For all college students, it is important to find money to pay for college fees. College scholarships are really useful for students, as they can get the money that they need for their college tuition fees for free and not have to pay anything back. However, not everyone can get these scholarships very easily. A proper method has to be followed in order to be successful in getting them. Read on and know about top 10 tips that can allow availing best college scholarships on offer.
- Be an early bird
Begin looking for scholarships as fast as possible, and be an early bird. Do not wait until spring season of your high school senior year for beginning your search. Otherwise, you will possibly miss important deadlines. You can find numerous scholarships being available for high school seniors as well as for students in 9th, 10th and 11th grade. Even students in K-8 grades can avail scholarships. Even after you enroll in some college, do not stop looking for scholarships.
- Submit typed applications
If you would like having the sponsor notice your application, you should make sure that it is clean and easily readable. You can do this best by typing your application in its entirety. However, if this seems impossible thenat least make sure that entry of information is done in a proper manner so that application can easily be read. In case scholarship sponsor has to check many applications, which happens quite often, submitting one that is hard to read is likely to be met with disapproval.
- Fill all blanks
While filling out the form for scholarship application, make sure that all the blanks on the application form are filled up and no boxes are left out. In case a specific section of this form is not applicable in your case, just mention that on the blank space with “N/Aâ€. Leaving blank boxes on the form will possibly ruin all chances for your application to be met with approval.
- Try to apply for as many scholarships as possible
Prepare a list of every scholarship that you are deserving of. Make sure that you check again and again whether you have the proper documents to prove your eligibility and have someone else to go evaluate your letter or supporting essay. It always makes sense having an opinion of some other person. Apply for every scholarship that you are eligible for. More the number of applications, greater are your chance of getting one. Some scholarships which grant 1,000 USD or even less may just have a handful of students applying for them. By applying for scholarships of less competitive nature, like essay contests and small awards, you can win more easily and money pooled together can assist you in winning bigger scholarships.
- Be confident
If your application needs an essay or letter to explain your eligibility for the scholarship, do not hold back out of shyness. Make a list of all your achievements that show you in a positive light. These can include academic results as well as sports awards, community work or any employment experience. Write the essay by using your own personal tone, and throw in every relevant detail which shows how good a person you are. Generally, it makes sense showing a challenge and how you overcame it.
- Try local scholarships
Make an inquiry about local scholarships to your guidance counselors at high school. You should also check
- Financial aid offices
- Bulletin boards in libraries
- Jobs and careers section that can be found at libraries
As compared to national and regional scholarships, local ones can be won more easily. Make sure that you are properly aware of all instructions while applying for scholarship programs and then properly following them. Do not simply send a bunch of generic details to each and every scholarship program. Similarly, do not send unnecessary additional information which has not been asked for by the sponsor.
- Provide scholarship sponsor with information sought
Scholarship applications frequently consist of scholarship selection criteria of sponsor. However, you should conduct your own online research about the scholarship sponsor. Check the mission statement of the company, which can be found in the About Us page of its official website. Adjust your application according to the goals of your sponsor. Go through all the directions and follow them properly.
- Be a volunteer with your community
Studies show that students who volunteer are typically regarded as more eligible by sponsors for their scholarship programs. Sponsors typically look for students who show long-term long-time dedication to volunteering. Given that numerous scholarship sponsorships are non-profit organizations dedicated to serving the community, sponsors’love for volunteers is understandable. College Planning – 5 Trends in College Admissions That May Affect Your Family is something you must be aware of.
- Have a good online profile
Having a sound online profile can also be useful when you are trying to win a scholarship. You can Google your own name over the web and check what type of information is thrown up against your name. Try deleting all inappropriate content and posts that come up on the search results. Eliminate all immature posts which show you in a not so pleasant light from your account at Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, Google Plus.
Do this at least 6 months beforehand as Google takes time to delete cached pages from its own servers. Use an email id that looks and sounds more professional, such as firstname_DOB@gmail.com. Do not use an email address that sounds risqué. Plain and simple, to the point of boring, can be great as far as getting free money is concerned.
- Allow a lot of time
Scholarships take time to be approved. But you have to allow the waiting period, as you will be basically getting your money for free. You should consider your funds a minimum of 1 ½ year prior to opting for a course. However, once you get entry to a course, you are likely to have just a little time to apply for a scholarship which is specific to the course. Naturally, you should not miss the deadline at any cost.