Whether you’re headed off to college or gearing up for another year or two of high school, the summer is a great time to maximize your scholarship potential.

Look Ahead

Every week we bring scholarship opportunities and while many of the due dates have passed, these scholarships should be your prime targets for next year. You have all the information, know the criteria so what’s stopping you?

The summer is also a great time to work on your scholarship resume. Kick back with some lemonade and start writing it up. Three months is more than enough time to fine tune the formal representation of your life.

Bulk Up

I don’t mean go crazy on banana splits! If your extracurricular activities or volunteer opportunities are a bit scarce, now’s the time to go down to your nearest non-profit and offer up your time.

What if you’ve got your heart set on a biology scholarship, but little to no outside experience? Your "A" in AP Bio is a start, but add a little zip to your resume by scoring an internship. Normally these are decided before summer break, however, smaller schools and community colleges may not have a huge selection of people signing up to help out over the summer.

Indulge a Passion

Not every activity or pursuit should be looked at as a potential resume booster. Life worth living is living with passion. Anybody can get the "right activities" and the "right recommendations," but finding your passion is truly special. Think about something you’ve always been interested in and seek opportunities to learn more about them. Love to cook? Why not volunteer or get a small (normally underpaid) gig with a local caterer. Ask to shadow a restaurateur for a week.  The same goes for students who are interested in other subject like media. You may not be able to shadow a top local news personality, but I’m sure someone down at the cable access channel wouldn’t mind if you came over for a few days and sat in the control booth.

You tell me - what are your passions? What do you plan on doing this summer?

Fine tuning your resume is much like polishing your scholarship essay. A few well-thought out edits and a fine toothed comb could be the difference between getting those much needed scholarship bucks and paying for college by selling plasma.

Proofread

It should be totally unnecessary for me to say this, but proof your resume thoroughly and have someone else give it the once over as well. A fresh pair of eyes can pick up on any grammar and flow issues.

Watch Your Formatting

Resume styles go in and out just like fashion trends. Do a quick I-net search for the most appropriate and current style.

Update Often

New achievements, including scholarships won, should be added to your resume as they come. This saves you from having to backtrack. Experts also advise that you update and tailor your resume to each scholarship. Some scholarships may focus more on your volunteer opportunities. Look for a way to highlight those on your resume, by forgoing the classic "chronological order" type of resume for the more appropriate qualifications/experienced based resume.

In addition to an application, letters of recommendation and a possible essay, many scholarship committees want to a copy of your resume. Writing a resume can be a daunting task for many adults so it’s no wonder students feel a little clueless. This week we will focus on all things resume.

Purpose
A scholarship resume is like a typical work resume in many ways - it portrays experience, abilities and activities in a positive light - yea you! It also helps committees identify the characteristics and skills you posses that coincides with what they look for in recipients. It differs in that its focus is setting you up for scholarship monies, instead of a job, focusing heavily on your academic career and extracurricular activities.

Another great byproduct is when you see all of your accomplishments, activities and interests in one place, you are better able to identify the types of scholarships that best suite you.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at what to include in your resume.

Personal recommendations. You’ve got to have them for most scholarship applications, internships, grad school applications and a host of other education related scenarios. Some may think that getting a good recommendation is as easy as asking for one, but there are some things you should consider:

Ask Early. Most people have a pretty busy schedule, this is no different for former teachers, bosses, school counselors, etc. In fact, these people are often so bombarded for recommendationst they have to turn away some students’ requests. Asking early for a recommendation allows the writer to have time to really give attention to your letter as opposed to firing off a generic "Angela is a great student, I think she will do well in college. Signed Student Counselor Overworked."

Set an Early Deadline. Give your writer a set time by which the letter needs to be written and sent to the committee or given directly to you - and make sure their deadline is well before the scholarship deadline.

Ask and Remind Gently. Remember, you are asking for a favor, don’t ride your recommendation person until they send the letter and don’t ask, beg, demand or hint at a positive recommendation. Obviously you want a postive one, being a demanding stalker won’t get you there.

Give Clear Instructions. Explain and send an accompanying sheet to the writer specifying what the letter is for, what organization or scholarship, whether it needs to be on specific letterhead, i.e. school, whether the letter is an open or closed letter and then instructions on when, where and how to mail the letter and how many to mail. This allows the writer to address the scholarship committee directly and helps them formulate what they are going to say about you so they can show you in your best light.

Choose Wisely. Once a letter of recommendation is sent you can’t get it back. So be careful about who you choose to write it. Your batty neighbor next door may love you, but if she can’t write a letter that is accurate and contains a certain amount of eloquence, you’re sunk. Likewise, asking someone you don’t know, or someone you are on rocky terms with, i.e. a professor whose class you failed, isn’t going to score you any points, in fact it can negatively affect your chances.

There are times when we mess up, big time! I went out of town for a couple of days and blogged some great stuff for ENotes. I swear I typed them in, scheduled them and bounced off for a worry free week. Today I happend to check and no blogs. Not a single one. And there is no back up for those blogs. They. Are. Gone. Which leads me to today’s topic:

Double-Checking Electronic Submissions.

Electronic submissions are a great advancement in the scholarship process. It used to be most materials had to be copied, placed carefully in a large envelope and shipped off to scholarship committees. Now, a quick copy, paste and click and you’re on your way to college cash.

Yet, one wrong click can lead to an embarrassing mistake. Or worse, no submission. Most sites are equipped with the handy email or number confirmation that your application has been received. If confirmation is not available or you don’t receive one, there is nothing wrong with a short, professional email asking if the application was received.

As for me, well it’s back to the blogging board - and pray I can remember all the stuff I wrote!

Happy Earth Day! As billions of people take a moment to celebrate this beautiful blue ball we live on and take steps to make it cleaner, greener and better for all, let’s look at how taking care of the Earth can land you a scholarship.

Extra-curricular activities are always a highlighted portion of most scholarship applications, so starting a recycling program at your school, church, synagogue or popular hang-out is a great way to not only help the Earth, but it will also improve your resume. Talking to younger kids about the importance of thinking green is another example of a win-win.

Take your enviromental activity to the next level and join organizations like Conservation.Org or Greenpeace or take part in green projects in your city.

And a bonus - Environmental Scholarship:

Environmental Science and Engineering Scholarships

Criteria:

* an academic record with at least an overall GPA of 3.0;
* original research, scholarship, employment, volunteering, or other unique contributions to environmental science or environmental engineering;
* activity in nonathletic extra-curricular activities and organizations;
* ability to communicate;
* recommendations from education and environmental professionals; and
* a major in environmental science or environmental engineering.

When thousands of dollars are on the line, it’s easy to be a little uptight. Whether it’s a interview before a scholarship committee or a personal essay, students need to remember to be themselves and let their personality shine through.

People often get “being professional” confused with “being a robot.” I can tell you, no one on a scholarship committee wants to sit for hours with “Scholastic Stepford Students” trooping in with their achievements and well-rehearsed answers. Be yourself.

If you have a sense of humor, there’s nothing wrong with breaking the ice with a little joke. And if you’re nervous it’s okay to say that as well. All being professional means is that you use the good manners your mother has been trying to instill in you.

In an interview, this means showing up 10 - 15 minutes early and dressing appropriately for the situation and your age. It also means using “good English.” I know, it sounds terrible and it reads even worse, however many of us have gotten so immersed in texting, IM and popular slang that we use it without knowing it. Each sentence that uses the phrase “you know, like” automatically drops IQ points.

For personal essays, show your passion and enthusiasm. A “professional paper” is just a paper that has a clear, well-thought out idea that is developed throughout the essay. It is grammatically and structurally correct. What brings an essay to life is not the technical layout, it is the human aspect.

For both situations, don’t be a resume lister. The scholarship committee already has your information. Talk about why you ran for student council or why you’re active in the community. Be real. You’re already fabulous and wonderful, let them see it as well.

There is so much students have to do and whether in high school or college, students have to do a lot of things on their own. In fact, it’s encouraged.

Self-reliance and responsibility are parental buzzwords, but in the search for college monies, students should not only rely on themselves.

Think of it this way, without scholarship monies many students will have to depend on their parents to help foot the bill. That info only should be enough to make parents want to whip out their capes and stand at the ready to help!

Students should be prepared to ask parents, friends, grandparents and teachers for more than advice on how to stay out of trouble, how not to max out the credit card and how to get to class on time. Who are we kiddin’? Nobody asks for that advice, it is given so willingly and often…

Anyway, some of the things students should ask for help with:

• Proofreading scholarship and financial aid paperwork.
• Letters of recommendation.
• Interpreting fin aid info.
• The scholarship aid search.
• Preparing and packaging application materials.

All of this school stuff can be overwhelming, it takes an adult to ask for help when needed. Plus, those special folks in your life will feel better about helping rather  than you only calling for cash, credit, or a help with your heavy suitcase!

IUSB has a great little page devoted to their top ten scholarship application tips. My favorites:

• "Give concrete examples.

  If your answer to an essay question is abstract, support it with a concrete example that illustrates your point. The scholarship sponsor wants to see evidence that you satisfy their criteria, not just unsupported statements."

"I am a leader who would use this leadership scholarship to help lead others."

Besides being a really bad sentence, it says nothing about you other than you think you are a leader. Most people do and most people aren’t. Give examples - clubs you’ve headed, organizations you’ve founded or held leadership positions in, projects you spear-headed, etc.

How are you going to lead? Are you running for student body president in college? Starting an organization to help an underserved cause or population?

• "Apply only if you are eligible.

  Read all the scholarship requirements and directions carefully, and make sure that you are eligible before you send in your application. Your application will not be considered if you are not qualified to apply."

Why waste your time and the committee’s time applying to everything that moves? It’s annoying and heaven forbid the same people decide on a scholarship you are actually qualified for!

Scholarships are not only offered by institutions of higher learning. There’s no better reason for adults to bust out the checkbooks and jewels than a la-di-da fundraiser to fund some scholarship. Often, students and their parents may not be aware of the money that is out there and the only way you can learn is to network.

• Get the word out. Tell everybody and their grandma about your college aspirations and let them know you’re looking for scholarship monies. Grandma’s garden club or the neighbor’s golf course may offer a little known scholarship.
• Keep an eye out. The scholarship fundraising crowd love to hob nob, so check out the society/events section the organization will almost always list what the fundraiser benefits and when in doubt, give them a call. You never know, the organization itself may not have one, but the kindly, knowledgeable admin. assistant may be able to direct you to an insider that can help you out.
• Google your town. The right key words: scholarship, your city, your state, college or any combination of these will bring up scholarships that are offered in your area.
• Get on the phone. Not all community organizations are web savvy. Bust out the phone books and give them a call. Think outside the box - moms groups, action groups, neighborhood associations all great, but don’t forget to look to your parents and grandparents former employers. The big auto companies, postal workers, etc. all offer scholarships for children of workers.

A little hard work will go a long way to getting the scholarship dollars you need to get your degree, but hey - you’ve got the "work hard" thing down already!

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