The Ultimate Guide to Earning a Scholarship

The SlugBooks Ultimate Guide to Earning a SCHOLARSHIP Tips for Scoring a Scholarahip Beware of anything promising guaranteed money Do not give out personal financial information like bank Don't fall for scams You should NEVER pay to get a scholarship accounts, credit card #'s, or SSN The smaller award scholarships are often less competitive Finding Scholarships Don't underestimate small scholarships Winning smaller awards adds to your resume and can help you win bigger awards Scholarships are available all year round The 2nd biggest deadline cycle is in the fall Don't wait until the spring before college to start looking Before You Apply Create an accomplishments resume Use a calendar and checklist to get organized 2013 Prioritize your applications by deadline and expected value of the scholarship Tailor your application to the sponsor's goals Read and follow the instructions Essay Tips A If you have trouble writing, answer the essay question orally and transcribe the recording Preparing Your Application Use an outline to organize your thoughts Give examples and be specific Be passionate in your essay and write about something of interest to you Proofread a printed copy of the essay for spelling and grammar errors Additional Tips Use a professional email address [first name].[last name]@gmail.com Remove inappropriate and immature material on your social media profiles beep Google Google your name to see what shows up and see what you can do to clean it up Make a photocopy of your application before mailing it Send the application by certified mail, return receipt requested or with delivery confirmation Failing to proofread the application Missing deadlines Failing to follow directions Essay length, number of recommendations Including exaggerations or lies on the application Applying for an award Omitting required information when you don't qualify Failing to tailor the application to the sponsor Writing a boring essay or an essay that may Most Common offend the reviewer Application Mistakes According to Mark Kantrowitz, FastWeb publisher