Simple Tips for a Stress-Free Scholarship Season

Scholarships can be a great way to finance study abroad, internships, or just general college studies. They’re something that can help dreams come true. However, applying for scholarships can be quite stressful, and it’s often difficult to even know where to start. While these tips obviously can’t answer all of your scholarship questions, they’ll hopefully at least point you in a good direction.

Start early.

When it comes to scholarships, the earlier you start, the better. Make sure you have plenty of time to find the scholarships that best fit you, complete and proofread your applications, and ask for any letters of recommendation. The more time you give yourself, the more polished and competitive your applications are likely to be. While rushing to finish things at the last moment is understandable, anything you type up in a rush is unlikely to be your best work, and you could end up missing the deadline altogether if the website glitches.

Consider all possible sources of scholarships.

Scholarships are available from a wide variety of sources, and while scholarships offered by your university are a great place to start, there is also a whole world of other groups offering scholarships that just might fit you. Below is a brief list of potential scholarships sources to consider, although there are certainly many more.

• From Your University: (Specific to Your Major/Minor; Study Abroad Awards; Writing/Research Awards)
• Local Organizations
• Churches
• Organizations Your Family Has Been Involved In
• High School/Past Colleges
• Past/Current Jobs
• Parents’/Guardians’ Jobs
• Specific to Your Identity: (awards designated for people of your ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, immigration status, etc.)

Don’t be scared by scholarships with more requirements.

While scholarships that require multiple essays or videos may seem like a lot of work, that also means that fewer people will be likely to apply for them (and you’ll have a higher chance of winning). Just be sure you fit the scholarship’s criteria before applying. It would be a waste to spend hours applying for a scholarship with requirements you don’t really meet.

Be selective in your recommendation letters.

Find out if any of the scholarships that you are applying for require letters of recommendation (there’s a good chance they do) and start considering who you might want to talk to about writing those letters. Do you have anyone who offered to write you letters in the past? Or people who you know have positive opinions of you and your work? It’s also generally best to talk to more people than you think you will need, and if you end up with more “Yes” answers than necessary, ask the people who seemed most enthusiastic to actually write you letters. This is another place where getting a head start on things comes in handy. While some people may be able to put together a stellar recommendation in just a week, it’s generally best to begin asking for letters at least three weeks in advance, if not more. Once you know who’s going to be writing your letters, provide them with some information about the scholarships you’re applying for so they can write letters that highlight how you’re a good fit for that specific award.

Find ways to make yourself stand out.

Those reading over scholarship applications often see a lot of candidates, so ask yourself what makes you different and be sure to highlight this in your application. Why should they select you instead of any of the other candidates?

Have people you trust look over your application.

Another benefit of finishing your applications earlier is having more time to revise them and ask others for recommendations. Talk to professors, friends, relatives, and other people whose opinions you trust to ask if they can look over your application and give you advice on how to improve it. They may notice errors that you missed or have knowledge about a certain subject that you lack. By getting a variety of opinions, you can take them all into consideration and decide what changes you may want to make to your application.

So start your scholarship search today! There’s money out there just waiting to be awarded. For more tips, tricks, and lists of scholarships, check out the links below.

13 Best Tips for Winning College Scholarships
Let’s Talk Scholarships: Application Tips
Top Ten Tips To Getting A Scholarship
Tips to Avoid 7 Common Scholarship Application Pitfalls
Tips to Get a College Scholarship
12 Essential Scholarship Tips for Students

Natalie Wolf
Associate Student Representative, High Plains Region, 2019-2020
Alpha Theta Eta Chapter
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

Sigma Tau Delta Scholarships and Academic Awards

Annually, Sigma Tau Delta offers a variety of scholarship and academic awards valued at up to $6,000 each. Because these scholarship opportunities are offered exclusively to Sigma Tau Delta members, those members who take the time to submit a carefully put-together application obviously have a significantly increased chance of receiving an award and completing the application process is excellent practice for those planning to attend graduate school or apply for a job. Applications are judged based on academics and service, as well as on the quality of writing in essays or statements that are required for the scholarships.