Want scholarships? Prove it.

It is easy to be lured into false hope of paying for college using only scholarships. Many search engines advertise how easy it is, companies looking to make some sort of profit announce "there are thousands of unclaimed awards every year," and here I am telling you it is possible to get scholarships to pay for college. What gives?

The fact is, it is possible to get scholarships for college. The catch is that you have to work for them and prove to scholarship committees that you are a good investment.

The reason why most people do not get scholarships is because they don't put the work in ahead of time. When the time for scholarships rolls around, they don't have the grades, qualifications, extracurricular activities or community involvement to meet the application requirements. 

If you really want to win awards, you have to plan ahead and work toward meeting the scholarship criteria and expectations of the award committees. Here's what you do:

1. Start searching for awards before you need them.

If you search and find scholarships ahead of time, you can look ahead and see what you need to do to make the cut. 

2. Participate in experiences that will bolster your credentials.

Some awards have a specific number of community service hours required to apply, for instance. Knowing this ahead of time will allow you to accumulate these hours over the long run--which looks a lot better than trying to cram a bunch in before the deadline.

3. Get personal.

If you know that you will need recommendation writers in advance, start thinking about who knows you best, or who needs to know you better. The recommendation letter is a huge portion of the scholarship application. The more authentic, specific, and personal, the better.

The bottom line is that with a little foresight, planning, and execution, you can prime yourself to be an excellent scholarship candidate. Remember, committees are looking for someone to invest in. If you invest in yourself well before the scholarship due dates, you will be far ahead of your classmates, and a lot closer to paying for college with scholarships.

It turns out parents do have a say.

If you think that recommendation writers are only teachers, coaches, or mentors, think again. The new college-application recommendation writer? Parents.  

So students and parents, it's time to get along.

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press (4/16/08), colleges are increasingly asking for parents to provide input regarding their students. Colleges like Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York provide forms for elective participation from applicants' parents. 

Now while this is an increasing trend, it's important to let you know that it is by no means the norm. There's a lot of debate over whether parental recommendations are a good thing or not. Critics claim that these recommendations are not only biased, but put "applicants from single-parent, low-income, first-generation American, first-generation college and international families" (Pioneer Press) at a disadvantage. In addition, one student said she was "embarrassed" when she read what her mother wrote and sent to her desired college.

Proponents, however, claim that the letters give admission committees a more complete perspective, allowing them a chance to see the applicant in the eyes of a parent. The letters help the process become more personal and well-rounded. It is important to add that this portion of the application is not weighted in any way toward a final "accept or reject" decision, but it would be "naive to say that they don't influence [committees] one way or another" (Pioneer Press).

So what's a kid (or parent) to do?

• Lay some ground rules. Discuss what is on and off limits in the letter. Certainly, its OK to talk about achievements and overcoming hardships, but the line is crossed when you start talking about "how proud you were of Suzie when she was finally potty-trained!"
• Try to give both praise and constructive criticism in the letter. As a parent, you want to portray your child in the best light, and this advice may seem contradictory to your nature. However, studies show that recommendations that include some weaknesses about the student are received as more authentic and valuable by application committees.
• Take it in stride.  Application time is stressful enough without adding fuel to the fire. Be open and communicate with one another--discuss how the recommendation will fit in to the entire application. Can it explain the semester of low grades? Expose a hidden talent? In reality, these letters can be a positive addition to the overall application.

The bottom line? This type of recommendation is not going away, so it's best to take advantage and make it work in your favor!