Finding Scholarships and Winning
Finding scholarships among the sea of headlines is like finding that proverbial needle in a haystack — or so it seems. We hear stories of students and families banking thousands of dollars through scholarships near and far. Yet, when it comes down to finding these “available resources” ourselves, it feels impossible.
Like anything, it takes a great deal of time, energy, focus, and organization to make headway in this pursuit. But, it’s not impossible or a waste of time. Anyone can take a few easy steps to finding scholarships and winning!
Where To Start Finding Scholarships
Many scholarship applications require something like an essay or profile describing yourself. Like most teenagers, this is not something they have readily available. They should! So, before anything, start by writing a profile about yourself. This will help to set the stage when asked to share a little about you or what you may want to major in. This can serve as a template and foundation for when you are needing a variation to the theme.
The next steps in where to start finding scholarships and winning is fairly simple, but super-important:
- Start Researching — turn over every rock and start scouring the web and local businesses for scholarship information. We’ve already done some of the homework for you HERE!
- Collect Information — research is only as good as the information you gather, so be sure to keep copious notes. Your notes will become valuable information moving forward!
- Identify Requirements — every scholarship has different requirements. Finding these early can save you countless hours of wasted time. Do you meet all of the requirements? What are they?
- Determine Criteria — make certain you meet every criterion for applying for a scholarship before submitting the application. Must you have a certain GPA? Test-scores? Will you have to write an essay about yourself or about something else? If so, how long is too long? Sometimes the criteria entail a specific graduating class. Check out these scholarship lists for the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2022!
- Consider Deadlines — many scholarship applications can be started early, but all of them will have a submission date. Be sure to keep these dates clear on your calendar and avoid waiting until the last minute to submit.
When To Start
Many experts suggest beginning the scholarship pursuit during the fall and we would have to agree. However, with time on our hands from new academic schedules, it makes great sense to invest this newfound time into dollars with your own scholarship project.
And, like any hunt, there’s nothing like landing a BIG prize! So, don’t underestimate the possibility of these HUGE scholarships for high school students too!
How To Start Finding Scholarships
Whether it’s writing a book, painting a room, building a deck, or finding scholarships, getting started is the hardest part of any project. And, as we are all familiar, we sometimes have to dive into the deep end of the pool to get wet.
Get prepared by having a notebook or folder nearby and be ready to label and write information down. Staying organized must be your best friend in this journey because there will be many moving parts. But don’t worry — you’ve got this!
