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Tack up these tips to seek out college cash and keep your scholarship application in the pile.

Preparation
1. Compile a resume or list of references, awards, school and community activities, and work experience, and constantly update it. That'll save you time later when the deadline crunch is on.

2. Speaking of deadlines, don't assume that all private scholarships have the same due date. Keep track of when items should be mailed out.

3. Chances are you'll be asking some of your teachers to write multiple recommendations. Be sure to give them ample time, provide them with a list of your accolades to help them along, and follow up with a thank you note.

4. Start your school stash mission as early as possible. Call ahead for scholarship applications to ensure that you'll receive them before it's too late.

Research
5. Keep a file of any clippings, snippets, and print-outs of scholarships you stumble across while reading or surfing the web.

6. When applying for an academic college or university scholarship, get the scoop on its student body first. Find out the average SAT score and GPA of incoming freshmen and see how you compare.

7. Talk to everyone you know to get scholarship leads. Hint: Your parents' employer may be a great source for funds.

8. Community groups and ethnic organizations in your neighborhood can also be a great source to help you find money.

9. Have a weird hobby? There may be an organization that wants to give you money for it. Remember: There are scholarships out there that acknowledge even the most unique of your attributes, if you look in the right places.

10. Surf CollegeBound and hit the library stacks for scholarship listings.

Keep in Mind...
11. You may be embarrassed about the Math League medal your Mom has hanging in the kitchen, but mentioning it in a scholarship application can make a good impression.

12. Follow up with any organization you send a scholarship application, just in case it gets lost in the mail or cyberspace.

13. Treat every scholarship application separately. It's okay to reuse general topic essays, but address the specific details that each scholarship committee is looking for.

14. Early decision applicants may miss out on a school's private scholarship opportunities, since these are generally used to lure undecided students.

15. Look for sponsors at local service organizations, such as Kiwanis Clubs or the Elks. Volunteer some time and get to know your local chapter's members -- they may be able to help you in return.


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Amanda Fornecker is a staff writer at The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

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