Everyone secretly (or not so secretly) dreams of winning a full ride scholarship. However, winning one requires hard work and dedication, so students should start the process during freshman year of high school.
For example, some scholarships consider leadership skills as well as academic rigor such as taking advanced classes. Similarly, some require community service.
1. Identify Your Strengths
When deciding on a scholarship winner, the committee must consider many things including academics, athletic ability, leadership skills and much more. It is important to identify where you excel and work to become the best in that area.
Building relationships with mentors can also help you when applying for scholarships. They may write strong, insightful letters of recommendation for you. Scholarship authorities place a high value on these kinds of recommendations.
Be sure to research the different types of scholarships that are available. There are a wide variety of scholarship programs offered by both colleges and private foundations and companies. Secure one of these prestige scholarships and it can go a long way to making college more affordable. Scholarships are highly competitive, so it is important to start early.
2. Build Relationships With Mentors
The perks of a full-ride scholarship can’t be beat: Students can graduate without any loan debt and the freedom to pursue their passions.
Getting a full-ride scholarship requires a lot of work over multiple years, so it’s important to start early. Students should get to know their counselors, teachers and mentors well so they can ask them for help and advice when applying for scholarships. They can also turn to these people for letters of recommendation.
Those aiming for academic scholarships should focus not just on earning great grades, but also choosing honors and advanced placement classes that provide more challenging material. They should take the SAT as many times as possible to improve their score and consider taking test prep courses. Additionally, they should look for leadership internships throughout high school in their chosen fields to show off their specialized skills.
3. Submit a Great Scholarship Application
Full ride scholarships are highly competitive, but students can improve their chances of getting one by working hard on the application process. This includes working on the essay as well as collecting all of the required materials.
When writing an essay, be genuine and avoid using clichés and platitudes like “I have persevered through difficult times,” or “Good things come to those who wait.” Scholarship committees want to see your genuine personality and how you’ve grown as a result of your challenges.
Be sure to proofread your essay carefully and get a friend or family member to read it, as well. Too many mistakes and typos can make you look unprofessional. You should also consider asking a writing center at your school to review your work.
4. Get Involved in Community Service
A full ride scholarship is a more comprehensive form of financial aid than a typical tuition-only scholarship. In addition to paying for your school fees and book costs, they typically also cover living expenses like room and board and sometimes other college necessities like a laptop or even travel funds for a research or study abroad program.
While specific requirements vary depending on the sponsor, these scholarships are usually highly competitive and merit based. To stand out, students should keep their grades up and take challenging classes. They should also roll up their sleeves and get involved in community service, especially if their volunteer experience can be framed as leadership or mentoring. Some also include special consideration for extracurricular activities, heritage and financial need.
5. Sharpen Your Interview Skills
Many scholarships have an interview process in addition to written applications. If that is the case, do everything you can to prepare for your interviews. This could include practicing your stories with friends or family, preparing questions for the interviewers (as well as some answers to those questions), and researching the background of each interviewer in advance.
Merit-based full ride scholarships often consider not only good grades but also the challenging classes you take, your extracurricular involvement, and other factors. Having mentors who can write strong letters of recommendation can be a major asset in these cases as well.
In preparing for your interview, work on eliminating verbal fillers like "uh" and "um." Practice body language to convey confidence, and focus on being on time.