You’ve got a 4.0 average, you’re active in your community, and you just know any scholarship you apply for is yours.

Or you may be on the opposite end of the spectrum: you aren’t the best student, you have a couple of passions, but you’re not like those kids that belong to every club in school. You think applying for a scholarship is just a waste of time, no one’s going to give you one.

Both of these sets of thoughts need an attitude adjustment. Most students are not guaranteed a scholarship despite their stellar high-school career and most students don’t realize there are scholarships out there for all kinds of students.

One thing is clear: both of the above thoughts could lead to horrible scholarship applications.

A too-cocky student is less likely to put enough effort into the application process, standing on his or her past accomplishments and accolades. A student who feels as if he or she is not going to get it anyway is also less likely to put any effort into getting the cash.

How NOT To Submit a Scholarship Application:

• Send in wrinkled, dirty, Cheeto stained paperwork. Scholarship committees love to know what you’ve eaten for lunch.
• Grab a envelope from your Nana’s "Thank You" card stash and stuff the whole application in it. Sure you have to fold it, like, 15 times, but you get it in there! Only idiots would use a nice catalog envelope so all their materials arrive flat and easy to read.
• Don’t bother with the directions really, just fill it out and send. People who are parting with thousands of dollars really aren’t interested in your reading comprehension skills. They all know being a college student doesn’t require you to read.
• OMG, I 100% nd sme $! No one writes full sentences any more, the money people should totally speak IM.
• Tell them why they better give you the scholarship. There are tons of people who think you’re great, especially you. You just let them know, in no uncertain terms, that you rock and it would be their loss if they didn’t give you the money.
• Don’t bother proofreading the application or essay, that’s what spell check’s for! Be sides, If their is anybody wrong, they new what ewe meant.
• All those extra forms and information, don’t even bother with it, they really don’t need all that. They should totally take your word on your G.P.A and the fact that your Spanish teacher thinks you’re great. No need for a recommendation letter!
• Be sure to follow up, often, on the scholarship process. Just call them, email them, and fax them everyday…a couple of times a day. It’ll show them you’re really dedicated.

The scholarship field is a competitive one. College tuition costs continue to climb and more students are trying to avoid graduating with tons of student loans.

Superstar, not making an effort on your application shows the committee you’re not going to make the effort in college, which leaves open the door for the decent student who is dedicated to the Art Club and took the time to carefully complete and submit their application.

Tags: scholarship submission, don’ts

Posted Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:00:20 and filed under Scholarship Tips. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.