How to find scholarships for college like Monica Matthews?

I've heard Monica Matthews is great at helping students find scholarships. Does anyone have tips on how she suggests searching for scholarships or any advice she might have shared that works? Would love to hear about personal successes.

Monica Matthews, the author of "How to Win College Scholarships," offers some effective strategies for finding and winning scholarships. Here are some key pointers that Matthews often shares:

1. Start Early: Scholarship hunts should ideally begin during your junior year of high school. Starting early can greatly increase the number of scholarships you find and apply to.

2. Look Local: Local scholarships usually have less competition making them easier to win. You can find these local opportunities at local businesses, non-profit organizations, and clubs.

3. Be Organized: Keep a spreadsheet or a dedicated document with scholarship information, deadlines, requirements, and the dates you applied.

4. Tailor your Application: Customizing your application to suit each specific opportunity can significantly increase your chances of being selected. Avoid one-size-fits-all essays and always strive to answer the exact prompt being asked.

5. 'Wow' Factor: Matthews often emphasizes the application's 'wow' factor, which can be anything that makes an applicant stand out, like an impressive achievement, community service, or a unique talent.

6. Keep Applying: Regularly seek out new opportunities and continue applying throughout your college years; scholarships are not limited to incoming first-year students.

Now, let's move to finding scholarships. You can start with the financial aid page of the colleges you're applying to. Next, look at local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and even your or your parents' employers.

Remember, there are tools available online that can help you in your search. For example, Appily’s Scholarship Matcher is a tool that matches students with scholarships based on their personal, academic, and demographic profiles.

Lastly, remember that it's important to avoid scholarship scams. Never pay for scholarship information and be wary of "guaranteed" scholarships.