How to write a winning scholarship essay - Gen Tanabe, Kelly Tanabe 2018
Which scholarship is right for you?
Where to find great scholarships
Recently, a student wrote to us with a problem. He had conducted a search for scholarships on the Internet. Anticipating that he would find a handful of awards to apply for, he was shocked to find not handfuls but bucketfuls—more than 100 potential scholarships. Unless he made applying for scholarships his full-time job, there was no way that he could apply for all of them.
You will likely find yourself in a similar situation. Since there are so many scholarships available, the problem may not be finding awards but deciding which ones you have the best chance of winning. Although When & Where to Find Scholarships CollegeAnswer.com
The best advice that Michael Darne, director of business development for Sallie Mae’s CollegeAnswer.com, has for students is to start early and use both high and low tech search tools.
“It really helps to start early. Students should begin thinking about scholarships in their sophomore year,” recommends Darne. Even if you are not able to apply for every award that you find, keeping a running list now will give you a huge advantage once you become a senior.
As for where to find scholarships, Darne recommends two distinctly different methods. “You can use a scholarship search engine like the CollegeAnswer search engine,” says Darne. But besides the Internet, Darne also advises to not overlook the people around you.
“Meet with your guidance counselor. They’re going to know about most of the good local scholarships. Get the word out to everyone you know that you’re going to college and you need the money. Some of these scholarships may not be big money, but $500 here or $1,000 there can add up quickly,” he says. there is no way to predict if you will win a scholarship, there are some techniques you can use to select those that fit you best and therefore offer you the best chance of winning. Naturally, these are the ones for which you should apply.
The key is to realize that almost every scholarship organization has a mission or goal for giving away its money. Few groups give away free money for no reason. For example, a nature group might sponsor a scholarship with the goal of promoting conservation and encouraging students to be environmentally conscious. To this end the group will reward students who have demonstrated a concern for the environment and have some plan to contribute to this cause in the future.
Understanding the mission of the scholarship is important because it will clue you into the kind of student the organization is interested in finding. If you have the background, interests and accomplishments that match this mission, then it is a scholarship you have a good chance of winning.
In our example of the nature group, if you are passionate about conservation, are active in an organization like the Sierra Club and know that you could write a compelling essay about your interest in global warming, then you would be a great candidate. If, on the other hand, you can’t remember the last time you spent more than an hour outdoors, this award is not for you and you would be wasting your time by applying.
By understanding the mission of the scholarship, you can determine if you are the kind of student the organization wants to reward.