<p>With summer coming, I often have some time on my hands. What are some essay contests that I could enter to earn
scholarships or recognition? Specifically for 8-12th graders.</p>
<p>If you haven’t already, you can sign up for a free account on a scholarship search engine like ■■■■■ or Fastweb. These usually offer scholarships with large applicant pools. Your best bet may be finding local businesses that offer scholarship essay contests.</p>
<p>Fastweb scholarships are generally a longshot for anyone. I recommend looking at your school’s website and the websites of nearby high schools to see if counselors have posted any scholarship applications. </p>
<p>Also consider googling the names of any local organizations (Bill of Rights Institute, Elks Lodge, National Sojourners, American Legion, League of Women Voters Masonic Foundation, Rotary Club, VFW, Chamber of Commerce, etc) as those types of organizations often have scholarships. This is how I found the majority of the scholarships I applied to and won. </p>
<p>If you know what you want to major in, google the names of companies in that industry to see if they offer anything. For example, an Engineering major could apply for Buick, SanDisk, etc. </p>
<p>Finally, think of any characteristic you have that sets you apart - your race, female in engineering, child of a veteran, first generation student, disability, low income, etc. There are lot of scholarships that require specific characteristics, so if you meet any definitely apply to them. Also do this for scholarships for students from your state or city as there are many with geographic restrictions. </p>
<p>Honestly, finding good scholarships to apply to is just as hard as the applications themselves. It takes a lot of digging to find scholarships with small applicant pools that fit your qualifications, so make sure you dedicate a lot of time to this step! Applying to one local scholarship will probably get you better results than applying to ten national ones. So make a list wisely! I won nearly $20k in outside scholarships and that would not have happened if I didn’t take the time to compile a strong list of lesser-known scholarships. </p>
<p>I don’t know why “■■■■■” is blocked out in my last post… Anyway, I’m not sure how old you are, but if you have a few colleges in mind, look up some scholarships they offer and try your best to meet the requirements.</p>
<p>If you are only in 8th grade, try some academic or creative contests in areas of interest. That will give you practice and help you build a portfolio of accomplishments for when scholarships time comes.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions, I am in 9th grade this fall</p>
<p>Being a great, dedicated student who pushes himself academically is a great way to earn scholarships. So start by becoming that type of student. But don’t be a drone. Become an interesting engaged person. You might be interested in reading How to Be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport. I haven’t read it but he has a good blog.</p>