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How To Put Together a Scholarship Portfolio
By Rebecca | March 19, 2008
If you’re in high school looking at going to college you are probably familiar with several facts. First, that there are numerous advantages to obtaining a college education. Second, that college tuition and fees are steadily increasing at rates that far outstrip inflation. Third, that there are many opportunities for scholarships, some that go unclaimed due to lack of qualified applicants.
The question then is: What is the best way to tap into these resources? At my high school they had a 3 inch binder filled with every scholarship available. We were encouraged to “drop by the office” in our “spare time” and find information on scholarships for which we were eligible. I meant to do it but I didn’t ever seem to have the spare time and, frankly, I was rather intimidated by the size of the binder.
Today, however, there are easier and better ways of finding scholarships and tricks for applying that I wish I had known when I was funding my own education. Websites like www.fastweb.com and www.findtuition.com offer a listing of scholarships based on your personal profile. The more detailed your profile, the more likely you are to focus in on scholarships that you are qualified for.
As you look, you will discover that many scholarship applications require the same things. To save yourself the time and trouble of repeating the work for each application, assemble a scholarship portfolio. As you find scholarships for which you are eligible, pull items from your portfolio, copy them, and submit them with your application.
A few basic items that should be in your portfolio:
1) Letters of Recomendation–You should have anywhere from three to five letters in your portfolio. These should cover acedemics, leadership, service, as well as any sports or extracurricular activites in which you participate. Ideally, you should have at least one letter covering each aspect of your life for which a scholarship may be awarded. Get as many as you can think of and then add to it as needed.
2) A copy of your transcripts, SAT scores and ACT scores–these will obviously need to be updated as the semesters go by.
3) An essay describing why you should receive a scholarship. This may sound silly, but for many scholarships, this is the one essay they require. Take your time and write it the best you can. Have a teacher or parent edit it and offer suggestions. Make sure it is your best work and put it in your portfolio. You may need to change it slightly to fit the requirements of the individual scholarship. However, if you start with a good essay, it will be easier to adjust it than to start from scratch each time.
4) Hang onto anything you have done really well. Whether it is a recording of a musical performance or a well-done class video or an A+ research paper. Keeping these gives you a collection of things on which to draw when applying for various scholarships.
5) Keep a copy of a completed FASFA with your portfolio. There is a lot of information required for the FASFA that is also useful for various need-based scholarships. Sidenote: Be sure to submit your FASFA as soon as possible. The sooner your FASFA is received, the more likely you will receive a grant for your schooling.
Keep these things together in a folder or box. Make sure they are in a safe place but easy to get to when you need them. You may even want to keep extra copies around just in case you need some for a last minute application.
A well-developed scholarship portfolio will make applying for scholarships much easier. You will be able to apply for multiple awards with less work and greater success. Having such a portfolio could, ultimately, be worth thousands of dollars for higher education.
Topics: Education, FASFA, How To, Knowledge, Scholarships |
