Community Involvement
- Student Council Involvement
- Volunteer Experience
- Participation in an exchange program
In short, in a scholarship application, anything that can make a student stand out and be different from all the other applicants is a definite advantage! As a result, students should pay close attention to any extracurricular activities that are different, unique and extraordinary!
Know your Resources
All students, at some point, must visit their guidance counselor and ask for any scholarship information available to them. Some scholarships are offered through their high school, and others are offered through local organizations. Also, students can always ask their guidance counselor to look over their application and edit them to make it stronger as well.
Students should check the company or organization that their parents work for to see if they offer any exclusive scholarship for children of employees. Some companies do not advertise these awards as it is exclusive to family of employees only.
Also students need to check if they have any family members who are veterans or related to veterans. In most cases, government organizations offer big chunks of scholarships for family members of veterans.
Preparing an Application
Most importantly, students need to be informed about the scholarship and the company or foundation that is offering it. They also need to ensure that their application meets all of the requirements. A lot of administrators become very frustrated by the number of students who apply for awards but who do not qualify for them. Likewise, eligible students must not forget to include important details in their application packages.
Also, spelling, grammar and sentence structure are very important in any kind of scholarship application. The application must be written concisely, to the point, and simple! Above all, students must BE POLITE! Remember to thank the organization for their time in considering the application for the award.