Many scholarships and college admission applications open up during late summer and early fall (July-August). Some institutions allow early admission decisions where students can learn of their admission status as early as November. However, you would have had to applied before the early admission decision deadline.
It is a known fact that students procrastinate and wait until the deadline is near or has arrived before they start scrambling to get something done. It is also a known fact that "those who are the closest, gets the mostest." This is a saying derived from several research studies that concluded that students who sat in the front of the classroom were more likely to be actively involved in class and perform better than those who sat else where in the classroom. How does this translate into planning for college? Well, I'm glad you asked! It has a lot to do with not procrastinating and taking the necessary steps to secure your college future.
College Admission:
If you are planning on seeking early admission decisions, then you definitely want to get the ball rolling on your To-Do list. Almost all transactions can be done electronically, which makes the application process that much simpler. Payments and recommendation letters can now be submitted electronically. Some programs may require additional material such as special research projects, pieces of work (art, engineering, audio.visual), etc. Outside of that, the process is not as hectic as we tend to make it seem.
Why is it important to get things done early? You must consider the people on the other end - those who are making the admission decisions. You want your application to come in during the early part of the application season. Why? Because their minds (the admissions panel) are fresh and more welcoming of incoming freshmen. They tend to be more compassionate and lenient on applications. So you see, the early bird gets the best bait.
Scholarship Applications:
First come first serve. It is true. It is written somewhere in the rules of the order of the universe (laugh, that was funny!). Money doesn't grow on trees. In fact, money isn't even made from trees! The point is, a source of money can be exhausted. Therefore, you want to apply for as many scholarships as you possibly can. You might apply for 100 scholarships and only receive a small percentage of those. BUT, that small percentage could sum up to any dollar amount. One student at a local high school reported scholarship earnings of $57, 500 from 13 scholarships combined. She can't remember how many she had applied for altogether. That total DID NOT include Financial Aid she received through Bright Futures or the Florida Opportunity Scholarship (full academic-based scholarship) she received through the University she will be attending. Combined, this student will expect to receive somewhere around $120,000 in financial aid over the course of her college tenure. This is money SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY BACK. It's because she took the time to research all sources of money and did what ever was required to complete the application and submit it early/on-time. YOU MUST PUT IN THE WORK. There are a few steps below that will help make this easy for you.
The most important application you will fill out is your Federal Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA). It is required by most institutions to determine your eligibility for federal and state financial aid. It will require some information from your parents.
Financial aid can come in many forms: grants, scholarships, assistantships, work-study, fellowships, and loans. Ideally, you want to be debt free. Luckily for you, there is enough "free" money out there for you to do just that. I used quotation marks around the word free because although it is money that you don't have to pay back, it does require you to put in the effort in researching for scholarships/grants and completing the application process. Some scholarships have multi-tiered, meaning that they may have a preliminary screening which could be a basic online application submission; if selected in the preliminary screening, you may be required to submit additional documents such as recommendation letters, transcripts, test scores, etc. A decision could be made at that point or a final round could ensue. That may involve in-person interviews or digital interviews (because technology says we can - Skype, FaceTime, etc).
As mentioned previously, you want to get your applications in early while the reader's minds are fresh. Billions of dollars of scholarship money goes unused every year. It is possible to go to school debt free. You have to be willing to do the work to get the money!
Basic Necessities for College Admission/Scholarship Applications:
ApplicationDuh! It may sound silly but it has happened. Students have sent in packages with all of the supporting material, but the application is no where to be found. It happens. Don't forget the application. Of course this applies to paper submissions. Online submissions should be fool-proof, right?
Recommendation Letters -
Have at least 5 different people write a recommendation letter for you. Print at least 10 copies of each letter so that each letter is always an "original" copy. MAKE SURE THAT EACH LETTER IS SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR! Do not make copies of a signed letter. Make the copies of the letters first and then have the person to sign each copy. HOWEVER, you should scan a save a copy of each of the recommendation letter (signed) for future use. Save all material to a cloud drive (iCould, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc).
Recommendation letters can come from teachers, guidance counselors, mentors, coaches, community service organization, employers, or other influential individuals (NOT FRIENDS OR FAMILY).
Essays/Personal Statements
Essays come in a variety of topics. Some topics include writing about overcoming obstacles; a book review; analysis of political issue; why you are deserving of the award; etc. Personal statements tell nothing more than who you are, what makes you who you are, and how you plan to take over the world. That's it in a nut shell. It's okay to re-use those essays for other applications. It was always be original work because it is your work. Always save your essays. If you can, save all of your materials to a cloud drive. That way you can have access to them at a moment's notice. You can always use them as "samples of your writing" if ever requested in the future.
Transcripts/Test Scores
You can request your transcripts from the registrar's office at your school. In some cases, schools now have student portals where official and unofficial transcripts can be accessed. Scholarship applications may accept unofficial transcripts. It varies by scholarship.
Test scores can be sent directly to the scholarship organization from the testing agency. Test scores are also included on your transcripts. They can be manual written on an authorized form from the scholarship agency and verified by signature by the guidance counselor. You can also send copies of the results that you received by mail or electronically. This submission, too, varies by application. Nonetheless, always have copies on hand. Make at least 50 copies to have readily available.
Résumé / Extracurricular Activities
Create a resume of your employment, if applicable, and your extracurricular activities. Decision makers love to see how involved you are in school and in the community and still manage to perform well academically. What they are looking for is the challenge in your efforts through your activities. Again, save all of your material to your cloud drive.
Application Waivers / Payments
Generally, there is no fee to apply for scholarships, although there are extremely rare occasions. There is usually always an application fee for college applications. They range in costs of $25 or more. You may be eligible for one or more application waivers. Talk to your guidance counselor to see if you meet the criteria for eligibility. Usually students who receive free or reduce-priced lunch are eligible. Your school's registrar office is typically open during the summer and your guidance counselor should be in office as well. If not, you can email your counselor to schedule an appointment. It is important to send payment for your applications as soon as possible. You want to avoid all delays as possible during the admission process. Payments for applications can also be made by check through e-check (online) or by mail. Money orders are another form of payment that can be sent through the mail. Payments can be made online using a debit/credit card. Acceptable cards may vary by application site.
Now that you have all of your basic materials, all you have to do is complete your applications - college admissions and scholarships. Take the time to research scholarships. Search through scholarship databases and search engines; many national corporations (i.e. Coca-Cola, Tylenol, Gates Millennium) have scholarship programs to offer. The search is inexhaustive and the dollar amount is infinite. You simply have to invest time and effort.
