Thought, Planning And Work Keys To Landing Scholarships
I am chairwoman of the scholarship committee for Jonas Babcock Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. Over the past decade, I have personally helped students get over half a million dollars for education. I also teach a class titled: How to Play and Win the Contest Scholarship Game.
On Sept. 9, there was an article written by a young woman from Kennewick bemoaning the lack of scholarship dollars. It was interesting to me on several fronts. As an advocate for youth who has worked with young people for nearly three decades now, I consider myself somewhat of an authority on getting scholarship money.
First of all, I can tell you that many of the applications we receive for scholarships are almost illegible and not understandable. On the other hand, many of our contests and scholarships receive no applicants at all!
Last year, I made more than 300 copies and sent materials to 27 schools. I also wrote articles about scholarships for eight publications and spoke to groups trying to get students interested in the financial opportunities available. Out of all this work, our DAR chapter received five contest entries and scholarship applications.
Working on getting scholarships and grants should be treated like a part-time job. My son, who had a high grade-point average and many extracurricular activities, sent out more than 50 scholarship entries his senior year. He graduated from WSU with a debt of only $4,000. Many of the other kids I work with also treat it like a job and do fairly well.
The Kennewick student said she missed out on scholarships because of “lack of luck.” It’s not a matter of luck but rather of hard work, planning and meticulous effort. Those who win scholarships have worked diligently, spent hours with counselors and their parents working on applications, research and redoing papers to perfection. They take their assets and put them in the best light. The truth of the scholarship game is that those who work the hardest receive the awards.
Most of the students I work with are not 4.0- or 1200-point SAT students. They are students willing to listen, follow directions and change, knowing their opinions are not the only ones out there. Many of these students started entering contests in the sixth and seventh grades, and formed the habits of success over the years. So when they are seniors, they are ready.
The real world is a great teacher, and the way you will get along will depend on your attitude. I wish all the students the best in their scholarship searches. The road is long and hard but the rewards are there.