The State Fair and scholarship judges.

Yesterday, I went to "The Great Minnesota Get-Together." The State Fair. Food stands, music, people, exhibits. In all, it was quite the experience. 

I had the privilege of tallying the scores from the wine tasting contest. Seeing the different numbers, and comments, was interesting. It turns out, these wine judges are a lot like scholarship judges. And, to help you improve your scholarship applications, I want to let you in on some of the "judging insights" I gleaned while tallying up those wine scores.

1. Each judge has a different way of scoring.

Yesterday, the scores for wines varied. A lot. One wine, for instance, had a score of 24 (very low) and 92 (almost perfect). Looking back over the scores within the two judges showed me that the low and high scores were trends: one judge was a high scorer, while the other was a lower scorer. In addition, the lower-scoring judge was more critical on all fronts (you could tell by his/her comments). 

When you apply for a scholarship, keep in mind that no two judges will score your application the same way. However, when you're applying, you want to keep the most critical judge in mind: what will that person find fault with? How can you improve your application to meet that judges needs? When you keep the low-scoring judge in mind, you will almost always score high on their tally while also ensuring higher scores from the more "lenient" judges.

2. Each judge has a favorite "blend."

A variety of wines entered the contest for state's best. For instance, there was an "interesting" mushroom wine, a fruity mango concoction, tried and true wines like Chardonnay and Merlot. There was even a wine made from jalapeno peppers--spicy! Here's the deal: some judges were purists, some were experimental. Judges who were fans of "normal" wines loved those varieties, and turned up their noses at wines that stepped outside the box. More adventurous judges favored the more original blends. However, the wines that earned the highest scores across the board were strong--those wines could be defined, and not confused with any other. 

Remember, you can't please anyone (and you shouldn't try).  However, you can be the best YOU possible. By doing so, you'll stand out from other applicants. There will be no doubt as to who you are. Also, when you have a strong application that clearly defines your interests and personality, you'll please the judges that are already in your corner. Most likely you'll gain the respect of the other judges as well. 

3. Know your categories.

Each wine entered into a category it was to be judged in. For instance, there were sparkling wines, red wines, white wines, desert wines, and so on. The goal was to be the best in category, and then best overall. However, some wines were disqualified because they didn't meet the requirements of the category they entered in. 

As with wine categories, scholarships have strict application requirements. If you don't meet the requirements, you will automatically be disqualified. You can prevent disqualification by knowing yourself, your interests, and your past and future activities very well. When you're armed with this knowledge, you will save yourself time (you won't apply for scholarships that you don't meet the requirements), while increasing the odds you win money (you'll be applying for scholarships that you meet very specific requirements). 

All in all, scholarship judges and wine judges are not the same. However, you can glean information about the judging process, and I hope I've given you some insight into the process of judging in general. Have a great weekend!