Kelsey Hixson-Bowles
[email protected]
One of the greatest benefits we, as members of Sigma Tau Delta, have is the opportunity to apply for a range of scholarships. The amount of money awarded for each scholarship varies, with the highest being $5,000! It does not come easy, though. The scholarship committee really puts you to work before they dish out the dough. Lucky for you, they also take a lot of time to write excellent documents to support you through the application process.
Perhaps we should pause here for a moment. I would like to emphasize that this truly is a process. There is a well-thought out list of tasks for you to complete and timing matters. If you have not started yet, start now. Slice out some time between writing papers, picking out classes for next semester, and reading to acquaint yourself with the Sigma Tau Delta Scholarship Submission Process.
First things first: pick out your scholarships. See what you are eligible for and read about what is required. There is continuity between the scholarship applications, so if you are eligible for more than one, you don’t have to do too much extra work. Before jumping in, though, you must be nominated by your chapter. Let your chapter sponsor know that you plan to apply. If there are many students from your chapter applying, you may need to set up a nomination meeting. (Only three students from each chapter can apply for each scholarship.)
Got that done? Great. Moving right along. Now you will want to think about what goes into a stellar application. Read through Tips to Create a Winning Application for ideas and motivation. As you’ll see in the document, one of the most important things is to start early. Scholarship readers can tell when you’ve written your application in a hurry.
Further, please be mindful that professors writing your letters of recommendation will appreciate the gift of time. Since their recommendation for you needs to be received by November 15, make sure you request today (or ASAP) that they compose a letter on your behalf.
The platform for scholarship applications has changed since last year. We are now using STARS (Scholarship Tracking and Review System), a program that is easy to use and has all sorts of cool features under the hood. You can create a log-in and password and save your application at any point to come back to it later. Here is some more important information to read through before you get started: Five Things You Need To Know About STARS. Attached to that site is a list of instructions. They are so important that I’m linking to them here and here and here just to make sure you read them. Think of these instructions as a sort of check-list/FAQ hybrid. Infinitely helpful.
Meet the deadline. November 8. Burn it in your memories, highlight it in your calendars, and set an alarm on your phone. Late applications are not accepted.
Finally, don’t forget the other opportunities for awards and money that are due on November 8. Chapter Project Grant applications are also due November 8. If your chapter is doing something similar to these chapters, you should think about applying! The application process is different from the scholarship application process, so read through the instructions thoroughly.
Remember that our convention theme is Reawaken (this will show up in the application questions). Although Thoreau’s words are taken out of context, I found this (half of a) quote to serve as motivation to polish and complete our applications. So I leave you with this:
