How to Apply for a College Scholarship – A Guide for Freshmen

From kindergarten to your senior year in high school, your parents determined where you would go to school and how the bills would be met. Now, it’s your turn to make the decisions. But, that also means that you have to shoulder some of the responsibilities. You have to apply for college and you have to fill out the necessary applications for scholarships, grants and loans.

Applying for a college scholarship takes some guts. You will be competing with many other talented students to get the award money. But, the benefits of having scholarships in your portfolio in the place of work study and loan awards are great. With a scholarship, you don’t have to work in the cafeteria for the money or pay it back when you are done with school.

When you apply to colleges, inquire about special scholarship opportunities that come directly from the school itself. This will let the college know that you are interested in funding sources from them. You are more likely to get the scholarships if you ask about them.

Talk to your high school guidance counselor about scholarship opportunities within the community. Many of these scholarships are available from local businesses or service clubs.

Finally, you should join a free scholarship database offered on the internet. When you fill out a detailed profile of your activities, interests, and personal traits, you will be matched with a number of potential scholarships.

Here are some tips on how to get the scholarships you go after:

· Know what the deadlines are. Too many students leave money on the table because they don’t apply on time.
· Start early in the year. Some of the scholarships are actually offered in October and November. Also, the essay scholarship competitions require that you put some hard work and thought into your composition.
· Do a good job filling out the application. Don’t throw something together the night before the deadline. Scholarship winners put a lot of thought into perfecting the application.
· Get good letters of recommendation. Often many of the applicants for scholarships look the same on paper. They all have high grades, high test scores, and loads of leadership experience. What can set the winner apart, though, is a thoughtful letter of recommendation from a teacher, principal, counselor, or community leader.
· Spend the most time on scholarship applications that you are well qualified for. A scholarship for people who have done a lot of community service will not generally be awarded to someone who spent one afternoon in a food bank. Focus on scholarships you have a good chance of winning.
· Complete the application. It’s not good enough to get started. Until all of the required elements are in the hands of the scholarship committee, you don’t have a chance of winning.

After you have finished filling out the initial application, there may be further requirements such as an interview if you are a finalist. At this point, since you know you have a good chance of winning, go all out and try to win the award.

Applying for a scholarship involves putting yourself out there. But, as you start a new phase of your life, you will need to start risking more of yourself. Get ready for adulthood by applying for scholarships now.

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