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Talk to the Pro'sMar 02 '00 Write an essay on this topic.I'm sure you've heard how many scholarships go undistributed each year. This number is often overblown by people who want to take your money for their book, video series, or self-help lectures. These people are not the pros that I am talking about. The people I am talking about are your high school counselors, and other college financial consultants. If you live in a large metropolitan area, or are near one, it may be worth it to spend the 75 bucks or so that it takes to see a college financial aid counselor/consultant. Me and my parents did this, and I can say that it helped tremendously. First of all, your high school counselor has been around the block a few times, and gets all the mail about scholarships/grants etc. Even if this person does not know you very well, they may be able to help you once they see your resume. See if you can set up a meeting to sit down with them for at least half an hour to 45 minutes. If they see this kind of initiative in you, they may even recommend you for scholarships they might not have otherwise. They can help you realize which scholarships you are eligible for and likely to get. Scholarships can be extremely specific (I applied for a National Asthma Student/Athlete Scholarship). Sometimes they can be very local, or tailored to your specific interests. It is often worth it to buy a book of scholarships, but consult your high school counselor first, and he/she might be able to recommend which book to buy. Secondly, I found it helpful to consult a college financial aid consultant, sometimes this is a retired financial aid or admissions officer, or high school counselor. It is always someone who is extremely knowledgeable about the system. We brought our tax returns, my parents financial standing, and he gave us tips on how to maximize my potential for a large financial aid package from the university. However, beware: Most of the people you talk to will have their own, often thinly-veiled agenda, and it is important to separate out the real advice from the prodding to buy their own products, or go to their favorite schools. Finally, since the above two steps should be done fairly early in the process, after talking to these people, you should prepare some materials. These should include: A polished resume (only one page) with your relevant test scores, grades, and awards. Several standard 500 word essays: I might suggest : a) Describe an event that has shaped your life. b) How have you coped with adversity in your life? c) What academic project has excited and stimulated you the most? At the very least, these essays will be useful thought exercises and help you with interviews. At the most they will serve as essays for many scholarship applications. I applied for over 25 scholarships and got 5. The percentage is not good, but the amount of money is definetely worth it. By the 10th or 15th one, I was simply assembling packets from materials I already had. So good luck. That's what I learned. Even if it is disappointing not to get a scholarship you feel you deserve, putting together the application is a valuable tool to have later in life. The more you edit and polish the essays, the more proud and confident you will feel, and when you do get into college, and get those scholarships, you will know that you deserved it.  |
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