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Joey and his best friend Justin did everything alike. They both made straight As, scored 1300 on the SATs, volunteered with the same community projects, participated in sports, and ranked in the top 10 percent of their graduating class. So, why did Justin win over 13 scholarships, totaling $30,000, and Joey secured only $3,000 and three student loans?

Perhaps he didn't apply for enough scholarships, or didn't know where to look. Then again, maybe he didn't put 115 percent into each scholarship essay. Although this is a hypothetical scenario, it's a reality for many. How can you be a "Justin," with $30,000 toward tuition under your belt? Follow these nine tips:

Tip #1 - Go On a  

Scholarship

  Campaign
That's what Benjamin Kaplan did. It paid off, too -- nearly $90,000 worth. Now, Kaplan, a 1999 Harvard graduate and a self-proclaimed scholarship coach, talks about getting 'shown the money' in his real-life-inspired book, How To Go To College Almost For Free (Waggle Dancer Books, 2000). Use Internet search databases, school and community resources, state scholarship agencies, specialized organizations, corporations and associations, he advises. It works, says Lauren Falkowski, a freshman at Rutgers College, New Brunswick, NJ. Lauren visited her high school guidance counselor every week to check for scholarships. "If you put aside the extra time, you have a better chance of getting scholarships," she says.

Tip #2 - Apply For Everything
That's E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, says Mike Darne, director of business development for WiredScholar.com, a site that provides scholarship leads and information. "You keep yourself out of the recipient pool when you only apply for one or two scholarships," he explains. If you apply for a bunch, he says, chances are you may win a couple. And, adds JoAnn Acocella, assistant vice president of marketing for Sallie Mae (the student loan big-wigs), there are all types of scholarships to apply for, including ones based on hobby, geographical location, ethnic background, and nationality. Lauren found quite a few she was eligible for, and went for it. Out of 30 scholarships she applied for, she won 11, totaling $11,000.

Tip #3 - Study Essays of Past Winners
That's what helped Kara Choi beat out the competition. A recipient of The CollegeBound Network's Student Of The Year 2000 scholarship, Kara read every scholarship essay written by the winners that she could get her hands on since her freshman year. "I checked for their writing styles," explains Kara, who won $1,000 and lots of cool prizes. "I also looked for the types of topics covered."

Tip #4 - Focus the Essay on a Special Event
In the "Essay Excellence" chapter of his book, Kaplan demonstrates how to write scholarship essays that stand out from the competition. "Make the essay intensely personal," he says. "No one else can write the essay you wrote because no one has shared your life." No one could describe the emotions Kara felt the first time she worked in a hospital, that's why her scholarship essay about that experience became her signature piece. The same goes for Rick Herbst, a freshman at University of Notre Dame, who was Kara's Student Of The Year 2000 co-recipient. His personal experience about learning a piano recital piece and how it helped him understand himself and others hit just the right tune with the judges.

Tip #5 - Give Your Application a Personal Touch
Meredith Fisher, a freshman at The College Of New Jersey, had fun with her Poppa John's scholarship application. Since Poppa John's is a pizza company, Meredith cut out little pizzas from magazines, and used them as the application's border. She suggests jazzing the application up with different fonts and colors.

Tip #6 - Spend Lots of Time Writing, Editing & Re-writing
Who wants to sit in the house for hours on a Saturday night writing a paper? Isn't that what weekdays are for? Thinking like this may cost you thousands of dollars, says Kara, Meredith, Benjamin and Lauren. You can kick back and chill or party 'til the sun comes up - once you've written, spell-checked, re-written, and absolutely fine-tuned your scholarship essay.

Tip #7 - Make Some 'Letters of Recommendation' Recommendations
These 'salutes to you' weigh heavily on a judge's decision, says Kaplan, that's why just any ol' letter won't do. Don't tell someone you need a recommendation and leave it up to him or her to give you the kudos you need to secure points... help 'em out. "Present the person with a summary about you so he or she can make the material," says Kaplan. Plus, get as many letters as you can and pack the best one for each scholarship application.

Tip #8 - Apply Early
Did you know the early bird catches the worm? With the thousands of scholarships that flood scholarships, it's best to complete the application ASAP and mail it off just as fast. After reading through 1,000 applications, don't you think you would have already made up your mind?

Tip #9 - Prepare For an Interview
If you don't want to stumble over answers, appear nervous or draw a complete blank during the interview portion for the scholarship, you better get busy preparing.


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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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