The Secret to Scholarship Success

By Cathy Gullo

With rising college costs, continuing inflation, and narrowing job markets; students all over the U.S. are seeking a variety of options for college financing. In many cases, the attainment of a scholarship is the difference in whether a student attends college or not. Scholarships are available from many sources, but knowing how to qualify and be selected as the recipient of a specific scholarship is the big question for most students and parents.

The key to winning college scholarships is through proper planning and taking the appropriate actions at the right time. Some tips for being successful are as follows:

Start Early to ready yourself. Building academic and personal credentials takes time. Transcripts reveal academic achievements from the 9th to the l2th grades, so the 9th grade is a good starting point for high grades and test-taking success. Yet, acquiring a foundation for learning begins earlier in elementary school. The higher the G.P.A. and the higher the SAT/ACT scores the better your chances for scholarships.

Get Involvedin school and community activities. Good grades are important, but college and scholarship committees have many applicants with outstanding G.P.A.’s and test scores. Leadership, involvement, and community service show a student’s potential, diversity, and concern for others.

Find Scholarship Sources. Securing sources for scholarships is much easier today because of computer technology. Go to college web sites, on-line web sites, high school guidance offices, college financial aid offices or libraries. These sources are readily available at no cost. However, sources are just sources. A source is only as good as the person using it. Seek professional guidance help, if needed.

Showcase Yourself with a Resume. Resumes show your personal credentials, academic achievements, honors and awards, school activities, community service, leadership, special skills, and career objectives.A well-balanced and eye-appealing resume catches the attention of scholarship committees and gets you invited to interviews.

Let Your Application Show the Best of You. Follow directions exactly, complete the application fully, adhere to proper grammar and spelling, and show extreme concern for neatness. Applications can have a positive impact.

Reference Letters are a vital part of scholarship success. Notice that scholarships usually require references. Remember that you determine the content of your reference letters. Your character, manners, and reputation allow a person writing the reference letter to acknowledge your strengths to scholarship committees. Also, your selection of people who write the letters is as important as the reference letters.

College Essays are often the winning edge of a college application or scholarship competition. Essays give you a chance to shine and let you introduce yourself to decision-making committees. A great essay gets the attention of the reader and leaves a lasting impression of you.

Remember that it takes time and hard work to secure scholarships. Finding scholarship money and keeping yourself out of debt is well worth your time and energy.

Cathy Gullo of http://www.scholarshipconsultantservices.com has over 30 years of experience as a high school English teacher, guidance counselor, and educational consultant. She has also chaired and been a member of numerous corporate and community scholarship committees. Being an expert in scholarship coordinating, counseling, and test-taking, she shares her knowledge with students and parents as a published author of college planning books.