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Want the
bucks? Then get college cash crazy like these
scholarship winners...
Methods to Scholarship Madness
By Feona Sharhran Huff
October 2000
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick --
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 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 five
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,
now 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 Õ That's what helped Kara
Choi beat out the competition. A recipient of
College Bound Magazine's Student Of The
Year 2000 scholarship, Kara read every essay written
by scholarship winners she could get her hands
on since her freshman year. "I checked for
their writing styles," explains Karen, 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 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 essay about that experience
became her signature piece. The same goes for
Rick Herbst, now 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 - 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 fit,"
says Kaplan. Plus, get as many letters as you
can and pack the best one for each scholarship
application.
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· Find out about the Student
of the Year scholarship contest
that Kara and Rick won!
· For more scholarship strategies,
and to search for a stash of your own,
hit Student
Rewards.
· Check
out more of Benjamin Kaplan's scholarship
advice. |
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