College Scholarship Workshop Part Four: Application Process

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." -- Jim Rohn

The scholarship application process can be separated into two main components. The first three parts of this workshop are part of "Component 1" and the last two parts of this workshop are part of "Component 2."

Component 1: Prepare for the marathon 

Component 2: The actual marathon

You have completed the first component of the scholarship process, the preparation. You should feel confident that you have the necessary training to be successful in the next component, the scholarship applications. 

Lets get started!

Part Four Overview:

Day 1 ---> Application Overview

Day 2 ---> Application Essays

Day 3 ---> Application Bonus Points

Application Overview

1. Deadline: Write the application deadlines on your main calendar. Do not miss the deadline! Most scholarship applications will have different deadlines so make sure you clearly identify which scholarship has Deadline A versus Deadline B. 
   
2. Requirements: Note the requirements for each application.
   
3. Paper versus Online: If given the choice, complete the application either way. Do what you feel most comfortable with. If not given the choice, don’t fill out the application the other way! Follow the directions. 
   
4. Main Parts of the Application: 

a. General Information (ex. name, contact information)

b. Academic Information (ex. GPA, copy of transcript)

c. Personal Accomplishments/ Resume (ex. organizational membership, volunteer work, awards, extra-curricular     activities, work experience)

d. Financial Information (ex. Cost of tuition, Financial Need Documentation)

e. Recommendation Letters

f.  Personal Essays

---> Getting Started with your Applications

You can divide the applications into two parts:

1. Documentation/Information 
   
2. Essays

Both parts should get equal emphasis, so make sure to allow yourself enough time to write your essays. Day 2 of this workshop will focus solely on the application essays.  

So today we will focus on Documentation/Information.

Remember to stay very organized during this part of the process! 

Step One: Create a Master Plan

A master plan is a blueprint of all the different pieces that need to be completed. To create your master plan, you want to carve out some time to focus solely on this task. Don’t try to do it quickly or while doing ten other things. 

• Create a timeline. How long do you have to complete your applications? Remember to note the deadlines of each application and keep those dates prominent on your timeline.  
• Review each application and make a list of the items you need for each application. 
• Now you know, for Application A, I need items X, Y, and Z by March 1. For Application B, I need items A, B, X, Y, and Z by April 5. 
• Now pull together all of your separate lists and create one document that reflects the following:

---> Each Application
---> Each Application’s Deadline
---> Each Application’s Requirements

• Final Step of your Master Plan: Create a list of the documents you need. [Note: Many applications ask for the same documents so by making this list you know ahead of time that you need 5 copies of your transcript.] This step will hopefully prevent you from making five separate trips to get your transcript!

Step Two: Create an Action Plan

An action plan takes your master plan one step further. It defines what actions need to be done in order to complete the items listed on your master plan. 

For example, you can set up an action plan that follows your timeline. 

Application Timeline/Checklist _________________________ Notes _______

September 2008   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

☐  Action 1 __________________________ 

☐  Action 2 __________________________

☐  Action 3 __________________________

October 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

☐ Action 1 __________________________ 

☐ Action 2 __________________________ 

November 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

☐ Action 1 __________________________ 

☐ Action 2  __________________________

December 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

☐ Action 1 __________________________ 

☐ Action 2 __________________________

January 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

☐ Action 1 __________________________ 

☐ Action 2 __________________________

and so on...

Step Three: Take Action Daily! Create Daily Action Plans. 

And the final plan: a daily action plan. Once you have created your action plan, you can easily determine your daily actions by looking at the month and plan what day you will do Action 1 on and what day you will do Action 2 on and so on. 

By creating the master plan and the action plan, you have set yourself up for success with part one of the application. The goal is to stay organized and to remember deadlines! 

It’s time for you to start taking action! I’ll see you back here on Friday for day 2 of the workshop: the essays. 

Best wishes,

Carolyn