<p>I always hear about hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial aid scholarships going unmet but I don't feel like I see any scholarships that aren't being aggressively fought for. Like they'll always go to people in the top 5%.</p>
<p>I've applied for a few scholarships and I guess it's just too early to expect a reply already, but I'm starting to lose hope a little in paying for my dream college since I have financial need and it would be cheaper to stay in-state..</p>
<p>So what are your experience with scholarships? Have you applied for them and are just waiting to see if you got any? Or have you/know other people that have gotten a few scholarships from applying?</p>
<p>Scholarships from searching sites like FastWeb especially seem to be a lost cause...</p>
<p>I do know of several students receiving some nice state and local scholarships in the past. (Best Buy, Masonic Charities, Kohl’s Kids, Cub Foods) All were good students, heavily involved in school activities and lots of hours of community service. I also know top students who weren’t involved with anything except their school work and they received none of these. Many are looking for the total package.</p>
<p>Yes, scholarships are hard to get, and they are likely to get even harder as students are needing more money to supplement family contributions and lots of charitable organizations who offer scholarships are feeling the financial pinch too.</p>
<p>The most realistic scholarships to get are those that are offered by local organizations and which you can find out about at your HS counseling office.</p>
<p>Check with your high school counselor’s website/bulletin boards, they often compile lists of scholarships for students. It’s also useful to look at other nearby high schools’ websites, particularly the competitive ones that get a lot of students into top colleges because they devote more resources to compiling databases/lists.</p>
<p>Some of the best scholarships, and the easiest to apply for, are in the form of institutional merit aid directly from the college or university. Check out the thread on this site dealing with good schools offering good merit aid and another thread on institutional aid. Both of the threads are locked into the top of this financial aid section and offer a wealth of information.</p>