Making The Most Of Your Scholarship Search
With the frenzy of college application deadlines finally starting to wind down, it’s time for high school seniors to turn their attention to private scholarships. While the majority of scholarship money will come directly from colleges in the form of merit scholarships, there is a lot to be said for spending some time searching for private scholarships.
And while you might be burnt out from your college application process, here are some ideas on how you can make the most of your scholarship search.
Searching for scholarships is like a part-time job. It’s not a one and done deal. The more you search and the more you apply, the more likely you are to win something.
Beware of scams. It should never cost you more than a postage stamp to apply for a scholarship. Also NEVER give out your social security number or bank information.
Start your search locally and be prepared to do the work that other students won’t. Check out scholarship opportunities through employers, your church, local organizations, your bank or credit union, the town library and, most importantly, your high school’s college counseling office.
Search smarter, not harder. To narrow down internet search results, trying searching more specifically such as “accounting scholarships 2014 2015.”
Your major matters. If you know what you want to major in, you should start looking for scholarships through professional organizations and associations affiliated with your field. For example, here’s a list of scholarships offered through the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) for students majoring in engineering.
Make good use of social media. The ScholarshipExperts.com Pinterest board has over 1,300 scholarships!
Look for scholarships with essay requirements. Then, apply the same rules for college application essays: Grab the reader’s attention in the first two sentences and tell a story. If your essay bores you, it will most definitely bore the scholarship selection committee person who has to read it.
At the end of the day, scholarship searching is a time-consuming process. Pace yourself and stay positive.
If you would like some assistance with your college search, contact me today for a free 60-minute consultation.
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