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Finding your best scholarship
by Winston Fiennes
http://www.collegefront.com
Some people seem to be just born lucky. They find the best
deals whenever they have to buy a new car, holiday, home or
simply anything at all. Whereas most of us struggle through,
paying our way and moaning all the time! One of the biggest
expenses can be education and few of us think about the
thousands of scholarships that are available and waiting to
be applied for!
There are billions of dollars given away each year in
scholarships and if you're aware and put yourself forward
some money could well come your way. By the time you have
reached the junior year of high school you should be well
aware of what's available, where to look and what you need
to do. It's time consuming and will need lots of
determination and dedication. It's almost part of the deal.
You need to prove how much you want this scholarship. After
all, it's worth thousands of dollars and remember that
there's no such thing as a free meal!
Most people still start their research with either the
high school counselling office or the financial aid office
and then move on to look at the civic and community
organizations and the state Department of Education that
all offer scholarships. Some are given for financial need
whilst others are for extra curricular achievements. If
you are of a certain ethnic origin or belong to certain
religions you'll find that there also may be funds to help
you. There are literally thousands of institutions,
charitable foundations and other organizations that can
give help. The main problem is wading through all the
information.
There are many sites on the internet that will offer you
guidance, but watch out for the scams. These are companies
who tell you that they will sort out a scholarship for you
in return for a fee or they may just ask for all your
personal information, including your bank account details;
don't give these out. There are sites, however, that can
really help and will sift through the information that
you give to find the scholarships that will be just right
for you. When you initially look try to be as specific
as possible. Don't just type in 'scholarship' but think
about your top strength. For instance, if you love
writing poetry, type in 'creative writing college
scholarships'. There are even sites that successful parents
have put up to help others wade through the muddy waters.
Many scholarships need to be renewed annually, but if you
do your research over the internet you'll be given lots
of reminders by email.
Take great care with your application and make it look
absolutely perfect. The people who will read it will be
reading thousands and you need yours to stand out. They
need to see that you are someone with potential and you're
going to use your education wisely. Tell them what makes
you tick and what areas you feel you are good at. Tell
them how you've helped other people and what you want
to do with your life. Let them know that you are focussed
and that you set yourself goals that you try very hard to
achieve, but that you can also cope with failure and
learn by it. This is a very positive exercise that
everyone should do whether they're applying for a
scholarship or not!
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