Scholarships

In  his book, “How to Go to College Almost for Free: The Secrets of How to Win Scholarship Money”, Benjamin R. Kaplan gives his very own testimony on how he was able to win scholarship money amounting to $90,000, covering nearly all of his College expenses.

While Kaplan’s testimony is very inspiring, there are still many people out there who believe that financing college through scholarships is nothing more than a ‘myth’. There are still a lot of people who claim that although there are billions of dollars offered for scholarship programs each year, the competition is just too stiff to make scholarships a reliable source of college funding.

So why is it that scholarships work for some and not for others? Why is it that some people win, others win more and some just can’t seem to win at all?

People who think twice about applying for scholarships usually think that scholarship hunting is just like the lottery: they just don’t have enough luck to win.

Winning scholarships, however, is not a matter of blind luck. Although it is true that competition is stiff and winning is not guaranteed, bagging a scholarship is far from impossible. With a good application strategy along with hard work, scholarships will be accessible.

For starters, it is good to understand how scholarships work. As a general rule of thumb, the chances of winning depend largely on how well you meet the standards of eligibility and, for merit based scholarships in particular, how well you do in your application. Your application strategy will be based on these two guidelines.

When considering your scholarship options, make sure that you consider eligibility requirements to the letter. If you don’t match the requirements exactly, don’t bother applying at all because you will only be wasting your time and effort. Instead, you have to focus your energy on scholarships that you are eligible for. Try to find as many scholarships that you qualify for and apply to those scholarships. Spotting scholarships that suit your interests and/or special skills will boost your chances of winning, as well.

Of course, your main concern as a student would be to increase your chances for eligibility. That is why students are always encouraged to be proactive in school. Study well and aim to get consistently high GPA’s. Join extra-curricular activities and volunteer for community service programs.

But finding scholarships that you are eligible for is just the beginning. The quality of your application is what wins the vote of scholarship reviewers.

The most common application requirement would be the scholarship essay, so it is wise never to answer essay questions for the sake of answering essay questions. Construct your ideas thoughtfully. Write in a clear and efficient manner. More importantly, make your point by giving specific examples of your accomplishments. This is where your experience in community service programs or extra-curricular activities can help you greatly, since these activities provide you with very concrete examples of your competence for your essays.

Another common application requirement will be your letters of recommendation. For your sake, avoid asking relatives and friends to give you a letter of recommendation. You have to choose referrers who can express your strengths and accomplishments as a student, and who have a good idea of what your skills and potential are. Professors, community program heads, and organization advisors are all ideal contacts for letters of recommendation, so it is wise to maintain your good ties with them.

In order to do well in your application, you must also be willing to work hard and be active as a student to ensure that you have something notable to write about in your application.  In the end, it all comes down to one thing: scholarships are won by those who work the hardest for them.