If you’re planning on going to college, you’ve probably already looked at the cost of some of your top selections and thought, “How in the world will I be able to afford that?”
But don’t worry! You’ve actually got a ton of scholarship options you can apply to – you just need a little know-how. To make sure you’re positioned for winning as many as possible, learn and apply these best practices for scholarship research and preparation.
Time Management
Though most students wait until their senior years to look and apply for scholarships, the trick is to start looking into your options sooner than that so you don’t risk losing thousands of dollars of free funding.
It’s also important to learn how to manage your time wisely as a high school student, because this will help you stay disciplined and organized as you start your scholarship search.
Specific Selections
There are literally millions of scholarships available online for high school students. The trick is finding which ones you qualify for and think are worth your time to apply for (because you can spend HOURS each week doing this!).
Start by creating lists of anything you might use to qualify for scholarships: achievements, interests, intended field(s) of study, past jobs, hobbies/interests, volunteer work, etc. These are the types of scholarships you want to look for first and foremost; ignore all the other ones you come across.
Also, you might want to consider applying to scholarships that weren’t so easy to find as others, like local scholarships as opposed to national ones. The ones that are easier to find means thousands of other students will be applying for those, but the harder-to-find scholarships means you’ll be competing against fewer students and will have a better chance to be awarded.
Test Preparation
Some scholarships might require you to take the PSAT, SAT, or ACT to apply, and many scholarships given by colleges will be based on these test score(s). Because of this, it’s vital you learn how to properly prepare for, study, and take the PSAT (and the other tests, too).
Taking some online classes like the ones Method Test Prep is offering will help you do great on the PSAT. The better you do on the PSAT, the more likely you are to succeed on the SAT or ACT! Then you can start studying for those using things like more classes, sample tests, SAT prep packets, etc.
You may not win all the scholarships you apply to, but that’s okay. Winning even a few means you’ve reduced your college costs and that you’re more likely to have a fantastic (and less stressful!) college career.
