finding. applying. winning
Scholarships

increasing the opportunity to win scholarships

What can one do to improve and increase the opportunity to win scholarships and be admitted to college?

One very important step one can take is to realize that it is going to take a great deal of time to get ready to apply. Realizing how time-consuming it is to apply, one needs to begin setting aside and schedule the appropriate amount of time that it will take to get prepared to apply.

Persons often ask me as to why it takes so much time to apply for scholarships and college itself. My response is that, normally, a student who will be applying to the recommended number of 7 colleges will need to fill out approximately 37 separate application forms, beginning as early as 24 months before starting college (PSAT registration).

Applying to scholarship agencies and college admissions may seem as two separate tasks, but in fact they both require some common forms that must be completed if ultimately one is to get admitted, and then get sufficient money, to afford one's education.

Here are some general facts regarding the 37 applications that will help one get an idea of what one is dealing with:

27 of 37 applications are each uniquely different since they go to separate agencies, and each of the scholarships/college agencies have their own separate requirements which must be looked at closely.

11 of 37 applications are directly related to applying for scholarships.

26 of 37 applications need to be completed as part of the process of applying for college admission.

34 of the 37 applications need to be completed and turned in by no later than six months before starting college.

19 of 37 applications will have to be completed within 9 to 12 months before college classes begin (these are the busiest months for completing applications).

These are obviously many forms to complete and they should all be considered important. Miss just 1 or 2 of the application deadlines of any of the 37 applications, and the chances of getting admitted and getting financial aid are immediately cut by half! Miss 5 to 6 of the applications and the opportunity to go to college can be lost completely for one entire academic year.

A minimum of 160 hours is a good estimate of the amount of time needed for a student to look over and complete all the required forms. But, this is not all. Additional time will also have to be dedicated to find the forms, contact and meet with the persons that can clarify the details that are not clear, make appointments and meeting with high school college counseling and recruiting, and attend orientation and information meetings. If the applications have changed a great deal this year, then it will take even more time to understand the new requirements.

While the student has the responsibility of completing the forms mentioned, they also have to continue studying to get higher grades. Don't forget to also set additional time aside to study and prepared to take the demanding coursework for each honor and advance placement course one is currently taking.

When one is not prepared it is very easy to become overwhelmed when trying to continue doing well in school and also complete all these forms in such a short period of time. Unfortunately, I have too often seen very promising students who did not plan ahead. and the feelings of frustration in trying to keep up with the deadlines and paperwork were so great that they finally decided to give up their dream of attending college. "Next year", they said . and next year never came.

To avoid the rush and stress I recommend that high school students use allot time from their summers vacation, after finishing the 11th grade, to contact and talk with college representatives, find the necessary forms, visit campuses of interest, complete applications, and plan a preparedness and deadline schedule for the upcoming twelve months. Keep in mind that colleges do not close down completely during the summer months: many of their staff are on vacation, but there is usually someone in the offices that one can schedule a meeting to talk.

I cannot emphasize enough that if a student can start preparing at least two years before their college year begins, that the opportunity to succeed is greatly increased. Students that begin planning their time in advance, pace themselves throughout the year to work continuously to review and meet the challenges of completing all those required forms, and do not let deadlines pass them, will reap the wonderful benefits of their labors.