Every scholarship has its own requirements and deadlines. By making a spreadsheet that reminds you what you need and when it’s due, it will help you prioritize which scholarships to focus on and when. Pro tip: Impose your own deadline that is at least two weeks prior to the official deadline.

Do not wait until the last minute to write the essay! It is recommended to get at least three people to proofread or edit your essay. More information about personal statements and letters of recommendation is in Section 3 of this book.

Provide your recommender a copy of the particular scholarship(s) you are applying to so that they may tailor their recommendation to fit the prompt. It’s also helpful to provide a list of activities and explain what you want the scholarship committee to know about you. Make sure to thank them afterward! See Section 3 of this book for more information.

Local scholarships tend to be a smaller amount of money than national scholarships, but their applicant pools are smaller and you therefore have a higher chance of being awarded one. At the same time, do not discount yourself from the national scholarships. Someone has to be awarded, and why not you? Additionally, while most schools automatically consider you for merit-based aid when you apply, many schools have extra scholarships available on their website that you can apply to. Pay attention to their deadlines!

Though all free money is good money, check if the scholarship is “renewable” each year, or if you will only get it your first year. While your financial aid package will likely shift if your scholarship is not renewable, it’s still important to know ahead of time so your financial situation does not come as a shock to you if you were relying on that money.

While a good GPA does not hurt, it is not necessarily the only thing that scholarship committees looks at. Profile yourself and focus on your passions, motivations, characteristics, and talents; these are helpful in making your application stand out. When writing your essay, it is important to talk about the personal, detailed experiences that shape you - remember the who, what, when, and where so the person reading it can get to know you. You may also be eligible for scholarships based on these affiliations (e.g. ethnic, religious) or on extracurricular involvement (e.g. community service, arts, athletics).

Whether or not you qualify for federal aid, institutional and private scholarships often require this info.

With all of the pieces of paper flying around a scholarship committee’s office, pieces might get lost, so it is important that you put your name on every page of your application so that it may be clearly identified. Never leave a question blank and always include all materials.