Finding and Applying to Scholarships
Scholarship time!
A college student’s best friend when it comes to the struggles of college expenses. So I’m here to help you all learn how to find and apply to these amazing opportunities!
Finding scholarships can often be the hardest step, whether it’s because you don’t know where to look or that you find the right one. Fortunately, there are tons of resources out there. Starting on the national level, you can use search engines, such as scholarships.com, Fastweb, r/scholarships, etc. However, be warned as these will be highly competitive due to their national level. For less competitive scholarships, you can use state scholarship search engines, such as Washboard for those in Washington State. These can still be highly competitive, so it might be helpful to look for scholarships offered from your school/department, student organizations, or even your parent’s employment organizations.
Now that you’ve found a scholarship, it’s time to start prepping. If you’re heading into college or medical school, the best time to start preparing is the summer after junior year so that you have enough time during senior year to prepare. Believe me, you’ll need all the time you can get (senioritis is real). Give yourself at least a month before the deadline to brainstorm, draft, and revise your essay. It's best to make sure you have an outline that way you’re sure you can write 1-2 pages of your topic. Oh, and choose a topic that you actually enjoy and that you can write 1-2 of genuine material (writer’s block is also very real).
Now to write the essay. Here’s some do’s and don’ts that we suggest you take into consideration when writing a scholarship essay.
Do’s:
Get your essay edited by at least 2-3 people
Clearly and specifically illustrate how this scholarship would impact you; bonus points if you include a timeline
Be specific and realistic when writing about yourself, your passions, and your background
Don’ts:
Don’t use generic and popular inspirational quotes (I’ve read “Be the change you seek” way too many times)
Don’t use cliche themes or cliches
Don’t write your entire life story; make sure you use specific examples not a complete autobiography
Finally, try to mirror your scholarship essay to the personal statement. You want to emphasize what you value and how these values match the organization offering the scholarship, just like you would for a personal statement. They are investing money into you, so it’s up to you to convince them why you deserve their investment. This means including how the scholarship would allow you to pursue your aspirations/goals.
If When you inevitably will get stuck writing your essay, just know that there are so many resources available to you! Here are some that have helped many people, including me:
Brainstorming Methods: Purdue Online Writing Lab
How to create an outline: Harvard College Writing Center
AMAZING Explainer of show don’t tell: Self-Publishing School
Good luck with your scholarship journey!
