Thousands of students apply for scholarships each year — and rightfully so. School can be expensive. Even with new scholarships becoming available each year, the competition to be the final student left in the long list of scholarship applicants is fierce. Luckily, there are a few steps you can start taking now that will help you in all facets of life to ensure you stand out from the crowd.
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Work on Your GPA
Whether you’re in high school or college, GPA is an important factor in many scholarships. While GPA isn’t the end-all-be-all in life, it is an indicator to scholarship providers of how seriously you take your education. Providers want to ensure their money will be used to further a student’s educational endeavors, and good grades help them feel confident in that.
For now, enjoy time with friends, but make sure to dedicate the appropriate amount of time to your studies.
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Uphold a Set of Values in Your Life
Character and conviction are two key factors that set one person apart from another. What do you stand for? The way you live your life and the conviction you hold to those values will be evident in your writing and the experiences you share in your scholarship application.
Businesses that provide private scholarships often abide by a set of core values. For example, Fox Pest Control, creator of the annual Fox Pest Control Scholarship, has 18 core values its leaders and employees live by in the company. One of those values is Build and Strengthen Relationships. If you have set high standards for building and strengthening relationships in your own life through service, you are a stand-out candidate for this scholarship and should apply to see where those common values take you.
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Master Your Writing Skills
Most scholarships call for essay applications. This is one of the easiest ways for businesses to learn about you. Prepare now by mastering your writing skills. If you can’t talk to the people who will be reviewing your application in person, do your best to impress them on paper!
Pay special attention to:
- Grammar (Word choice and sentence structure)
- Punctuation (Put those commas in the right places!)
- Expression (Evoke emotion within your audience.)
- Word count (Keep your word count within the essay guidelines.)
The right combination of all four of these elements will help your essay stand out from others that lack attention to detail, passion and consistency.
If you start working on your GPA, making a conscious effort to live by a set of values and perfecting your writing, you will be one step closer to receiving money to help with tuition and living expenses. Once you’ve put these principles into action, consider seeking out scholarships. You’ll be surprised how many you qualify for!
No matter where you live, scholarship opportunities are available for you. The Fox Pest Control Scholarship accepts applicants from 14 different states. Whether you live in New York or Kentucky, you can use your GPA, values and writing skills to apply for a life-changing scholarship today.
