By Unigo
College is really expensive. So we offer thirteen scholarships to help you pay for it. But how do you win? We ask all our scholarship winners to tell us the secrets to their success. Here are their top tips on how to win college scholarships.
1. Apply for as many scholarships as possible
First and common tip on how to win college scholarships is to apply for as many scholarships as possible. The good news is there are literally millions of college scholarships out there. The bad news is … there are literally millions of college scholarships out there! But, don’t worry. We got you. Use our Scholarship Match to quickly find the ones that are right for you and keep applying every month that you’re in high school and college. We add new scholarships all the time, so check your Scholarship Match results often. Work, work, work, work, work, work.
2. Do what you like
Second tip on how to win college scholarships is to do what you like! Choose scholarships that you’re excited about and good at. The more stoked you are, the better your submission will be. Doowutchyalike.
3. The smaller, the better
The smaller the applicant pool, the bigger your chances. Look for college scholarships based on highly-specialized topics that apply to you, or that are sponsored by an organization that you’re a member of (like a church, sport, or club), or that are only for students from your hometown. Your guidance counselor or financial aid office may be able to help you find them.
The same applies to scholarships with small awards. Everybody’s applying for huge money scholarships, but not as many people are applying for smaller awards. Winning a few smaller scholarships can add up to a lot of money.
4. Just do it
Don’t agonize over making it perfect right away. Just do it, put it aside for a day or two, then look at it again. Repeat until you love it.
5. Crowdsource your submission
Another tip on how to win college scholarships is to crowdsource your submission. Have a bunch of people review your submission. Ask your friends, ask your parents, ask your relatives, ask your dentist. The more feedback you can get, the better.
6. Make no mistakes
Last tip on how to win a scholarship is to make no mistakes! Proofread, proofread, proofread! Use spell check every time and be 100% sure everything is spelled and punctuated correctly. Read it out loud to yourself to make sure you catch everything. Sometimes one silly typo can disqualify you.
Scholarships aren’t easy, but when you win, it’s all worth it. So, don’t give up!
If scholarships and financial aid aren’t enough, use our LoanFinder to find the right student loan to help cover your college costs.