Five Qualities That Help Students Earn Scholarships

People often think that scholarships only go to the elite students - those with 4.0+ GPAs and 1600 SAT scores, or students who have impressive resumes a mile long. But the truth is that "average" students earn scholarships all the time. My son was not an "elite" student, yet he won 23 scholarships. Talon's mom calls him "average," yet he won over $100,000 in scholarships. In my years of experience helping students win scholarships, I have identified five qualities that are better predictors of scholarship success than GPAs or SAT/ACT scores.

Know Your Values

Scholarships are usually awarded to students who align with the scholarship's values. An organization's values can often be understood from what it does beyond offering a scholarship. For example, while the VFW offers their amazing Voice of Democracy Contest for students in 9-12 grade (I recommend this one to all high schoolers - more than 50% of Scholarship GPS students who apply earn prizes every year!), their primary mission isn't scholarships, it's advocacy for veterans. Understand the organization's primary business or activity. Read their mission and values statements on their website. Then, apply for scholarships from organizations whose values you align with.

Know Your Future College Major

Not only are many scholarships specifically for students in, or going into, certain college majors or careers, but even general scholarships want to know what their money will fund and what goals they will help the student achieve. Madeline was a good, but not elite, student. However, her Personal Narrative, which focused heavily on her future plans, helped her win 18 scholarships. Ideally, by their senior year of high school, a student will have a solid understanding of their future college major and career. Students who aren't sure about their future plans should check out this amazing free resource.

Stay Organized

The scholarship process can be a lot to manage. From finding the right scholarships to meeting deadlines and checking their scholarship email regularly, staying organized is essential for scholarship success. Find a system that works for you. This free scholarship tracking tool is what I used when coaching my son to 23 scholarship wins. It may be helpful for you, as well.

Follow Directions

Up to 90% of applications are rejected because students don't follow directions. That is what numerous scholarship providers have told me when I've met with them. Review the scholarship website thoroughly and then create a checklist of everything that needs to be done and submitted for each scholarship you are applying to.

Don't give up.

Students lose more scholarships than they win. This is why it's important to apply for as many scholarships as possible, using a targeted and methodical approach. Losing scholarships motivated Isabella not only to apply for more but also to learn from each loss, so that her applications and essays improved over time. Her tenacity ultimately led to multiple scholarship wins!

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