How To Increase Your Chances of Winning That Scholarship:

• Request applications immediately after finding scholarships that you want to apply for.Pay close attention to the due date and materials needed.
• Applications that are submitted late will not be considered!
• Get organized! You don't want to miss out on free money.
• Give yourself plenty of time to go through the scholarship process.
• Many scholarships are judged on community service and/or leadership. So make sure that you have experience in those areas. Just remember that committees are looking for quality of your experience rather than quantity.
• Research scholarships to help you understand what they are looking for in a winner. 
• Be sure to use your essay to paint a picture of yourself. Why should they chose you over every other student that is applying to this scholarship?
• Do NOT forget to edit.
• Build relationships with those individuals you are requesting letters of recommendation. The better these people know you, the better the letter they can write!
• Give your recommender plenty of time to write your letter (at least 10 school days).
• Be sure to type, or neatly print, your application. Do not leave any blank spaces and make a copy before mailing it off.
• Double check to ensure that you have enclosed all required documentation/forms before mailing our application.

Other Advice

• Be wary of fee based scholarship search companies! They typically do not have access to any information that you don't already have access to.
• Ask family and friends to let you know about any scholarship opportunities they hear about.Also, to see if their work offers any private scholarships for family members of its workers.
• Ask teachers to let you know about scholarships they hear about.
• Meet your counselor! Contact local organizations and area businesses to see if they are sponsoring any scholarships.