As the countdown for graduation gets closer, so do scholarship deadlines. With the craziness of the end of senior year, scholarship applications can easily be pushed off. These missed opportunities cause so many seniors to miss out on their chances of thousands of dollars.
Many students choose not to fill them out with the thought that they won’t win anything or that it will go to a higher-achieving student. Scholarships are available for students with a multitude of interests, talents, and experiences. Whether it be academic achievements, leadership positions, career goals, financial need, or even personal challenges that someone may have faced, there is a scholarship out there for every student. There are also many local scholarships, such as the following:
Concord Educational Foundation
Beryl and Margaret Luttenton Scholarship
Chuck Cole Memorial Scholarship
Each of these is due around spring break. Printed copies, as well as requirements and official due dates, can be found in Mrs. Otto’s office. It is important to include all required materials for these scholarships, some of which need to be mailed out before the official due date to be considered.
Along with getting information about scholarships from Mrs. Otto, she also shares some tips on making the application process easier. First, stay organized. Create a spreadsheet with all the scholarships you want to apply for, which will allow you to track deadlines, requirements, and submission status. It is also important to plan ahead. Any applications turned in past the deadline are typically not considered, and turning them in early can make you look even better to the scholarship committee.
It is also crucial to show who you are in the applications. Be clear about what your goals are and explain exactly how you plan to use the scholarship in your future plans. Also, it is important to highlight any leadership roles, activities, volunteer work, and jobs you have had because they can also show your level of responsibility. When you make it to the final stages of submitting, have at least one other person proofread your application. After spending such a long time reviewing your own work, you can miss simple mistakes, so having a second pair of eyes to look it over can prevent this.
Another helpful part of the process is to talk to a previous senior; they have already gone through the process. Hearing about what steps they took can help cause fewer mistakes and make it less overwhelming overall. Hannah Stimer graduated last year who had much success with applying for scholarships. She shares that she looked for scholarships that connected to her interests and future major: “Applying for scholarships related to something you are involved/interested in makes it so much easier to write the essays or just fill out the application in general.” Though these scholarships may be difficult to prioritize. Stimer makes the point that scholarships are not something that you have to do; they are something you get to do. The organizations want to help students pay for their education, so it is important to take advantage of it.
Though this process may take some extra effort, the reward of filling out scholarships is worth it. Do not let deadlines pass by, so be sure to show the scholarship committees who you are and take advantage of what they are providing before senior year ends.
