Most students jump right on the web and start looking for search engines when trying to find a grant or scholarship. They have the ambition, but they are not as prepared as they could have been if they just organized their materials before they started applying for scholarships. The people who create and distribute scholarships have a system in mind when the do so and they expect the potential scholarship recipient to have a respect for that system.
Most students are looking for easy money. This can happen if a particular student is lucky, but the true winners of scholarships have been prepared from the beginning and win more than the average student. The successful scholarship recipient has taken hours to research the scholarships that are available. They stand ready to fill out any application and have resources ready to meet the requirements.
The requirements of most scholarships are the same. You have a basic application that lists your demographics, your skills and interests, and what your ambitions are. You can have most of this already logged into a computer where you can cut and paste to fill in most of the application questions. If you run into a new question, add the answer to your tool box and cutting and pasting is the only thing you have to do the next time.
Letters of recommendation should have been sought out and received by the prospective student. The letters should not over glorify your position, but promote your good qualities in a tasteful manner. The letters should come from community leaders such as teachers, politicians, and other civil servants. The letters should be professionally done and the student should have copies ready to send out in a moments notice.
The applicant should include a small photo with the application. This adds a personal touch and gives the reader of the application a face to put the words to. The application with a picture may be picked out of a stack faster than one that does not have a picture. It does not have to be fancy. The student can even print a picture from a computer.
Have several copies of school transcripts available so that a trip to the copier does not become a daily task. Have your transcripts organized and presented neatly in a folder or three ring binder. The more professionalism in the presentation, the more chance that the application will be accepted.
