Scholarships

Overview

Factors to Consider

Writing Process

01

04

03

02

Interviews

Description of Scholarships

What to look for when applying for a scholarship

How to start writing a scholarship essay

How to navigate scholarship interviews

Overview

01

What are scholarships?

• Free money (does not need to be paid back) for college!
• Can be based on academics, extracurricular activities, financial need, major, identity-based factors, etc.

Finding Scholarships

• Scholarship Spreadsheet on Google Classroom
• Use the tabs on the bottom of the screen to see opportunities for seniors, juniors, and additional websites to find scholarships
• Instagram @redrams2college
• Individual college scholarship pages
• Colleges have their own portals to apply for scholarships
• Some open once you apply or even once you are accepted

Finding Scholarships

• Local Organizations
• Churches
• Businesses
• Employers
• Ex: State Employees Credit Union has a $10,000 scholarship for students/parents that are members!
• Scholarship Search Engines
• Listed under Additional Scholarship Sites in Spreadsheet
• Ex: Scholarships.com, Cappex, CFNC.org, CollegeBoard

*TIP: Do not apply to any scholarships that seem like a scam or any that require you to pay an application fee

Finding Scholarships

• Apply for scholarships doesn’t end in high school
• You can apply for scholarships and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year you are in college
• Every Dollar Counts!
• Apply to small local scholarships even if the award doesn’t seem like a lot

Factors to Consider

02

Before you Apply

• Create a separate email address for your college and scholarship materials
• Make sure it is professional (ex: firstname.lastname@gmail.com)
• Get organized! Use a planner or Google Calendar to keep track of deadlines and scholarships you have applied for
• Check the eligibility criteria to make sure you are meeting the requirements
• Read instructions carefully
• Determine what you will need for the scholarship (recommendation letters, essay, resume, transcript)
• Recommenders: Each scholarship has their own criteria for who they want writing a letter of recommendation but usually they are teachers, coaches, employers (not relatives!). Give them at least 2 weeks in advance.
• For essays, highlight key words in the prompt
• Will the scholarship be designated to a specific area or can it be used for others (ex: tuition, housing)?
• How does the college handle scholarships that come from outside of their school?
• Is the scholarship renewable meaning is it just for one year of college or will it be given every year?
• Is the scholarship for 2-year and/or 4-year colleges?

Research

• Read about the sponsor & scholarship to tailor your application
• Mission
• Previous recipients
• Who will be reviewing the scholarship applications?
• Are there example essays?
• Read Frequently Asked Questions and application tips
• Ex: State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Scholarship focuses more on service and community involvement

Writing Process

03

Brainstorming

Personal Qualities

Experiences

Goals & Aspirations

Family & Friends

And how you have shown them during a specific time/activity

Clubs, athletics, work experience, volunteering

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What are your career goals and how will attending college or receiving this scholarship help you get there?

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Talking with people who know you can sometimes help you in the brainstorming process!

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When writing a scholarship essay, it may be difficult to jump right into writing in paragraphs. Instead, bullet point a few ideas you might want in your writing. Consider your resume as well as…

*TIP: Something that may help is recording yourself as you answer the prompt in the brainstorming process to get all your ideas out!

Writing

1. Choose a narrative that shows your strengths and fits the prompt
1. Include specific examples
2. Write something that you are passionate about and could write a meaningful essay about that fits the minimum length requirements and fits the prompt
3. Show don’t tell (Explain how you have demonstrated leadership instead of “I am a leader”
2. Engage audience with imagery and share your perspective
• They want to hear from you (not AI or someone else)
• Do not list your resume (likely they will already have it in another section of the application)
• Your essay is the main piece of your application where they learn more about you
3. Hook: At the start of your essay, engage the reader with a quote, observation, thought-provoking question, vivid description, personal revelation, statistic, etc.
• Can be written after the body of your essay to make sure the essay flows well
4. Impact Statement: End your essay by bringing reader back to its purpose or purpose of the scholarship
5. Edit & Revise: Check for spelling and grammar errors
• Make sure you answered the prompt and that your focus is clear
• Read essay out loud
• Have others proofread your essay (Ms. Diaz, your teachers, family & friends)

After you Apply

• Keep track of when each scholarship will let you know if you have been awarded or moved on to the next stage
• Google Calendar, Excel spreadsheets are great for this!
• Send a thank you note to your recommenders and update them on your application
• Keep in mind that you may need your recommender to write multiple letters for different colleges and scholarships so definitely be courteous when asking for recommendations and after!
• If you are awarded a scholarship, let Ms. Diaz know :)
• The scholarship may be sent directly to the financial aid office of the college you are attending or to you so make sure if you are awarded you know how you will be receiving your scholarship
• You are not going to get every scholarship you apply for, and that is okay!
• Some scholarships you can reapply for next year while in college, so check to see if the scholarship is available for current college students
• You can reuse parts or all of your scholarship essay if the prompt fits

Scholarship Interviews

04

Some scholarships may have an interview component to the application. It is another way for interviewers to get to know you better and put a name to the face!

Scholarship Interviews

• It is normal to be nervous (it means you care!)
• Wear business casual attire
• Be respectful -> Interviewers will remember first impressions
• Read over your application, resume, and notes about the organization
• Interviewers may ask about your background, school activities, volunteer, why you selected a certain college, future plans, etc.
• Have someone practice interviewing you
• Have an idea of what you want to highlight during the interview
• Don’t feel the need to rehearse! You really want your personality and sincerity to shine!
• Practice interview questions

Thank you!

Email me with any questions

briannadiaz@fcschools.net

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More information on scholarships here is a Webinar

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik

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