Six Ways to Get Your Scholarship Applications Across the Finish Line
Some of Canada’s largest scholarships have application deadlines by the end of May, but Canadian students aren’t bothering to apply for the money.Here are six tips to get your scholarship applications across the finish line:
Know where to look: Your school’s financial aid office is a great place to start. Other online resources, such as Yconic.com, Universities Canada and ScholarshipsCanada.com, compile lists of privately funded scholarships offered by private organizations like Knowledge First Financial or Applied Arts Magazine. Major corporations like TELUS or TD Canada Trust also offer scholarships on their websites. Another great place to look for scholarship funding is through an employer. Many organizations provide scholarships to the children of their employees, or to the employees themselves, with a limited application process.
Get strong references: Having an influential person in your life, like a teacher, coach or supervisor, vouch for you, and your accomplishments, can boost impressions of your application. You can complement this with a well-written personal statement that lays out your rationale for why you should win the scholarship and how you plan to make the most of the money.
Don’t overlook scholarships requiring lengthy applications: If you are considering skipping an application because it seems like lots of work, others are probably thinking the same thing.
Read the application requirements carefully: When you are applying for a dozen different scholarships, it’s easy to mix up requirements between them. Always review the requirements of a specific scholarship before submitting your application.
Proofread, proofread, proofread: Small mistakes can cost you big money. One of the worst things you can do when applying for a scholarship is not proofreading your application before submitting.
Don’t procrastinate or delay: Last year, over 80% of applications to the Knowledge First Graduate Scholarships were submitted in the week prior to the deadline – and many more were started, but never completed. The clock is ticking!