Posts Tagged free scholarships
9 Killer Mistakes That Destroy College Scholarship Applications
Posted by admin in College Scholarships on November 23, 2010
Are there mistakes that can disqualify a college
scholarship application? You bet. Generally speaking, most local scholarship committees may find a few minor mistakes acceptable, but the higher the level of competition, the less tolerance there is for a faux pas. And when you go for the gold at the national level of competition, no mistake is permissible. Even at the local level, if the competition is heavy, one error can result in the loss of money.
Even small spelling mistakes can cause an application to be thrown out. A judge reviewed a submission from a girl who was second in her class. She had a 3.95 GPA. The problem? She misspelled salutatorian. Believe it! How does that
happen? Surely, it should have been noticed. Was it a keyboarding error? Maybe.
Another application from a boy on the baseball team noted that he won the league batting title with a .259 average. Know anything about baseball? Most likely, the number 2 should have been a 3, 4, 5, or even 6.
Yet, another listed the applicant’s age as “88.” Do you suppose she was the oldest high school student in the country…in the world? But wait, she listed her birth date as eighteen years earlier. Those are the kinds of silly little miscues that can disqualify good candidates. Use the computer spell check and have someone read for context and spelling problems. Most people cannot do a good job of proof-reading themselves. Why take a chance?
Another blunder is leaving blank spaces. This is not a good thing. The committee may think that you are trying to hide something. If the question or statement is not applicable to you, write DNA on the line, which is the standard abbreviation or acronym for Does Not Apply.
Use a computer and keyboard whenever possible. Investigate the many inexpensive and free form-filling computer programs. No long hand here. Never write in pencil. And, NEVER, NEVER. EVER, EVER use whiteout.
Follow directions exactly. It is not unusual to see lists where paragraphs are required and vice versa. Sometimes a signature is needed with the name printed. A simple YES or NO may be necessary, Instead, an opinion is given.
Here’s a tricky one that trips many juniors and seniors with honor roll credentials. After ten years in school, they still have problems using to, too, two, and they’re, their,there.
Oops! I saw a sure regional and possible national winner disqualified, because her application missed the deadline date…by one day. Always beat the deadline. Mail early.
How could this happen? An app arrived without the parent permission slip signature.
Check, Check, Check.
This bears repeating: most mistakes can be eliminated when others proof the application. Then read it aloud while someone else listens.
What can you do, if the mistake cannot be corrected? Be sure to make a copy before you start. If it says “copies are not permitted,” go back for one or two more originals.
Planning produces positive outcomes when the scholarship effort is truly a family affair.
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All Scholarship Applications are Alike, Right?
Posted by admin in Scholarships on October 13, 2010
Evaluating thousands of scholarship applications has definitely left an impression on me. I still remember some of them, because the students who submitted them managed to get into my head in a personal way. Many books and articles will tell you that “personalization” is good, but they don’t tell you how to accomplish that. I saw a photo attached to an app showing the senior student shaking hands with the President of the United States. Another enclosed an audio ! tape that revealed his talent to play the fiddle in a country band. A girl had her photograph taken with a well-known professional golfer after she had won a state tournament. A boy included a picture of his debating trophies. Another had won a two day fishing tournament and held the trophy in a picture to prove it. Another had built his own computer. Still, another had patented her own invention, a device for counting inventory units. In each case the items were part of the requirements of the scholarship award, not just thrown in for effect. These are super examples of “personalizing” a scholarship application, but it doesn’t have to be that noticeable.
There were also attempts at personalization not well received, a picture of a girl in a very tiny bikini. The word thong comes to mind. Another included prize ribbons with a request to return them when the judging was over. We had to send them back at our own expense! Another application had an algebra homework assignment inside, oops. We sent that back, too. Her siblings were probably blamed for its disappearance. One application had a Santa Claus hat inside. It came from Alaska. I’m still trying to figure that one out.
Why is personalization so important? Imagine that you are on the committee, sitting around a table with 247 scholarship forms. It is the committee’s job to pick a winner. All of the apps appear to look alike. All things being equal, which one is going to be chosen? It’s impossible to say. But, let’s suppose that one personalized his/her request and made it stand out positively from the rest. Now, someone has taken the time to be bold, inventive and creative. They have made it possible for the scholarship committee to know more about who they are. They are more than a just a piece of paper with a name on it. They have revealed intimate sides to their personalities. Who will win now? The choice is obvious.
Personalize don’t dramatize. Use good judgment and common sense when personalizing. Try to imagine who the people are making up the committee. Then, send in your request knowing that, out of all who sent their forms, you are the one who will win. You are the person who deserves the money.
Planning produces positive outcomes when the scholarship effort is truly a family affair.
Great Recommendation Letters Win Big Scholarship Bucks
Posted by admin in Scholarships on January 25, 2010
Your scholarship application is due in ten days. It must have three recommendation letters attached, and, so far, you have not gotten any back from your teachers. A note to each of them last week hasn’t gotten any results. Talk
about strained nerves. All the work to get the application ready, and now letters are halting the process.
This is a scenario that repeats itself hundreds and thousands of times each year. You can avoid this problem by taking important appropriate actions. Start by asking for your recommendation letters at least six weeks in advance. This allows busy teachers to take their time in
writing great responses. After two weeks remind them with a note in their mailboxes. Seven days after that make a visit to their classroom. Remind them in person that your application could be late and disqualified and that you will come by in a few days to pick it up. Thank him or
her again and then stop by once more.
One way to avoid total mayhem is to ask for more letters than is really needed (awards may vary in the number of letters needed).If the requirement is two for an award, ask four people.
If you are applying for more than a couple of scholarship awards (and you really should be), ask the teacher or whoever, if they would be willing to put their comments on a CD.
Remind them that you will be sending out dozens of applications. It will save them time. Then, you will bring the letters by for their signatures. They can inspect the documents before you send them in. A hand-written signature is always best.
Who should you ask? Does it make a difference? Yes, it does matter. Know this: English and foreign language teachers generally write the best letters. They personalize them and may write from a half to a whole page. They also
produce results that have no spelling or grammatical errors. Again, and this is a general statement, coaches and physical education teachers write the shortest remarks and may have mistakes in spelling and grammar. But, go with your best options regardless of teaching position.
Use your high school letterhead, when possible.
Remember to ask your teacher if they can write a positive response. If not, move on. A probable scholarship winner fulfilled all requirements with a big plus and was in line to receive an $8,000 award. Everything was super except for one recommendation letter. She assumed her coach would write a glowing response. He didn’t. Don’t
let that happen to you. She didn’t win.
Follow the same time-line for all requests, and remember this: everything in life is a decision, make the right ones today for your college scholarship success.