The following are my winning tips for organizing and applying to scholarships:
Applying for scholarships can be a daunting task. It takes time to search countless scholarship databases and sort through them all to find the ones that fit you. You will see that most scholarships have specific requirements that you must meet to be eligible, so make sure you read the application carefully and follow the instructions. This can be the difference between winning and not winning.
What Are Specific Requirements Applicants Must Meet to Be Eligible to Apply
Specific requirements could be things like having a minimum GPA, a specific college major, test scores, and being in a specific grade-like only eligible to high school seniors. These are just some of the common ones. But when you finally start finding the ones you are eligible for, you will find yourself in a mess of information. Most scholarships require you to create an account to start the application process. Then the fun starts.
As you dig through the applications you will see what is required to apply like essays to answer, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and sometimes copies of your SAT/ACT test score or financial information like your taxes, i.e. 1040, and FAFSA. This financial information is often required for need-based scholarships. By the end of the day, you will have 10, 20, or even 30 web tabs open for the scholarships you want to apply to. You will be scratching your head trying to remember your username and password you used for each scholarship, the deadlines for each, and all the other specific application requirements – hence the mess of information I was talking about earlier.
Create a Spreadsheet to Track All of Your Application Information
If you don’t stay on top of all this information you could potentially miss out on getting your application in, especially when you’ve got multiple deadlines, requirements, and documents to keep track of. But don’t worry, with the right organization and planning, you can make the process a lot smoother and increase your chances of winning that scholarship you’ve been eyeing. So, let me give you some tips to help you manage all the information you need to track when researching for and applying to scholarships.
First things first, create a spreadsheet. Use an excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the scholarships you come across that you want to apply for. At a minimum, include columns for the scholarship name, deadline, requirements, and status (not started, applied, awarded, etc.). This will help you stay organized and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later. If you don’t want to create your own spreadsheet, below is link to the excel spreadsheet we use to track our scholarship applications. It’s basic but it gets the job done.
College Pro Tips
- College Prep Go Tip: Consider creating a separate new email address that will only be used for scholarship applications. Our favorite is Gmail because it takes minutes to create a new email address. If you don’t, your personal email address will be flooded to eternity with emails from each scholarship you applied to. We almost missed a deadline to accept a scholarship my daughter won because it was buried in a pile of junk mail in her personal email.
- College Prep Go Tip: If you can get away with it, make the password for all your application accounts and new email address the same. Nothing is more frustrating than forgetting the password and having to go through the recovery/reset process.
Next, this is optional, but consider using a password manager. Creating accounts for different scholarships can be time-consuming and remembering all the different passwords can be a real pain. Using a password manager will ensure all of your login information is in one place and ensure your passwords are strong and secure. The only downside is that these password manager programs cost money to use.
Organize Your Scholarship Documents in Easy to Find Folders on Your Computer
Once you have your spreadsheet ready, make sure you’ve got all your documents ready to go and easy to find. I do this by creating a folder called scholarships on my computer with subfolders labeled transcripts, letters of rec, test scores, resume, and essays. Organizing your documents this way on your computer makes it super easy to upload them when you start applying for scholarships. Finally, don’t forget to update your spreadsheet as you complete each task. Before you know it you will have your first scholarship application complete and submitted.
Make Sure to Keep Track of Application Deadlines
Also, set reminders for yourself for upcoming scholarship deadlines. This will ensure you don’t miss any important dates and have enough time to prepare and submit your application. Our technique is to complete February deadlines in January, March deadlines in February, and so on. If all else fails, submit your application as early as possible. This will give you plenty of time to make any necessary changes and ensure your application is complete. But be warned some scholarships allow you to make changes up to the deadline date and some will lock your application when you submit it.
After you’ve submitted your application and start winning, prepare a thank-you note for the scholarship committee. It’ll show your gratitude for the opportunity and show that you’re professional.
By following these tips, you can stay organized, increase your chances of winning a scholarship, and make the whole process less stressful. Remember, applying for scholarships takes time and effort, but the rewards can be well worth it. So don’t let the stress get to you, and give it your best shot! Leave a comment below with your own tips that have helped you track your scholarship applications.
Do you know what to do after you win a scholarship? Read THE KEY STEPS TO TAKE AFTER WINNING A SCHOLARSHIP to learn more.
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