Filling Out the Application

Once you've unearthed the scholarships you'd like to apply for, it's time to request all the necessary information to get the ball rolling towards its final goal of a drastically cheapened tuition bill.

There are a few acceptable ways of doing this, depending on the scholarship organization: you may be able to email a request, call for one, or write a letter. If you write a letter, all rules of formality apply. Keep it brief, keep it professional and follow standard business letter protocol:

• Date
• Name, address and title of person to whom you're writing
• Salutation (Dear Ms./Mr.___)
• Body: introduce yourself and your educational background, briefly give your reasons for applying and tell where you heard about the scholarship. Keep it short.
• "Thank You" and "Sincerely"
• Your name and address

BrokeScholar also offers a letter-writing tool, which will instantly produce for you a formatted, professional query letter.

Once the blank applications start pouring in, it's time to organize things. Write up a chart or spreadsheet listing the various application deadlines and the requirements of each scholarship: essays, transcripts, references et cetera. It's crucial you keep tabs on all this stuff, lest you end up scrambling to coordinate the materials at the last minute, shouting, yanking at your hair and so forth. In this case, a little work will save a lot of work -- and possibly a full-bore nervous breakdown.

To make matters easier for you, BrokeScholar offers a "My Scholarships" profile for each user, which tracks the deadline and the maximum award of each scholarship you've expressed interest in.

Next, start getting your secondary materials in order: references, and samples of your work -- if required by the scholarship board -- transcripts, standardized test scores and whatever else you need. Take whichever test you need to take (SAT, GRE, LSAT et cetera) far in advance, so if you need to improve your score you'll have time to retake the test, and have the scores ready for your applications. Also, if you are applying for need-based scholarships, you'll need to have income and tax forms together to demonstrate a need for financial aid. Get those well in advance.

With that stuff out of the way, it's time to set upon that pile of applications sitting on your desk/table/ottoman/lap.

A few general tips before you get started:

• Type your application, but be sure to work out a draft on a separate piece of paper (preferably a photocopy of the application form, so you get a sense of the space you have) before committing your answers to the application itself. This way you'll avoid having to dip it in White-Out before sending it in.
• Fill out the entire application. One of the best ways to get disqualified right out of the gate is to neglect to answer every question and check every requisite box. Follow instructions closely.
• Photocopy the whole of the application for your records, in case something happens to the original.
• Clearly print your name and social security number on each page of the application, references, transcripts and essay, in case of staple failure.
• If you have any questions, call the scholarship foundation for answers. Don't worry, they won't think any less of you for it.

Develop Your Scholarship Game Plan

By Benjamin Kaplan

To mount an effective scholarship campaign, the first thing you need is a winning game plan. Start by implementing the following four key action strategies.

1. Plan to apply for as many scholarships as possible

Some students make the mistake of thinking that they maximize their chances of winning by pouring all of their energy into one or two scholarships.

But applying for scholarships is partially a numbers game. A variety of factors outside of your control affect the outcome of any given award. Only by applying for large numbers of scholarships can you minimize such factors, and maximize your chances of winning. In my own scholarship quest, I ended up applying for about three dozen awards.

Even if the scholarship prize is only a couple of hundred dollars, I still recommend entering the contest. This might not sound like much in the context of an entire college tuition bill, but the extra cash can help cover the cost of books for a term, or help pay for that spring break "research" trip to Cancun.

In addition, winning smaller awards provides you with additional credentials that you can include in applications for larger scholarships.

2. Develop a suite of generic reusable materials

When applying for large numbers of scholarships, creating a suite of generic reusable materials saves a great deal of time and energy. By having this suite to draw from, you will be able to focus less on just completing application requirements, and more on customizing and fine-tuning the material you've already prepared.

More than just a reduction in your workload, reusing and rethinking old materials can mean vast improvements as you repeatedly refine and edit the same work. By employing this strategy, you gain the opportunity to fine-tune your materials with every submission. And take it from me—your tenth draft will be far better than your first.

To create this suite of generic materials, first seek to develop standard essay responses to perennial scholarship application themes - such old favorites as college plans, career goals, and future contributions to society.

Next, survey the scholarship landscape and isolate common themes and requirements (whether it is a similar essay question or a comparable extracurricular activity worksheet). Attempt to bridge multiple applications with every sentence you write or form you prepare.

Also, go back into your archive of old scholarship applications (you'll develop one quickly) and try to recycle essays and other past materials. Don't just recopy such passages verbatim; instead, try to rethink, improve, and hone everything to fit the criteria of each new contest.

3. Leverage schoolwork and class time

If you have to do the schoolwork anyway, why not make it count toward your scholarship quest? For example, if you're asked to write an essay on a book of your choosing, you may want to select The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. This way, you'll have a submission ready to go for the annual essay contest on this famous novel. If you're assigned a self-reflective essay, pick a personal topic that fits in well with scholarship applications you're pursuing. Moreover, teachers can serve as a helpful source of early feedback for these potential scholarship submissions.

This technique isn't restricted merely to classroom assignments. Most schools offer some type of independent study credit, in which you can pursue your own project under the guidance of an adviser. At many schools, you're even allowed to use a class period during the day to pursue this work. Use the time to complete self-initiated projects that add to your record and improve your chances of scholarship (and college admission) success.

4. Learn from past scholarship winners

In playing the scholarship game, it's extremely useful to have a roadmap of what it takes to win. To obtain this roadmap, make a point of reviewing past winning applications, essays and other materials. Many times, you can request sample winning entries from the organization administering the scholarship program.

In addition, it's useful to interview past winners of scholarships you plan to enter. Ask them about their unique qualifications, the approach they took in filling out applications, and any insights they have about particular scholarship contests you're planning to enter. Many scholarship contests will provide a list of past winners upon request. The best way to master the scholarship game is to learn from those who have played it well.

Maximize Your Scholarship Eligibility

By Roxana Hadad

You may be eligible for more awards than you think. The secret is to "type" yourself. Find the maximum number of scholarship opportunities by thinking about who you are and what you do.

College Major/Field of Interest
If you're in college, start with your major or academic area. Departments and schools, as well as academic and professional organizations, offer scholarships for students based on their majors. High school students can look for awards in subject areas in which they excel or that they're considering studying in college.

If you're a double major, check under both majors to make sure you're not missing anything. Also, don't be too specific. For example, if you're an English major, you can look for scholarships listed under "English," "literature" or "literary studies" as well as broader categories like "humanities." If you're majoring in physics, check "physical sciences" and "science," too.

And don't forget to include what you'll become as well. Whether you want to be a lawyer, doctor, journalist or teacher, you may find awards to help you pursue the career of your dreams, regardless of your major.

State of Residence/State of Study
Part of who you are is where you live. Many state governments offer financial assistance to in-state students. Simply establishing residency, even just in your first year of school, may qualify you for one of these awards. Check with both your home state and the state where you attend college.

Private organizations also offer state-specific scholarships that reward academic merit and extra-curricular achievements. Some scholarships are also available for residents of certain counties or cities.

Student Affiliations
Also, think about things you like to do. Start with clubs and organizations. As a member or officer, you'll qualify for awards sponsored by your club.

Don't stop there. What are your hobbies? Have you trained in any special skills or sports? Do you attend religious services? Have you worked a part-time job? All these activities are part of your "type" and can lead to scholarships.

Ethnic Background
Awards are given to students of certain ethnic or minority groups. For most of these awards, you don't have to be a full-blooded member of a particular ethnic group. If your parents are from different ethnic groups, look for awards for each group. Also look for scholarships targeting students from broader ethnic categories like "Asian" or "Hispanic."

Disability
A wide variety of students may find that there are awards available to them because they are physically challenged, learning-disabled or suffer from long-term illness. Look for scholarships listed under your specific disability or illness, as well as more general awards for students with disabilities.

Foreign Students
If you are a citizen of a country other than the U.S., that's part of your "type" as well. You'll find that some awards are restricted to students from certain countries, but many more target international students in general. Look for awards for both categories.

The key to finding scholarships is to think broadly. Do your own personal inventory and try to figure out how many "types" you fit. FastWeb's profile page is a good place to come up with additional ideas because the categories and attributes listed there are tied to scholarships. Keeping an up-to-date and detailed profile will also ensure that you're notified when FastWeb adds scholarships you qualify for. Be true to your "type" and you might just find the scholarships you need.