Finding Available Scholarships for College

With so many scholarships out there, I'm a bit overwhelmed. How do I find available scholarships that I'm eligible for, and what are some strategies for applying successfully?

It can be quite a task to sift through the myriad of scholarships out there. To streamline your search, here are some tips:

1. Use Scholarship Search Platforms: Platforms like Fastweb, Scholarships.com, and Appily are designed to help you find scholarships you're eligible for. You'll need to create a profile and fill in details such as your academic interests, extracurricular activities, demographic information, and more. The sites then match you with appropriate scholarships.

2. Check with your School Counselor or College Career Center: These individuals often have information on local scholarships, as local businesses, community organizations, and foundations commonly offer scholarships to local students. The competition may be less intense as these are not national scholarships.

3. Visit Financial Aid Pages of Universities: Universities often have pages dedicated to scholarships and grants — both merit-based and need-based. Some of these financial aid opportunities are specific to the university or even specific departments within the university.

4. Think Outside the Box: Scholarships are available for a wide range of things - from being left-handed to being involved in unusual hobbies. Try to think of unique aspects about yourself and look for scholarships geared towards those traits or interests.

Now, once you've found scholarships that you're eligible for, here are some tips for applying successfully:

1. Apply Early: Like college applications, scholarships have deadlines. Mark them on your calendar and aim to submit your applications well before the closing dates.

2. Read the Instructions Carefully: Make sure you are eligible for the scholarship and have provided all necessary documents. Some scholarships have highly specific criteria.

3. Tailor Your Application: Don't take a one-size-fits-all approach to applications. Each scholarship is different and it's important to tailor your application to fit the respective scholarship's criteria and objectives.

4. Proofread: Proofread your applications, and have someone else look them over as well. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors can make a bad impression.

5. Follow-Up: If your submission is mailed, you might consider sending it with a return receipt request so you can be sure it arrived.

Remember, applying for scholarships is a numbers game, the more you apply, the more financial aid you have a chance to receive. So be persistent, and don't get discouraged if you don't win right away. Good Luck!