Yesterday we looked at the purpose of a scholarship resume and today we will look at what you should include in your resume.

Accomplishments - Make a list of all the wonderful things you’ve accomplished. Ok, maybe not all, you can leave off the spelling bee you won in the second grade, however if you are a four time national champion, definitely list it.

Volunteer Experience - All of those hours of keeping kids from eating Playdoh and teaching them how to share pays you back better than macaroni-inspired thank you cards.

Skills or Special Talents - Have you been taking dance classes since you were knee high? Do you have magic tricks that’ll put David Blaine to shame? Are you a director of short films that have a huge YouTube following? Put it on there. Be mindful, some skills - bong making, auto theft, for example are best left out. As a matter of fact - stop it!

Education - List your current and former school of course, but don’t forget about any special classes, i.e. AP, or internships.

Other items:

• Your personal info - name and addy, not your turn-offs and the date of your first kiss.
• Any other scholarships you’ve won.
• Anything else that helps you stand out in the crowd. You resume is your opportunity to show the committee who you are, take full advantage of it.

Next, we’ll look at simple tweaks to make your resume sparkle!

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.

Unfortunately, these scholarships don’t mean a lifetime supply of free soda, but on the plus side you may be able to graduate without owing Uncle Sam your first born!

The Cocoa Cola Scholars Program

The foundation awards 50 four year, $20,000 scholarships and 200 $10,000 four year each year to eligible high school seniors.

Apply AUGUST 1 - OCTOBER 31

Eligibility:

-Current high school or home-schooled seniors attending school in the US.
-US Citizens; US Nationals; US Permanent Residents; Temporary Residents (in a legalization program); Refugees; Asylees; Cuban-Haitian Entrants; or Humanitarian Paroles.
-A minimum 3.0 GPA by junior year.

Many students know APA from the little style guides English teachers pass out before term papers are due. Well, besides telling people where to put a comma and how to cite books, the APA is also a place where psychology students, specifically graduate students can apply for a number of scholarships.

Psych students, break out your curriculum vitae and get moving, most of these scholarships are due on May 16th - yep, three days from now!

The Carol Williams-Nickelson Award for Women’s Leadership and Scholarship in Women’s Issues

Eligibility:

• Be a female American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS).
• Be in good academic standing in a doctoral program
• Not an APAGS officers or subcommittee chair.

Required Materials:

• A cover letter that includes the name of the award and introduction to application packet
• A curriculum vitae
• Two letters of recommendation
• Essay

Other APAGS Scholarships:

The Ellin Bloch and Pierre Ritchie Honorary Scholarship

The Nancy B. Forest and L. Michael Honaker Master’s Scholarship for Research in Psychology

Diversity Dissertation Scholarship

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!

Bust out the birthday cake and your dog-eared copy of Much Ado About Nothing because it’s William Shakespeare’s birthday! At least this is the day most people celebrate it, no one’s quite sure what day he was actually born. Anywho - in honor of the man that inspired so many here are some "Shakespearean-inspired" scholarships:

Theatre Arts Department: Betty Evans Shakespeare Scholarship at Central Washington University

This full time scholarship is for a theatre arts major who is at least a sophomore and who plans to study abroad at either the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts or other accredited institution.

The scholarship is for either two academic years or one full-year intensive program. Travel costs to England will not be funded; however the return fare back to the United States may be paid.

Eligibility:

• Be full-time student at CWU Ellensburg campus, with sophomore, junior, senior or graduate status during the scholarship period.
• Undergraduate  GPA of at least 3.25; graduate of at least 3.5.
• Satisfy requirements with respect to major or research/creative project activity specified above.
• Secure faculty sponsorship for the course of study.
• Demonstrate a record of good character and scholastic ability to indicate the likelihood of successful course completion.

Indiana State Department of English Alumni Scholarship

This $500 scholarship is for full-time freshmen declaring a major in English or English Teaching

Eligibility:

• Competitive SAT/ACT scores (SATV 510 or higher; ACT English score of 20 or higher), and/or
• Competitive class rank upper 25% of graduating class
•  Competitive high school GPA (3.0 on a 4.0 scale).
• Submit a letter of recommendation from their high school English teachers and/or
• A letter of recommendation from an alumnus of the Department of English at Indiana State University

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.

April showers bring May flowers and if you’ve got a green thumb these scholarships are for you!

Francis and Evelyn Clark Soil Biology Scholarship

For a $1000 scholarship, you just need to:

-be a graduate student working in the field of soil biology or biochemistry or microbial ecology.
- demonstrate scholarship and leadership during his/her graduate studies.
-special financial need

J. Fielding Reed Scholarship

This scholarship is for outstanding undergraduate seniors pursuing careers in soil or plant sciences. The scholarship is in the amount of $1000.

Eligibility:
-an undergraduate, pursuing a career in the plant or soil sciences
-3.0, or above, cumulative grade point average
-a history of community and campus leadership activities, specifically in agriculture

The Garden Club of America has a great scholarship for students who would rather be outdoors tending to the green Earth and creating masterpieces with things that grow.

Landscape Architects have a special opportunity with the Rome Prize Fellowship

Live in ROME for a YEAR! According to their Web site, where participants will be staying - The American Academy - overlooks historic Rome and boasts an 11 acre site on the Janiculum Hill and has been called, “an estate of
the mind.”

This fellowship offers unregimented study, inspiration and independent work. Wow. If I didn’t have horr-awful allergies and had a degree in Landscape Architecure…

The deadline is November 15th and to find out more info, contact:
Contact: Mr. Shawn Miller, American Academy in Rome
7 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022-1001
www.aarome.org

And while this sounds like a cake-walk year in Rome, something tells me that all that freedom to find inspiration leads to a severe penalty if you find yourself lacking any.