One of the number one mistakes students applying to college make is NOT applying to scholarships, whether college- or university-affiliated or external. Simply put, they’re lazy, unaware of what a vast untapped resource scholarships can be, or convinced that there are so many applicants that they can’t possibly win. This, of course, is a mistake! If you spend an hour on a scholarship which nets you a thousand dollars for college, what’s your hourly rate? A thousand an hour! If you’re not seeking out and applying for a broad range of scholarships, start now! But what if you are? This article is for you. It’s a list of common scholarship application mistakes to avoid. Let’s get started.
Don’t forget the details!
The first scholarship mistake to avoid is not paying attention to detail. It’s critical to be detail-oriented, whether that involves getting biographical information correct, school data, keeping track of deadlines, or giving specific—rather than general—information in your scholarship essays.
Don’t make spelling and grammar mistakes!
A detail-oriented person simply does not make spelling and grammar mistakes. A typo every now and then is a function of life, but nothing communicates laziness and ineptitude quite so much as consistently terrible spelling and grammar. If you don’t take the time and effort to communicate yourself clearly and correctly, why should the scholarship committee award you hundreds—or thousands—of dollars? Get a friend—or, better yet, a teacher—to work with you on your spelling and grammar, and be sure to be grateful for your helper’s time.
Don’t apply for scholarships without checking—and meeting—the eligibility requirements!
Perhaps you are a prodigious child scientist who’s cured cancer, but you’re not a woman of Native American descent. Don’t apply for a scholarship that explicitly calls for women applicants of Native American descent! There are plenty of scholarship offerings for everyone, but each and every scholarship is different and has different eligibility requirements. Make sure you double-check the eligibility requirements of the scholarships to which you’re applying. Some scholarships are geared toward different demographic groups, or residents of specific states, or people who haven’t yet attended college, or people in their second year of college, and so on. Checking the requirements will save you time—which, frankly, you can’t afford to waste!
Don’t rush or go through the motions!
There’s nothing as off-putting as a person who believes that he or she can scrape by with little to no preparatory effort. If you’re the type accustomed to “winging it,” especially with respect to something as serious as a scholarship application, you’re not likely to win the award—and worse, you’re likely to make a bad impression. Give each and every scholarship application sufficient time, thought, and care.
Don’t recycle essays!
Unless you are one hundred percent convinced that the same essay can appear as though it were specifically written for the scholarship application in question, don’t recycle essays! In college, submitting an essay for American Lit 2 that you already wrote in American Lit 1 can get you kicked out—and with good reason. Recycling essays communicates that you don’t believe your essay task is important enough to deserve an essay tailored to its specific conditions. Write unique essays for each of your scholarships.
Don’t spend money!
Avoid college scholarship scams. Just like the lottery is a for-profit endeavor, scholarships that charge vast amount of people significant application fees are very likely scams. The best scholarships do not, should not, and will not require application fees. College is expensive enough as it is. Avoid getting cheated out of your money!
Don’t procrastinate!
Sure, perhaps it’s better to apply in a rush than not apply at all. But in an ideal world, you ought not procrastinate! Think of all the time you waste on your cell phone, playing video games, or doing things that have no relation whatsoever to your primary goal, which is getting into (and PAYING) for college. Procrastination results in sloppy work, and sloppy work results in failure. Even if you’re the type who thrives under deadlines, your procrastination habits will one day catch up to you. Procrastinating may have worked for you in high school and in certain easy college courses, but wait until you fail a test or submit an atrocious essay—you’ll wish you hadn’t procrastinated!
Don’t underestimate the power of recommendations!
Sadly, we live in a world in which success is NOT based purely on merit. People are biased, and everything is political. Turn this to your advantage by befriending people who have clout, and let them use their clout to help advance your interests. A well-connected idiot is better-positioned to succeed than a genius who refuses to make professional connections. Get a recommender who knows you well, holds a position of power, or is accomplished in his or her field.
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That’s it! Hope this list helps get your scholarship applications on track. For more information about the college application process, as well as scholarship advice and help with the SAT and ACT, check out the rest of our blog. Looking for private 1-on-1 SAT or ACT tutoring, small group classes, or college admissions essay workshopping? Contact us today!