Guest Post: Applying for a Scholarship Is Like Applying for a Job (If You Want to Win)
Dave “The Scholarship Coach” Peterson didn’t save enough money to pay for his son's college, and he didn’t want his son to be burdened with student loans. Determined to find a solution, Dave discovered the ins and outs of securing scholarships. Thanks to his efforts, his son graduated debt-free, with a total cost of just $1,500 for his entire college experience, covering tuition, room, board, books, and fees! Now, as the Head Coach at Scholarship GPS, Dave helps other students and families navigate their own scholarship journeys.
Just like employees are representatives of the company they work for, scholarship organizations are looking for their winners to be ambassadors. Below are some suggestions for improving your chances of obtaining outside scholarships.
Research the Company
As adults, we know that when we apply for a job, we need to research the company we’re applying to. We need to know what the company does, what its products are, who it serves, the company’s mission, and so forth. We need to tailor our resumes and our interviews to match the calling, values, and goals of the company we hope to work for.
This same principle applies when applying for scholarships. Before filling out an application or writing a scholarship essay, students need to take a few moments to learn about the entity that is offering the scholarship. What does the organization do? What is its mission? Who do they serve? What are the organization’s values? Understanding these things will allow the student to tailor their scholarship application and essay in a way that matches what that scholarship is looking for in an applicant.
Understand Why They Are Offering “Free” Money
Organizations that offer scholarships will usually fall into one of three categories: colleges and other institutions of higher learning, non-profit charitable organizations, or for-profit businesses. No matter what type of organization is offering a scholarship, they are doing so for specific reasons, which sometimes will be explicitly stated on the scholarship website. However, other times, the student may need to do a little bit of research and inferring to understand the organization’s motivations for providing a scholarship. Whether it’s expressly stated or has to be inferred, tailoring your application and essay to match the organization’s goals and the purpose of the scholarship will increase your odds of winning.
Do Your Skills, Interests, and Experiences Match the organization’s Missions and Values?
Just like applicants must meet certain basic requirements to be considered for a job, students must do the same to be considered for a scholarship. At a basic level, most scholarships list certain criteria for applying, such as minimum GPAs, citizenship, age, grade in school, and other levels of experience. However, those types of requirements are just the minimums.
Students need to demonstrate that they are a match for the scholarship’s mission and values. Most students and parents fail to understand that scholarships are rarely awarded based on a student’s past achievements. Most organizations offering scholarships want to assist students in achieving their future goals and plans. A student’s past accomplishments and experiences only serve as a kind of “proof” that the student is on track to achieve their stated goals. Scholarship winners have usually demonstrated, through their application and essay, that they are on a path that aligns with the sponsor organization’s purposes.
They Are Looking for an Ambassador
Just like employees are representatives of the company they work for, scholarship providers are looking for their winners to be ambassadors. Most will post the names and a short bio of their winners on their websites. Others will send out press releases about the scholarship and their winners. Some organizations that award scholarships even ask their winners to give public interviews or to read their winning essays in public forums. For example, the 2023 VFW Voice of Democracy Contest winner, Sophia Lin, read her award-winning essay at the VFW’s annual Washington Conference, which is promoted on numerous websites.
Sophia serves as a role model for any student seeking scholarship success. Her winning essay is a textbook example of how to incorporate the sponsor’s message, values, and mission into a scholarship essay. Sophia was kind enough to provide an exclusive interview, which is included in the Scholarship GPS Program. Her interview can be found in the lesson titled “The Scholarship that ALL High School Students (Grades 9-12) Should Apply For” in “The Scholarships (Almost) Every Student Should Apply For” module.
Applying for a scholarship is like applying for a job. The more you can present yourself as aligned with the goals, mission, and values of the scholarship provider, the better your odds of winning the scholarship.
Do you have questions about applying for outside scholarships?
If you have questions about seeking outside scholarships, you can reach Dave at Scholarship GPS. Dave is offering a summer program called the Scholarship Summer Camp, which starts on June 2nd.