As we entered our senior year, we exchanged sleep for caffeine, and every second of free time for college applications, tours, and anxiety and anticipation of what comes next for us. When the deadlines came, I pressed that submit button and relief immediately washed over me. No matter which schools accepted me, I had peace and could focus solely on high school, work, friends and extracurriculars. And then the email hit my inbox, warning me about the scholarship application deadline for my dream school. I have gone through college and scholarship applications and scholarship interviews. I spent countless hours, late nights and early mornings for the entire first semester writing, deleting, adjusting and editing — these steps were on repeat. Then I spent my winter break stressing about finding internet in rural upstate New York to finish my scholarships. With much encouragement from my best friend, I submitted one hour before the deadline. What I was not prepared for was being selected as a finalist. This meant even more prep for interview weekend, trying to figure out how to explain my entire list of extracurriculars, my essays and myself in a way that stood out. Through countless trials and tribulations, I conquered college and scholarship applications. To the 1,500-plus RHS underclassmen who might find themselves in my position someday, here’s my best advice:
How to find scholarships. Before you can worry about the actual application, you need to find a scholarship to apply to first. There are many ways to find scholarship opportunities. One way is to look at specific universities’ applications on Common App. Many times, there is a “what’s next” step, which will provide information on how to access scholarships. Similarly, you can go to a school’s website or simply Google “scholarships” for the specific school. Another option is on Common App’s general scholarship section, with many options for you to apply to. Make sure you do your research on each one you are thinking about applying to, as some scholarships have different criteria to be considered, such as applicants must be first-generation or live in a specific county in NC. However, don’t count yourself out of scholarships you think you would never receive based on not being good enough. I almost did not apply to NC State’s scholarships because I never thought I would be considered for a merit-based scholarship, if I had counted myself out before even giving it a chance, I would not have gotten the opportunity to attend NC States Wilson College of Textiles Scholarship weekend.
Copy and paste is your best friend (as long as it is permitted). Use your personal statement essay and supplemental essay answers to your benefit on scholarship applications. Most of the time, schools will tell you that you are allowed to use complete answers from your college applications — just make sure you meet word count requirements. Remember that the admissions office reading your college application is not the same panel reviewing your scholarships, so do not worry about trying to find all new anecdotes and stories to share. I had to write four 500-word essay questions and four 250-word questions for scholarship applications, most of which were inspired by or identical to pieces I used for college apps.
Time management is key to success. Senior year is busy enough with classes alone, not to mention sports, work and a social life. There is barely a minute to breathe, but you must stop and take a moment. Despite the workload, it is possible to enjoy your senior year. Build a timeline for scholarships and set achievable goals like “this week I will finish the rough draft of the first few questions.” Divide up your time for different priorities on a calendar and give yourself built-in breaks to relax and socialize. You can do everything you want and still get all of your academic work done.
