Scholarship Applications

A. Getting Ready

  1. Start gathering material on yourself. Build a file or resume including these things.

  2. If you are planning on attending college in the United States take appropriate tests during the first four months of Grade 12.

  3. Continue to examine your personal goals. You may be asked to write essays on these types of topics:

  4. Contact three individuals to act as references. Take down their addresses and phone numbers. Check to see if they would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for you. Supply each of these reference sources with a completed form Requesting a Letter of Recommendation, available from your counseling center.

B. Beginning the Application Process

  1. Start early. Most scholarship application require an application form, a personal essay (150 to 200 words), and letters of recommendation. Allow yourself at least two weeks to complete this process.

  2. Complete the application form. It is wise to draft your answers first. Then review them with a teacher or counselor and transfer your answers to the application form.

  3. Meet with your counselor. Often a school counselor or principal is required to complete a section of your application, confirming your academic record and perhaps recommending your for the award. Give these people at least a week to complete the school's portion of your application.

  4. Draft your essay. Don't expect your first essay to be perfect. Allow enought time to evaluate and rewrite.

  5. Be aware of the deadline. A late or incomplete application may automatically disqualify you.

C. Starting Your Essay

  1. Make certain you understand the question or the topic. Your essay should answer the question or speak directly to the given topic.

  2. List all ideas. Be creative. Brainstorm without censoring.

  3. Sort through ideas and prioritize. You can't tell them everything. Be selective.

  4. Choose information and ideas which are not reflected in other parts of your application. This is your chance to supplement your application with information you want the readers to know.

  5. Be persuasive in showing the readers you are deserving of the award. Remember your audience.

D. Writing the Draft

--Apply what you have learned in English class
  1. Develop paragraphs--one idea at a time--with topic sentence, using examples or giving convincing reasons.

  2. Make transitions between paragraphs.

  3. Select action verbs and avoid the passive voice.

  4. Use concrete examples. Often examples of behaviour demonstrate an idea best (show how or why, don't just tell).

  5. Use exact language. Avoid vague references, wordy usage or cliches..

E. Editing Your Draft

  1. Does your introduction capture the reader's attention?

  2. Are you consistent in your verb tense?

  3. Are you clear and coherent?

  4. Are you concise enough to adhere to the limits in length?

  5. Have you checked for grammatical and spelling errors?

  6. Does the essay present you as you wish to be seen?

  7. Did another person review your essay for possible mistakes?

  8. Would you remember your essay if you read one hundred others?

F. Completing Your Application

  1. Should you type it? Some applications list a preference for typed or handwritten work. Regardless of the preference, the application should be neat and legible.

  2. Retain a copy for your records.

G. Follow Up On Your Application

  1. Thank those who assisted in the application or wrote letters of recommendation. A thank-you note would be expecially nice.

  2. Acknowledge the scholarship donors. If you are granted a scholarship, be certain to keep in touch with the donors. It is expecially crucial to maintain contact if the scholarship is renewable.

  3. Clarify terms of scholarship renewal. Find out if you must meet specific conditions to have your award renewed.

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