What are private providers looking for in a scholarship application?
The most common mistake scholarship applicants make is failing to follow directions. Too often students rush to complete their applications and forget certain required materials, additional copies, or other small but crucial instructions. Some scholarship programs have reported that up to 20% of their applicants are automatically disqualified because of errors like these. Beyond following directions, your application should be typed or neatly hand-written, free of spelling errors, and have a professional appearance. Your essay should always be typed. When writing a personal statement, dont hesitate to talk about your educational and professional goals, past challenges youve faced, people who have influenced you, and reasons why a scholarship would help you. Be personal and specific, but dont be insincere. Judges want to feel like they have a clear idea of who you are, where youve been, and what you hope to do. You have to ask yourself, what will make me stand out from other applicants?
