In 2020 alone, the average debt of a bachelor’s degree graduate in America was $28,000. Finding and winning scholarships to beat debt is possible. Below are eleven tips to be competitive for scholarships in 2022.
Start Early
With any endeavor, planning ahead is key to success. The same holds true for scholarships. People who start early are often successful in securing really great scholarships. While you are on your summer breaks, use scholarship search engines like scholarship.com and take a look at some scholarships and their qualifications. Then, create a strategy on how you can work toward achieving these requirements.
Get Organized
Once you start early, it is time to get organized. I love using google spreadsheets for everything! Create some categories like deadlines, scholarship descriptions and qualifications and organize your resources. This is a great way to keep up with deadlines and one day, have a document you are able to share with someone else looking for scholarship resources.
Pursue Academic Excellence
When I started my undergraduate degree, a mentor gave me the advice to keep my GPA above 3.7. I know you might be thinking this is a bit of a stretch but she was right. Some prestigious scholarships simply have a GPA requirement that is non-negotiable. Others have certain SAT or ACT score requirements. From my experience, some schools might place more weight on your GPA than on your ACT/SAT score. This means that they take a holistic approach to the admission process, taking into consideration your academic performance across four years. Moral of the story – work hard and aim for academic excellence.
Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities
Having good grades is simply not enough to be competitive for scholarships. You also have to get involved in extracurricular activities. Whether that is joining a sports team or tutoring at a nearby school, show your willingness to make a positive impact at your school or community.
Do an Internship
You can also do an internship at a local organization. When I was in college, I did an internship with two organizations: The American Red Cross and Catholic Charities. I interned with American Red Cross for three years, further showing my ability to grow and lead in the organization. While my work in Catholic Charities was just for one semester, both these organizations gave me work experience and excellent network for future employment prospects.
Be a Leader
The key to winning scholarships is not simply doing extracurricular activities- although that is one component. It is also showing depth of character and leadership. Throughout your education career, pick two of three extracurricular activities and scale your leadership. For example, if you were a volunteer member of your school’s Amnesty club, see if you can run for president or co-chair the next year. Another example- if you were part of your school’s debate club, see if you can also stay for another one or two years and serve as president of the club. This will show your leadership potential and ability to make long-term commitment.
Master Your Talent
When I was in high school, my friend won a full-ride scholarship to her dream school because of her one talent – playing basketball. She did not start off as a star but four years of hard work and commitment opened up many doors of opportunities. Whatever talent you may have, whether that is drawing, singing or running, work hard to master your talent – you never know what door your excellence will open for you.
Join College Pathway Programs
Perhaps joining pathway programs is one of the most overlooked aspects of being competitive for scholarships. College pathway programs, also known as college readiness programs, are designed to help students prepare for college. These programs are often designed to help students that come from low income families and challenging environments. There are some scholarships that specifically target students who are part of a college readiness program at their school. Check if your school has one and check if you qualify to join!
Hone your Writing and Speaking Skills
Many, if not all scholarships, require some level of writing. Learning to tell your story, through writing or verbal communication, is an important skill to develop early. I won my first two scholarships while I was still in middle-school. I received one scholarship for $1500 after winning a speech competition and another $5000 scholarship for writing a good essay. The best way to develop your writing and speaking skills is finding the opportunity to do them a lot. These skills are like muscles- the more you develop them, the better you get.
Develop Solid Relationships
Whenever you apply for scholarships, chances are people will write your letters of recommendation. Your recommender is ideally someone who has known you for some time and has witnessed your positive development and contributions. If you have a teacher you admire or a community leader you have worked with, grab coffee with them often. Set up mentorship hours to chat about your dreams and future aspirations. All these moments will go alone way in writing you a terrific recommendation when you apply for scholarships.
Negotiate
When you apply to schools, colleges will respond with their offer letters consisting of a certain amount of financial assistance. Always remember- their offer can be negotiable. A friend of mine recently received a full ride scholarship to a college she applied too. The only issue- it was not her dream school. I advised my friend to take that offer to her dream school, which gave her very little scholarship, and negotiate for more scholarship. After meeting with a financial advisor at her dream school and explaining her situation, they decided to extend an additional $20,000 in scholarship! Yup- sometimes, it is that simple. You are rewarded for being bold and advocating for yourself- a skill that is necessary to develop at a young age!
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