Disclaimer! If you're serious about trying to get some financial aid, you should know that it's gonna take some work.. and also, you should know that applying for Scholarships in the Spring (Jan.-Apr.) will at the earliest mean potential aid for the FALL semester, and not the Summer.
Getting Started, my personal recommendation:
(because finding scholarships actually turns out to be rather more of an on-your-own thing, because we don't all fit the same criteria for them all... i.e. I'm a business student, and thus, my scholarships are different than what yours will be.. etc.)
Start by making a full profile for these three scholarship engines:
fastweb.com
scholarships.com
scholarshipexperts.com
it's tedious, however, it will help in the long run/over the next couple years.
Assemble a personal 'Brag Sheet' or 'Scholarship Resume'
this will be a huuuuuuuuuuuge help in the future.
You need to list EVERYTHING; every thing you've ever done, even partially, even just as a hobby, or even if you don't think it's that important. You will refer to this sheet...always, haha!
Make sure you know Jobs you've ever had, and their dates and whatnot.
OH! and please, save all essays you write (you will be writing lots of essays, and sometimes they repeat... sooo... not saying you can ever really just 'copy and paste' one essay for another, but you can sure use them/edit old ones/tailor them to the new ones).
Big Scholarship Deadlines to be aware of:
(August) September to October!
December to Feb. 15!
March to April (big one!)
I see those dates a LOT as deadlines. Now, there are scholarships available year round. However, these are the BIG dates (where there tend to be the most scholarships).
Google Search!!
Look at your college. Look at your state. Look at your town. Look at your high school. Search them all for scholarships. You'd be surprised what comes up.
Remember... the more localized/specific the criteria, the less the competition. So GREAT places to start looking for scholarships are in your own personal sphere (this being said, be sure to FIRST check out your specific college/high school/town... it may yield the most fruitful results)
Get creative! Google search random things that pop in your mind that you think they might just have a scholarship for (i.e. Kohl's Scholarship; Pizza Hut Scholarship; Uncommon Scholarships; Language Scholarships; Study Abroad Scholarships, etc.)
If anything, every search, if you look around, brings you somewhere that has scholarships/links to new ideas for scholarship searches.
Remember! Scholarships are organized based on criteria; so use EVERYTHING to your advantage:
(this is where you search things off your brag sheet) (i.e. Hispanic Scholarships; Boy Scout Scholarships)
Most commonly organized criteria:
Nationality
Discipline/Major/Hobby
US Citizen
State and/or College*
Year in College*
GPA
*or High School
(take some time-think about who/what you are
).Also know what TYPE of scholarships you prefer to apply to/are looking for.
Based off of personal preference, I would say:
AVOID sweepstakes, anything less than 250 words, scholarships with more than 1,000 words for a single essay (unless you really feel strongly about it... because otherwise, this just can take a while), scholarships with only one recipient, very big National Scholarships (not to say you CAN'T win, but hey... those are worth some big money... and as such you have some HEFTY competition).
PREFERRED: essays of 250-500 words (even if they are multiple essays), scholarships requiring several pieces of information (such as Transcripts, Letters of Recommendation, lists of Community Service/Extra-Curricular Activities, etc.), scholarships with 3+ Recipients (the more, the better!); and don't knock a scholarship whether its worth $50 or $5,000!! they are worth the time! Typically, i like to look around the $500, $1000, $2,500 ranges. If I see $10,000 as the award amount, I usually don't consider it further unless it's broken up among several winners. Too much time and competition to enter)
ALSO! You should know: Do NOT be discouraged by 'video' scholarships.
Think about the concept: it's a weeding out process. People will be searching around for scholarships. Many students, upon seeing certain length/number of essays, will consider whether or not to apply. BAM. Some weeded out. People will come across scholarships that require more work, such as requesting Transcripts/Letters of Recommendation. BAM. Even more get weeded out. So, think then just how many more people would just 'give up' upon seeing that to apply to a scholarship, you have to create a VIDEO! "GAH! Inconceivable! I can't make a video! Forget it!"; when in actuality, it's usually only 1-3 minutes.. not that difficult, and perhaps quite worth the extra effort.
The more effort = more people who don't apply.
... find the balance of effort in there that you like =]
OH! And before I forget! Ask for Recommendations at LEAST 2 weeks in advance, and... this is important, ALWAYS SEND PERSONAL THANK YOU LETTERS!!
--Trust me.
What are your suggestions?
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