Scholarships

• Be prepared to dedicate time to the process
• Begin early
• Give yourself plenty of time to gather and complete all required components of the application
• Review each scholarship and eligibility requirements carefully
• Be aware of deadlines
• Answer all questions in their entirety
• Provide a professional email address. If you do not have one, create a new one. It is often helpful to have one email address for scholarship applications
• Ensure that you proofread all information you are submitting on the application and personal statements
• Do not pay money for scholarship information
• Once you have finished, review the entire application carefully
• Think positively about yourself in the process
• Apply for scholarships each year continuously
• Be persistent

Letters of recommendation are an important part of each scholarship application. Often scholarships will request one or more letters to support your application.  When looking for someone to write a letter for you, try to choose a recommender that can write a strong letter on your behalf. Remember to ask your recommender graciously and be thankful.  You want your recommender to be able to talk about your strengths, accomplishments, academic skills, etc. Provide your recommender with plenty of time to write your letter; you should give them a minimum of 2-3 week notice.

Letter of Recommendation Request Tips:

• Provide your recommender with information about yourself to ensure a strong letter. Include information about your academic accomplishment, challenges you have overcome, activities you are involved with, your career goals, community involvement, etc.
• Provide your recommender with direction and information about the scholarship you are applying for.
• Provide your recommender with a deadline.
• The more information you are able to provide, the stronger the letter they will be able to write.

• Completion of FAFSA application
• Personal statement
• Letter(s) of recommendation
• Transcripts