Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash
By Noelle Belanger
When furthering your education, scholarships are commonly applied for from students. Scholarships contain money that is given to you due to accomplishments and academics. There are generally local and state scholarships that you are able to apply for. Each one differs in the amount of money that is given to the awardee and there can be different number of recipients of the scholarship.
For Sedro-Woolley Highschool, there is a college and career councilor who helps students determine which school is right for them. She helps students with the application process, and is also a huge help regarding scholarships. Many other schools state wide have recourses at their high school that are there to provide extra help and guidance with the application processes.
Typically, there are scholarships for just about everyone. Specific scholarships, for example, are sometimes only awarded to those children who have family in the military or law enforcement. For these types of scholarships, there are generally more than one given out. There are also scholarships for students with disabilities and people with a low-income support system.
When applying for a scholarship they will ask you basic questions to really understand if you are worthy of the money they have. These questions are centered around what you have done for your community, your goals and achievements, your financial situation, etc.
When filling out your application, following the proper directions for the submission and answering the question that they asked is important. They don’t want you to beat around the bush; they want you to be confident and direct. Be sure to re-read and make sure your submission is completely correct and there are no errors before turning it in. Meaningful conclusions are also greatly looked at! Normally, the biggest thing that stands out to the people reviewing your application is the commitment to your own success. Your curiosity and finding a passion are also very important, along with positioning yourself for advanced success in the future. If you are you worried about creating any red flags, be sure to avoid not completing your application. Although they are still reviewed, they are not given a high score because the applications are based on a scoring system.
After submission there are typically around four to six people who will review your application. This number also varies year to year.
After you submit your application your scholarship is judged. The first look at your scholarship will be a quick scan. This includes around a thirty second glance. Generally, they are just looking to see if your application is completed or not. Not meeting the basic requirements is red flag for the judge. If this was a mail in an application, they check to see how neat the application is too. A messy application isn’t highly recommended according to the judges. Making sure all your information and everything they asked for such as references, transcripts, photographs and anything else they ask for is very important.
The second look over will separate the great application from the average ones. Making sure you have well thought out answers is vital to getting a good review. Grammar errors and incorrect spelling doesn’t look good either. It is important that you don’t rely on word check because that generally won’t catch some important mistakes. This step is crucial to making sure that the judges have a good application and one that has the potential to be qualified.
Around the time where they have a few to choose from and in the final step they will pay special attention to several important attributes. Academics are very important. It is extremely important to have a good GPA because scholarships can be so competitive. The course selection and grades earned will be examined. The amount of leadership you have involved yourself in is carefully examined too. They look for those students who put themselves out there and be a role model for others. This is similar to service. Acts of community service is highly recommended. Judges look for those who are active in their community. Those people who go above and beyond and above their required service is a wonderful way to get yourself to stand out from all the other applicants. If you are able to show your creative side such as musical talents, your artistic side or even your interest in writing is something the judges enjoy seeing. If you have overcome any obstacles or have something about yourself that you believe the judges will find important or unique let them know! They want to know how you battle your obstacles and overcome them.
The reviewing process is a difficult and import decision that takes time. After careful evaluation and time your application will either accepted or tossed aside. If you weren’t selected for the scholarship you desired there is one for just about everyone, and other ways to help you to be able to afford school.
