Seven Ways to Stand Out When Trying to Apply for a Scholarship

When applying for college scholarships, everyone hopes to receive financial assistance. With so many students looking for alternatives to student loans, you need to make your application stand out. Here are five pointers to help you do that:

1. Stay Organized

When applying for scholarships and financial aid, staying organized is crucial. Whether you’re looking for athletic scholarships, merit scholarships, or grants, you’ll need to provide a variety of papers, including transcripts, letters of recommendation, and essays. Don’t wait until the final minute to submit applications. Make a calendar to keep track of scholarship deadlines and have a list of your volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and transcripts on hand. This list should be updated on a regular basis to maintain its accuracy while applying for scholarships.

2. Request letters of recommendation in advance.

Request letters of recommendation from professors, advisers, coaches, supervisors, or peers at least four weeks before you need them. This allows them plenty of time to write a thoughtful letter. Provide them with a file comprising your personal information, activities, awards, scholarship details, leadership responsibilities, and a résumé. Even if the scholarship does not require a recommendation letter, including one can help your application.

3. Pay attention to the details and requirements.

Each scholarship has its own set of application guidelines, such as essay structure, deadlines, and needed papers. Paying close attention to these factors can mean the difference between your application being approved or refused. Review and follow the scholarship criteria and requirements to guarantee your application is approved.

4. Avoid copying and pasting past essays.

Each scholarship essay prompt is unique, so do not reuse essays. While it may be tempting to make tiny changes to an existing essay, scholarship judges can usually identify when an essay isn’t original. Write separate essays for each application to accurately reflect your various aspirations and personal experiences.

5. Know Your Audience

Understanding who is offering the scholarship is critical. Investigate the institution, foundation, religious group, business, or individual offering the scholarship. Inform yourself about their mission, events, charity, and donations. This understanding enables you to design your essay to reflect the organization’s values and aims. For instance, if you’re applying for a scholarship from a healthcare institution like Sanford Health, highlight your enthusiasm.

4. Avoid copying and pasting past essays.

5. Know Your Audience

6. Highlight what makes you unique.

Many scholarships look for individuals with distinctive characteristics. Your essay should highlight your unique interests and viewpoints. Share experiences that differentiate you from other pupils. You do not have to limit yourself to senior year activities. For example, if you offered to coach children in addition to playing high school sports, mention it. Include any charitable programs you launched while working part-time. Showcase what makes you unique and different.

7. Be personal and passionate.

Scholarship essays should be personalized and passionate. Share your stories, emotions, and personal experiences. For example, if you choose a job in healthcare because you lost a parent to sickness, focus on how that experience affected you positively rather than negatively. This will prove to the scholarship lookers that indeed you are always surrounded with positivity physically and mentally even in the midst of negativity.