First come, first serve financial aid.

It’s no secret that the economy is going through some slow times. And, as the current financial situation effects many businesses, it’s also impacting the number and amount of scholarships, loans, and federal financial aid.

While this may sound ominous, there is still plenty of money to be earned. You just need to increase your diligence, preparedness, and attitude. Here are some suggestions to stay on top of the financial aid and scholarship game.

1. Fill out your FAFSA.

This year, more families than ever will be applying for federally funded financial aid. The problem, as always, is that there is a fixed amount of funds available. The sooner you apply, the greater your chances of securing some money. Apply even if you don’t think you’ll qualify. The earliest you can file your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is January 1. You can file online, and I highly recommend you file the first of the year. To hit the ground running, fill out a sample form on the FAFSA website, gather all tax information, and set up a free account on www.fafsa.ed.gov. On January 1, you’ll be ready to file.

2. Get your college applications and financial forms in early.

Just as the government has a set amount of funds available for students, colleges are limited in the amount of scholarship money they can award each academic year. Typically, schools award money on a first come, first serve basis, and the number and amount of awards decrease as time progresses. What does this mean? More money is available at the beginning of the application cycle. Students that apply early in the application process are more likely to be granted a better financial aid package or get scholarships from the college. And, the amount of the scholarship is typically higher the earlier you apply. In addition to your basic admission application, be sure to complete any extra materials associated with scholarships, grants, or being considered for the college’s award money and return these forms as soon as possible. Sometimes, you are automatically considered for awards based on your college application, other times it is a separate process altogether. Check with your potential colleges to find out their procedures.

3. Apply for every scholarship you can.

In years past, students could afford to be picky. Scholarships with essay requirements were commonly ignored, scholarships less than $500 often we’re rejected, and there was basic apathy among high school students regarding scholarships. The fact is, you can’t afford to be picky. You must apply for any scholarship you have a chance at winning. In hockey, they say you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. The same is true with scholarships. You lose 100% of the scholarships you don’t apply for. This year, take your scholarship search seriously. Visit your career center or guidance counselor and request a scholarship list immediately. If your school does not have one, conduct an online search. Visit my previous posts for specific scholarship search strategies.

The strategies outlined above may seem simple, and they are. However, knowing something and executing are two different things. When you actually do the things above, you increase your chances of securing money for college.

Good luck. If you need help, just remember to repeat the mantra: early bird catches the worm.

Your College Scholarship To-Do List Part 1: Why an activity list will help you win scholarships.

When it comes to success, everyone knows what to do: develop a goal, devise a plan, and work hard. The formula is common sense. However, most people have trouble reaching their goals. Why?

In my opinion, we get caught up in the details, especially in the planning stage. We know we have to create a plan, but we spend hours deciding on the steps to take. We don’t know how to do something at some stage in the process so we put it off. We don’t know where to start, so we never start. We put off action by substituting it with planning. Unfortunately, when it comes to paying for college and winning scholarships, you don’t have time to plan: you need to take action. 

Why? 

If you don’t take action, you’ll miss opportunities. You’ll miss deadlines. You’ll lose money.

So, to help you take action (and help you win money for college) I’m providing you with the initial plan to jump start your scholarship search. These suggestions and information will come through many blog posts, so stay tuned. More importanty, ENJOY and USE THIS LIST. Take action now. You’ll thank me later. 

Step 1, Part A: Make a [very specific] activity list.

Before you get ahead of yourself, I think it’s essential to get reflective first. You need to take stock of what you’ve done, what you find interesting, and what you want to do with your future. Once you create a list of all the various “things” that make up who you are, it becomes easier to identify what scholarships you qualify for, and helps you develop a search strategy. I’ll explain.

It’s important to create an activity list for three reasons:

1. Creating a very specific activity list will help you “know thyself.” 

By listing your activities, you’ll know exactly which scholarships you qualify for and which ones you don’t. You will save time because you’ll only apply to awards that you can win. (Most people are tossed out of applicant piles because they don’t meet the requirements of the scholarship donors.)

2. You’ll create your own, specific scholarship search methodology. 

When you know your interests (past, current, and future) and your activities (past, current, and future), you can run a very specific scholarship search that again saves you time and energy. Instead of visiting Google and typing in “scholarships,” you’ll be able to seek out specific organizations that give you awards for participation in their activities. For example, if you enjoy photography, you might search “photography + scholarships.” Or, you might find a national association of photography. Usually these organizations give scholarships. Simply Google “national photography association.” In your specific case, “national (your activity here) association.” By using this type of search, you will find more qualified scholarship opportunities.

3. By listing your activities, you can develop an application theme that helps you stand out to scholarship judges. 

     Most people, when they apply for awards, simply list all the activities they’ve ever participated in. Unfortunately, most applicants have similar activity lists: student counsel, NHS, sports, language clubs, and youth groups seem to appear on everyone’s application. If you list these same activities, how will you stand out? By creating a very specific activity list before you start applying for scholarships, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to study your list, go over your activities and see what ties them together. You can give yourself a leg up on your competition by developing a theme for your activity list. 

     Let’s revisit the photography example. Say you have a deep interest in photography, and participate in the “normal suspects” list of activities. Perhaps you can capitalize on your interest in photography by having it become your theme. You start taking photos of student counsel activities, you volunteer to take pictures of premature babies at the local hospital, you submit photos from your sports activities to the high school newspaper and yearbook. Thus, when it comes time to list your activities for a scholarship, all of the “normal” activities become highlighted and interconnected with your love of photography. You prioritize your activity list to emphasize your photography abilities (typically, activities are listed chronologically. Instead, with the “theme approach,” activities are prioritized. In our case, activities with photography are listed first, followed by others). The result? Instead of being “Joe or Jane Doe,” you become “Fred or Fanny the Photographer.” Your theme helps you stand out from other applicants. 

Now that you understand how a specific activity list can help you, you need to create one. Stay tuned for my next post, I'll help you brainstorm and create an awesome activity list.

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!

Companies enticing potential engineers with scholarships.

If you're undecided about what major you're going to choose, you might consider taking up engineering. You'll enter a hot job market after you graduate, and you might just get some help while you're in school.

Right now, engineers are a hot commodity. There are not enough graduating to fill the number of positions available. To meet their need, companies are rolling out the red carpet and trying to woo potential engineering students with scholarship opportunities, company days, and more internship opportunities. 

If you want to increase the odds you land a job after college (or get a scholarship), be sure to take advantage of the internship opportunities and get to know the folks at companies you like. Then, you will not only have a degree (that might be paid for), you will also have logged years of experience that can separate you from other applicants for a competitive position. Even better? Your experience just might secure a higher paying position. 

For more information about this trend, read this article. Have a great day!

When to look for scholarships.

I am often asked: when is the best time to look for scholarships? The simple answer: it's ALWAYS a good time to search for scholarships.

Here's why:

1. Scholarship application dates are due at all times during the year. Sure, we see an elevation in due dates around January and February, but awards are available all the time. I know you don't want to miss out on the other 10 months of opportunity.

2. If you've found a scholarship that you would be perfect for, but have missed the deadline, you have an opportunity. That's right, an opportunity. You can plan ahead by putting the date on the calendar, bulk up your resume and experiences, and apply when the award comes due again. Believe me, you'll have a leg up with all your advance prep-work.

3. Scholarships are available to people of all ages. You might think that your chances are over because you've graduated from high school, or haven't even entered junior high. The fact is, there are many scholarships available to students at Junior High level, for graduate students, and for adults returning to school. There is no "right" age to be searching and applying for awards.

4. You'll be amazed and motivated by what you find. Most likely, you spend time surfing the web already. Take a while and search around for scholarships. It's very motivating that people can go to college on scholarships they've won for creating a duct-tape prom dress or for writing a cool blog.

If you want to pay for college using scholarships, the best time to start looking for free money is NOW. So get going.

Quick and easy scholarships.

Applying for a scholarship does not have to be hard. If you're strapped for time, check out Scholarshippoints.com. At this site, you earn points by reading content, logging in, and taking surveys. The points you earn convert into entries for monthly scholarship drawings. Sounds easy enough to me. I would like to hear what you think, so if you try it let me know how you like it. Have a great day!

New product!

I am so excited and stressed all at the same time. I am working hard on bringing you the best products that will help you with the scholarship application process, and I am close to making them available for immediate download so you can benefit from them immediately! 

Right now, I'm compiling the 12 best ways to save money on and pay for college without breaking the bank. I'm looking for a great title, so if you have any suggestions, contact me via www.collegeboundresource.com. This little package will include:

• Tips on appealing your financial aid package
• Where to start your scholarship search and why online isn't the best place.
• How to separate yourself from other applicants and save big in the process--why it's a lot easier than you might think.
• Where to get loans that don't charge interest
• And more!

Trust me, I wish I had this "starter package" when I was getting ready to head off to college, but now you don't need to worry like I did! Keep an eye out on my website for this product in the next couple of weeks. If you want, you can sign up for my e-zine and be notified the moment this product becomes available!

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.

Can anyone win college scholarships?

The short answer? Nope. I know this might be hard to hear, but there are certain characteristics that make up scholarship winners. Some people haven't developed these skills. 

The long answer? With the right mentality, work-ethic, and planning scholarships are within anyone's reach.

Here are six characteristics of scholarship winners. If you want to win awards, start by developing these skills:

1. Creativity. 

Most scholarship winners are creative thinkers. Now, this doesn't mean that you have to be the next Mozart, but you have to be able to think outside the box. You look for scholarships off the beaten path, thus increasing the odds you win because there are less people to compete with.

2. Work Ethic.

There is no quick fix when it comes to paying for college. If a deal seems to good to be true, it is. Scholarship winners know that it takes some work to search for, find, apply, and then win scholarships. If it sounds like to much work for you, you're not going to win a dime.

3. Planning.

Scholarship winners plan ahead. They know that if they start looking for awards early, they can develop a plan of attack. Based on the scholarships they've found, they develop the skills required for these awards, earn the grades necessary to qualify, or join clubs related to their interests. 

4. Interpersonal Skills.

Applying for scholarships is more than an individual effort. Most require recommendations of some sort, and scholarship winners know that their relationship skills directly impact the quality of those recommendations. Developing genuinely good relationships with your teachers, coaches, friend's parents, and community leaders will help set you apart from other applicants through the stellar recommendations you'll get.

5. Leadership.

Now, this is cliche, I know. However, being a leader is more than being the captain of your sport's team. It's an attitude toward living. Most scholarship winners are self-starters that motivate themselves and in so doing motivate others. When you develop or possess this quality, it is evident in your essay or interview and manifests itself as confidence. When you inspire confidence in scholarship committees, they feel confident giving you money for college.

6. Resiliency.

Most scholarship winners apply to many awards with no luck. They receive numerous rejection letters. However, the people that win scholarships are the ones that keep trying and are resilient in their efforts: they don't give up. 

Notice, none of the traits of scholarship winners include straight A's, awesome athlete, or musical genius. Why? Because these things just aren't necessary to win awards. In fact, academic achievement, athletic ability, or musical skill are often the result of the characteristics listed above. The fact is, you (or anyone) can win awards if you spend time cultivating the skills I just listed. It worked for me.

What David Cook and American Idol can teach you about winning scholarships.

Last night, David Cook took away the title: he was crowned this year's American Idol. This win came as a surprise to me. Personally, I thought that Cook's competitor, David Archuleta sang better on finals night. The question is: why, then, did David Cook win? And what can he teach us about winning college scholarships?

If you watched the show from the early stages, Cook stood out as someone different: he was innovative, original, and most of all, memorable. People started labeling him as "the rocker." If you want to win scholarships, you need to be memorable, too. You need to be labeled. (I know this is a somewhat disturbing prospect, labels are so superficial.) However, labels help people remember who you are because you own a category in their brain. An association. I would argue that Cook won because he was better positioned as a rocker--a definite label--for a longer period of time. He was more memorable in the minds of the audience. Archuleta, while a beautiful singer and captivating performer, did not own a significant label in the audience's brain. Only recently did he become the "prodigy" or "phenom," and too late to capitalize.

Like Cook, as scholarship applicants, you must own a place in the scholarship committee's brain in order to stand out from the crowd and increase the likelihood you win an award. What is your niche? What is your unique talent or ability? How will you stand out? 

Today, literally everyone participates in everything (student council, NHS, sports, music, drama, etc.). Participation in a variety of activities is good, but not a way to stand out anymore. It is the depth, rather than breadth of your experiences that helps you stand apart. To find out how you can better package yourself (be remembered like "David the Rocker"), it is important to take stock of your activities. Are there any over-arching themes? 

For example, let's say you play football. What other ways did football manifest itself in your activity list? Did you coach a youth team? Volunteer for the special olympics as a coach? Work as a ref. for a part-time job? On student council did you organize a fundraising event around a football game? If this were the case, you did a variety of volunteer, work, and extra-curricular activities, and football was the theme that tied them all together--making you "Joe the football star" instead of Joe: Application 276.

Pam Proctor, author of The College Hook: Packaging Yourself to Win the College Admissions Game, identifies the top 10 "college hooks," or areas that people position themselves to increase their odds of gaining admission into top schools. These "hooks" translate easily into the scholarship application process as well:

1. The Athletic Hook

2. The International Hook

3. The Music Hook

4. The Political Hook

5. The Technology Hook

6. The Humanitarian Hook

7. The Science Hook

8. The Writing Hook

9. The Drama Hook

10. The Multicultural Hook

Do you have significant expertise, ability, or talent in any of these areas? Do you have significant skill in another area not listed? Take a look over your activities list: try to find a over-arching theme that can tie your activities together. If you do, you have the potential, like David Cook, to captivate scholarship committees, become memorable, and win awards that pay off huge. 

Early bird catches the worm.

Here's a question I get a lot: "When should I start looking (applying) for scholarships?"

With scholarships, the earlier you start looking and applying, the better. Most parents and students are under the impression that scholarships are only for high school seniors, but they're not. Scholarships are available to students of a very young age, throughout junior high and high school, during college, and beyond. So, you should always be looking for and applying for awards. In my mind, if you want to make a giant push to win a bunch of money, you should start seriously looking and applying in ninth grade. Not only are their numerous awards available for freshmen, but at this point you have the opportunity to research awards for the future years--giving you time to improve grades, get involved, and try to qualify for scholarships that may have eluded you if you had not done this early research.

But, let's get realistic. Most of us only start thinking about paying for college when we are getting ready to go. Scholarship applications typically go hand in hand with college applications. The truth is, at this point, you have to apply with what you got (you can't add more activities, hone your skills further, or improve your GPA any more because you are already at crunch time). If you are at this point, take a careful look over your activities list and high school experiences--you may have to be a bit more creative in how you package your application (which I will talk about in a future post). This is not a bad thing. In addition, you still have the opportunity to research awards that are available at your potential colleges and compare financial aid packages. Making smart financial decisions now will save you headaches down the road, trust me.

No matter where you are in school, now is always a good time to search and apply for scholarships. 

The Deadliest Catch

This weekend was fairly uneventful for me, but I did get a chance to catch up on my T.V. watching. On Sunday, The Discovery Channel aired an all-day "Deadliest Catch" marathon.  You might have seen it, or heard of it.  The show documents the experiences of the Alaskan King Crab fishermen.  Wow, these guys are nuts!

What struck me (while I sat, comfortable on my couch) was their emotional and physical endurance. Sure, they complained and yelled, but they kept going, even when their "pots" (crates that catch crab) came up empty. These guys battle 30-40' waves, crushing ice, and 40 hour stretches with no sleep. And they keep working. Why? They know, eventually, their hard work will pay off in a huge way. 

So, what can you learn from these iron-men?

1. Put as many "pots" as you can in the water. In other words, apply to as many scholarships as possible. Sure, some might come up empty, but others will provide big rewards.

2. Fish where you know the fishing is good. Apply for awards that you are extremely qualified for (you have the right bait). Also, search for those secret fishing holes--look for awards that only a few people know about--your chances are better where you have less competition.  

3. Don't put all your hope in one "pot." Instead of only applying to one huge scholarship (which you may not win), try to string together a bunch of smaller ones where it's more likely you'll experience some form of pay-off.   

4. Keep a positive attitude. When the crews on the fishing boats got down and crabby, everything seemed to go wrong--parts broke, fishing stunk, and injuries happened. Now, applying for scholarships is not life and death, but your attitude shines through the work that you do. Believe me, scholarship committees can tell if you feel passionate about the application. 

5. It's all worth it in the end. After a season of fishing, the guys were awarded with a big check, reunited with their families, and all wore huge smiles on their faces. Hard work paid off for them, and it will for you, too.

OK, now that I've worn out the whole fishing metaphor, I hope you realize that a big pay off is within your reach, if you keep working for it.