<p>I am on a scholarship committee that is giving out a very small book scholarship. I would like to reinforce some items that need to be addressed when students are asking for a scholarship. (CC people please don't ask me if you can apply for it because it is very specific to our high school club).
WHEN FILLING OUT YOUR APPLICATION:<br>
Please be honest, do not try to invent a hardship.
Do not send the application after the deadline.
Do not write it in pencil. TRY TO TYPE IT.
Please do not have typos, errors, or multiple scratches.
Please do not skip any questions; there is a reason these questions have been asked.
Please do learn to SPELL! The words: RECEIVE, their, there, they're, to, two, and too are spelled that way for a reason. Applications that have spelling or mechanical errors are automatically tossed out.
If you demonstrate a financial hardship, please don't apply to a private school that costs $60K per year, major in a career that will never earn that amount, and then ask us to fund the full amount with our minimal.
Please do not ask us to fund your older sibling because you received a partial scholarship and they didn't.<br>
Please do not list your extra-curricular activities two or more times on the same lines to make it look as though you were active.
Please don't invent degrees that you think will impress us.
If the application asks for your coach's recommendations, don't write it for him/her.
If you have a recommendation written, please make sure that the person who writes it does not insult the committee or readers by calling us "idiots" if we do not select you.
LASTLY, have someone proofread it for you; there are always adults around to help:)</p>
<p>Great feedback. Frankly, I’m surprised some of these had to be listed.</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad: I know that I was surprised by what we received. I didn’t list everything that we experienced but I listed the most pertinent. What was really disappointing was the lower quality of the penmanship. Many of the applications were just so unreadable, so I know most of the committee just avoided those applications. (It was a two page application; very simple and easy. The “smart” kids scanned the application into their computer and used text boxes to type and fill in the application). We gave out $2000. It’s small, but it helps someone.</p>
<p>Aunt Bea…regarding penmanship (and mine is the pits…). Did you suggest in the instructions that kids could scan and type, or provide an electronic version of the form? </p>
<p>Kudos for providing a scholarship (every dollar helps!) and to your committee, etc. for their work. If this is to be an annual award, maybe having a “computerable” format will help both future applicants and readers!</p>
<p>We had a $1,000 scholarship at the place I’m on the board for (private donation so unfortunately a one time thing). We had many of the same scholarship issues that aunt bea had. We did make an online version of the app, but we realize that many of our students don’t have access to computers (at least not easily) so we also had paper apps. </p>
<p>I’ll add another: don’t lie. Please, just don’t lie. We’re not stupid and we have connections. We had one person claim they were the president of the Thespians at my high school. I was very involved in Thespians and I had never even heard of this person. A quick text to the actual president confirmed that this individual wasn’t even in the organization.</p>
<p>Re: giving helpful hints to type the application. It is intentionally done in paper form because some of the students (and some of the committee members) don’t have access or won’t get on their computers. As noted above, the CLEVER KIDS FIGURE OUT HOW TO SCAN and use TEXT BOXES.
PLEASE DON’T LIE, as noted above by ROMANIGYPSYEYES, “Please don’t lie!” We have “eyes in the back of our head” and we find out if you’re well-liked, have attitude problems with teachers or other students, are arrogant or insulting, are party animals or have horrendous facebook pages. We find out if the teachers don’t want to write a letter of recommendation for you. We find out about how you respect or disrespect your parents through office staff experiences, and loud phone calls you make from your cell phones because your mother won’t let you go home early. All of the aforementioned isn’t supposed to weigh in to our decision, but if we’re comparing you with 25 other kids, the kid who may be dirt poor but has a phenomenal attitude and great outlook on life, will always beat you by a mile.</p>
<p>Many expensive private schools (like Ivy Leagues) will cover full tuition on need base</p>
<p>That’s what I was thinking. Given their endowments, an expensive private college is likely to be more affordable for a kid who is “dirt poor.” Such a student often applies to many smaller scholarships not to fund the bulk of their education, but to supplement what the college provides - maybe allowing the student more time to study rather, because they will need less work study, or maybe can reduce the amount of loans within their aid package.</p>
<p>As for tossing applications due to penmanship, I would suggest those reading the applications keep in mind that those students who found a way to scan the application into their computers and use text boxes have more resources available to them than the dirt poor students who don’t even own a computer. The poor students might have access to a computer, but are not likely to have a way to scan the form, are less likely to know how, even if the equipment is available. yes, they should use their best penmanship, but I would rather read a hand written application than one where the student used text boxes.</p>
<p>I agree entirely with the last two posts. I cringed at the tone of the first post. So, students who apply to the top schools, many of which cost $60k, shouldn’t be able to apply to your scholarship? The neediest families often can’t apply to the middle-tier schools. They either need to go for local schools, the $60k schools with big endowments, or full-ride schools. The bulk of the schools in this country are just off limits. </p>
<p>It’s your choice to toss a kid because of a typo or penmanship, and it’s definitely one way to weed out kids, but I wouldn’t be comfortable with it.</p>
<p>That said, I think giving a scholarship is a great thing and, kudos, to the OP for being part of it.</p>
<p>Closing old thread.</p>