Your Scholarship Battle Plan
When it comes to winning scholarships, it’s a lot like getting in shape. There are no real magic bullets—just hard work and good technique. But instead of barbells and cardio, scholarships require you to apply often, paying close attention to what each organization is looking for. If you send out one great application and then quit, you’re no more likely to win a scholarship than to get in shape after just one great workout. Likewise, if you send out a bunch of generic applications without paying attention to what they’re looking for, you’ll feel the pain, but not experience any of the gain.
CHEAT SHEET
The College Funding Plan that you began working on in the first chapter of this book has a Scholarship Battle Plan at the end of it that neatly summarizes these steps. After you read this section, you should pull out that original worksheet and map out your Scholarship Battle Plan, so that it doesn’t slip through the cracks as you finish the rest of this book.
Step #1: Create a Routine
Just like a workout regimen works best when you get on a schedule, so does the scholarship application process when you get yourself into a routine. A routine is crucial for two reasons. First, if you try to do everything from researching to applying in one day, your brain will probably blow a fuse and you’ll give up on the whole process. Second, landing scholarship dollars is a numbers game, meaning that you are going to need to apply for far more scholarships than you can accomplish in one day or weekend.
Here’s how I recommend setting up a routine:
1. For every $1,000 in annual unmet financial need you have, you should apply for 10 scholarships, regardless of their dollar amounts. So if you are going to be $5,000 short, you should plan on applying for 50 scholarships over the coming year.
2. Because there is no way you are going to apply for 25, 50, or 100 scholarships in one weekend, spread out the work over the course of the year. Everyone needs a few weeks off for holidays, illness, and sanity, so divide the number of scholarships you should be applying for by 45 weeks. If you need to apply for 50 scholarships, that amounts to roughly one application a week. If you need to apply for 100 scholarships, that’s two a week, while only 25 scholarships would be one every other week. To help you gauge your time, each application itself should take you roughly 2 to 3 hours the first time.
3. Go to your local office store and buy one of those big office wall calendars. After you’ve done your research and decided on which primary and special-interest scholarships you’re going to apply for, mark their due dates on the calendar. This will be the roadmap you use to tell you what to be working on when.
4. As much as possible, pick a regular day to work on your scholarship applications. Sunday evenings seem to be a favorite for most people because the chaos of the week has not begun yet. If you are helping to fill out applications for someone other than yourself, this time slot can also present the least amount of conflicts. But, whatever day you pick, make sure it is one you can commit to and that won’t get taken over with other priorities.
Step #2: Do the Research Now!
Doing some research throughout the year is a good habit, but it’s important to do the bulk of your research on the front end of your scholarship hunt. That’s because many of the scholarships have deadlines that you won’t want to miss, leading you to prioritize which scholarships you apply for when.
Refer to the lists of primary and special-interest scholarships earlier in this chapter, and methodically go through each one of those areas, brainstorming on what you might think you qualify for. Just grab a pad of paper, write down the different categories (for instance, Academic, Religious, and so on), and put down any connections to that category that come to mind.
When that is done, begin looking for scholarships within each of those categories that fit you or your student. When you find one that might fit, even if it is a long shot, mark the page or print its web page and move on to the next. When you’re done, sit down with a cup of coffee and take a deeper look at each scholarship, its requirements, and its deadlines. For those that fit, transfer the scholarship name, amount, and due dates to your oversized calendar.
WORLD WIDE WISDOM
Parents who band together to figure out their college funding often get a lot more accomplished. Even if you do form a “scholarship support group” with some other parents or students, you should also seek out online forums where parents share tips and ideas.
Step #3: Start Applying
Now that you’ve done all the hard work of selecting scholarships that match your primary and special-interest categories, you have to get down to the business of actually filling out the applications. As a general rule, you’ll need to have all applications in the mail no later than one week before the deadline, which means you should probably begin working on them no later than two weeks before the deadline.
Later in this chapter I discuss how to fill out applications and write essays in a way that sets you up for success. For now, here are some basic things you need to do for every application you send:
• Type it—While many scholarships allow you to fill out an online application, many others still require you to send in a paper application. If a paper application is required, go the extra mile and fill in the application form before printing it up or use an old-school typewriter for forms that cannot be edited online. The reality is that when a board is trying to decide between you and hundreds of other candidates, those who go the extra mile are going to stick out. Those who don’t are going to be pushed to the side. Remember that scholarships are a competitive sport, and many of the people you are contending against will have typed their applications.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread—There’s no quicker route to the bottom of the application pile than typos and grammatical errors. Scholarship committees will be praised or criticized on whether the students they give awards to build the reputation of the organization. If you have typos, they’re likely going to take that as a sign that you’re a less-qualified candidate.
Consider recruiting someone who possesses both a love for you and a set of eagle eyes to be an additional proofreader for your applications. It takes only a few extra minutes to e-mail your English teacher cousin your application. Chances are, he’ll be happy to help out and might even help you identify some areas where you should expand on certain things that make you unique. Don’t forget to send him a gift card every once and a while as a thank you.
• Don’t guess on the postage—Especially if you’re going to be cutting applications close to their deadlines, you don’t want your submission coming back to you due to insufficient postage. You did all that hard work, so walk the application into the post office or use your meter at work to ensure adequate postage gets on the envelope.
• Keep a copy of your completed applications—Many scholarships require a phone or personal interview before they’re awarded. It’s crucial that you make sure the information you give in your interview matches what is on your application. If you don’t have a copy to review, you might come across a tad disorganized or, even worse, as a liar.
WORLD WIDE WISDOM
Many states provide a single online application that automatically enters you for dozens of state-based scholarships in one shot. For example, the state of Arkansas offers the YOUniversal application, which lets residents apply for 21 scholarships with a single application. Contact your state’s Department of Higher Education (see Appendix D) to find out if it offers such an option.
You can and should reuse parts of your previous essays and short answers, especially if they’ve already won you some money. If you really like the way your bio or an essay’s introduction looks on paper, there is no reason not to copy and paste from application to application. Just make sure you only borrow from yourself (not from other students’ essays) and that you tailor each application to meet that organization’s beliefs and goals.
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