<p>So the title pretty much says it all. I'm just wondering how many scholarships people usually win because I have this super long list and I'm not sure if it is really worth my time applying for each one I'm qualified for. I have over 40 that I can apply to but most of them require an essay. </p>
<p>Should I spend my time writing all these essays? Is it likely that I'll get a scholarship or should I not bother (especially with the national scholarships)?</p>
<p>How many scholarships did you guys apply for/how many did you actually get?</p>
<p>I applied to a ton- got a grand total of 2 private scholarships (one for $500 and one for $20k). </p>
<p>You should apply for as many as you can but realize you’ll be lucky to get one or two. You should apply to local scholarships as well- you’ll have much better odds than national scholarships. </p>
<p>With that said, the VAST majority of your money is likely to come from the school (or federal government if you are very low income or state government if your state has a program).</p>
<p>Time for a cost-benefit analysis. Of these 40 scholarships you can apply for, what is the dollar amount of each one, the competitiveness of the award, versus the amount/time requirement to complete the application? Are they school-specific, or some of the FastWeb type awards that can apply to any school (as well as have many applications for a small dollar amount)? How much can you/your family afford to pay for college? If you don’t win enough scholarships, where will the money come from (working? loans…which will have to be paid back over time?)</p>
<p>Next, move to the logistics of your selected scholarships – is it possible to generally re-use parts of your essay? Do you need to collect letters of recommendation, and if so, what’s the timeline on that? For school-specific awards, do you also need to consider being invited to campus to compete/interview for that scholarship? </p>
<p>Finally, you have to decide how much time is too much (in the application process), how much award too little. Heck, $500 is $500…and someone has got to win the national-level awards.</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s any way to get an “average” of how many scholarships people receive, and there are so many variables. Just consider the relative value of time versus potential award. Good luck!</p>
<p>Haven’t the deadlines passed for most of the national scholarships? I would definitely rank them in terms of how competitive you are for them (this usually means gpa, scores, and some other criteria) and give priority to the local/regional ones. My kids never won anything above state-level, but got lots of smaller local ones (look for the national affiliates like Rotary, Dollars for Scholars, American Legion, etc. as they tend to be higher value). Ask your GC if you haven’t already received a scholarship packet at school.</p>
<p>By far, the largest scholarship come from colleges. These are usually merit-based and have no financial need component (other than the Ivies). Hopefully you’ve applied to schools where you’re likely to receive decent merit aid!</p>
<p>and the reason i have so many scholarships i might apply for is because i used FastWeb. theres just so many scholarships out there that i feel the need to apply to all of them lol. i just want to lessen the financial burden on my parents.</p>
<p>i only found like 5 local scholarships which is another reason i want to apply to more… but idk if i should anymore cause they do take a lot of time…</p>
<p>Definitely don’t do it to the detriment of your regular work. I’d say setting aside an hour or two, or a weekend afternoon, at a time is reasonable. Most high schools give out application packets for the local scholarships in mid-winter/early spring so do check with your guidance office on that.</p>
<p>My S applied to a whole bunch of the Fastweb-supplied scholarships and didn’t receive a single one. I personally think that most of them are just a variation on phishing scams dressed up in scholarship clothing. I’m sure there are a few legitimate ones, but I think those are so competitive that unless you’re already a NMS or have very very high stats or other unusual qualifications, it’s just not worth your time.</p>
<p>The best likelihood for real scholarships outside of the schools themselves is local clubs and organizations, but even then, it’s been my experience that you have to already have some sort of affiliation or relationship to someone in the organization. Most don’t go to “random” high school seniors.</p>