Get Free Cash for College: Secrets to Winning Scholarships
320
Get Free Cash for College: Secrets to Winning Scholarships
320Paperback(Thirteenth Edition)
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Overview
A proven strategy guide revealing all the secrets to create winning applications. A directory of 175 scholarships (almost) anyone can win. A library of winning scholarship applications including essays, resumes and portfolio submissions. Learn insider strategies to develop winning scholarship applications, essays and interviewing skills. Find the scholarships you have the best chances of winning. Master the techniques for writing a high-impact, winning scholarship essay. Learn which guaranteed scholarships are real and which are scams. Master proven strategies for getting the most financial aid. Use little-known Internet research techniques to locate and apply for more scholarships.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781617601743 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | SuperCollege LLC |
| Publication date: | 05/24/2022 |
| Edition description: | Thirteenth Edition |
| Pages: | 320 |
| Sales rank: | 857,417 |
| Product dimensions: | 7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Seven Scholarship Myths Busted
Did you know that Walt Disney is cryogenically frozen and awaiting the day medical science can revive him? Or, you do know to be careful when walking the city at night since there are gangs of organ thieves who will knock you unconscious and steal your kidneys, right? We have all heard urban legends like these, and on the subject of scholarships there are no shortages of such stories.
You may have heard myths like these: You need to have near zero dinero in order to qualify for a scholarship, or you have to be the record holder for three-point shots to win a full-ride award. To help you sort the truth from the tall tale, here are some common scholarship myths and the truth behind them:
Myth #1: You need to be financially destitute to be eligible to apply for scholarships.
The Truth: While it is true that financial need is a consideration for some scholarships, the definition of “need” varies considerably. Given the cost of a college education, many families who consider themselves to be “middle class” actually qualify for need-based scholarships. Plus, there are many scholarships where financial need is not even a factor. These “merit-based” scholarships are based on achievements, skills, career goals, family background and a host of other considerations that have nothing to do with a family’s financial situation. You really could be the son or daughter of Donald Trump and still win a scholarship.
Myth #2: You can only win scholarships as a high school senior.
The Truth: It is never too early or too late to apply for scholarships. There are awards for students as young as seventh grade. (If you win these awards, the money may be paid to you directly or put into a trust account until you head off to college.) Also, many students stop applying for scholarships after they graduate from high school. Big mistake. There are many awards for college students. Once you are in college you should continue to apply for scholarships, especially those geared toward specific majors and careers.
More Truth: Most scholarships are aimed at students who are getting their first degree, regardless of age. If you’re 92 and working toward your bachelor’s degree, you are just as eligible for scholarships as the 17-year-old high school student. In fact, today more than 20 percent of all students on campus are over the age of 35, so it’s easy to understand why the rules for many scholarships have been modified to no longer limit an applicant based on age.
Myth #3: Only star athletes get scholarships, especially full-tuition scholarships.
The Truth: While full-tuition scholarships for star running backs often make the news, the majority of scholarships awarded by colleges are not for athletics. As you will start to see from the Scholarships (Almost) Anyone Can Win in the Directory, there are literally thousands of scholarships for those of us who don’t know the difference between a touchdown and a touchback.
If you are an athlete, you might also be surprised to know that many colleges give scholarships to student athletes even if they are not the next Michael Jordan. Depending on the level of the school’s athletic team, you may find that while at one college your soccer skill wouldn’t earn you a place on the team as a bench warmer, at another school you would not only be a starter but also could earn a half-tuition scholarship.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 How to Get Free Cash for College 15
Scholarships are not just for superstars 17
Why most scholarship books and websites can be so frustrating 17
The mind-boggling cost of a good education 19
Seven scholarship myths busted 20
Advice from a scholarship judge: How we choose our scholarship winners 23
What about Federal financial aid? 24
The big disadvantage of Federal financial aid 25
Scholarships: The real financial aid jackpots 25
Scholarship competitions are not lotteries 27
Chapter 2 Find the Best Scholarships You Can Win 29
Where to find the best scholarships 30
Fantastic backyard scholarships 31
Searching beyond your backyard 36
Story from real life: Smaller is sometimes better 36
Truly outrageous scholarships 39
I have my big list of scholarships. Now what? 41
How to choose scholarships you can win 41
The magic number of scholarships 45
Don't look for scholarships alone 46
Chapter 3 Avoid Scholarship Scams 49
Scholarships that steal 50
How to spot a scholarship scam 50
Red flags that indicate a scam 52
Story from real life: I lost $500 from a scholarship scam 53
Chapter 4 Get Organized and Maximize Your Time 55
Saving time and effort with scholarships 56
Prioritize the scholarships 56
Schedule scholarships 57
Have a monthly check-in 58
Create a library of reusable materials 58
Take advantage of your classes 59
Think early about recommenders 59
Make a checklist for each application 59
Chapter 5 The Packaging of You and Your Personal Theme 61
Marketing yourself 62
Learn why they're giving away the money 62
Learn what they're basing their decision on 64
Finding your theme and what to do/not to do 64
Chapter 6 Scholarship Judge Q&A 75
A roundtable with the scholarship judges 76
A national scholarship management organization 76
An art and writing competition 79
A music competition 83
An essay-based competition 85
A college that awards merit-based scholarships 94
Supporting students at women's colleges 96
Chapter 7 Create Stunning Scholarship Applications 101
Scholarship applications: Your entry ticket 102
Create your plan of attack 102
General rules for completing the application 104
Story from real life: How my support of legalizing marijuana cost me 106
The five steps to crafting a winning application 107
Step 1 Use a little spin to wow your audience 107
Step 2 Stand out from the competition 111
Step 3 List important accomplishments first 112
Step 4 Write to impress 113
Step 5 Make sure the application fits 117
Story from real life: My midnight scholarship application 115
Top 10 application do's and don'ts 118
Finishing touches 119
Chapter 8 The Scholarship Resume 121
Scholarship resumes: One-page autobiographies 122
Example resume 124
Chapter 9 Get the Right Recommendations 127
Getting the praise of others 128
Finding people to say nice things about you 128
Give your recommender the chance to say "no" 129
Don't play the name game 130
Do the grunt work for your recommenders 131
Give your recommenders a script 131
Tie a string around your recommenders' fingers 134
The "You can't spell success without U" mug 134
Story from real life: Follow up or fall down 135
Chapter 10 Secrets to Writing Winning Essays 137
The scholarship essay: Your ticket to the finals 138
Six steps to writing a winning scholarship essay 139
Step 1 Find the right topic and approach 139
Step 2 Ensure that your topic and approach are original 142
Step 3 It's time to start writing 144
Step 4 Perfect your introduction and conclusion 147
Step 5 Find essay editors 148
Step 6 Recycle your essays 149
Story from real life: How I beat writer's block 141
Seven sins of the scholarship essay 150
Putting what you learned into practice 152
Story from real life: Essays in no time mean no money 152
Chapter 11 ACE the interviews 155
The face-to-face encounter 156
Why human interaction is needed 157
Interviewers are real people too 157
Interview homework 157
Use your detective work to create an advantage 159
You are not the center of the universe 159
Story from real life: The only thing in life that matters is calculus 160
Look and sound the part 162
The practice interview 163
Story from real life: Don't hate me because I'm beautiful and faultless 164
Answers to the most common interview questions 166
Questions for the questioner 171
Use time to your advantage 172
The long-distance interview 172
The group interview 173
The disaster interview 174
The post-interview 174
For more help 175
Chapter 12 Strategies for Specific Scholarships 177
College cash from your hobbies and pastimes 178
Awards based on your current or future major 178
Scholarships for your future career 180
Awards that recognize leadership 182
Athletic scholarships 183
Athletic organization awards 185
Scholarships for public service 186
Awards based on ethnic background 188
Story from real life: My hobbies paid for college 188
Religious scholarships 189
Awards for hobbies 189
Scholarships from your parents' employers 190
Need-based scholarships 191
Recurring themes 192
Chapter 13 Guaranteed Scholarships 195
Do guaranteed scholarships really exist? 196
National Merit scholarships 196
GPA and exam-based scholarships 197
Transfer student awards 197
State entitlement awards 198
In-state tuition for out-of-state students 198
All it takes to win is to apply 199
Chapter 14 Unleash the Power of the internet 201
Opening the scholarship vault with the Internet 202
Using the Internet to find scholarships 202
Zap! Applying for scholarships online 203
Our favorite free scholarship websites 204
How to be an Internet private eye 205
Be cautious of scams 206
Chapter 15 Financial Aid Workshop 209
Getting the most financial aid you deserve 210
The financial aid cornucopia 211
Five steps to getting financial aid 212
Step 1 Fill out the FAFSA 212
Step 2 Review your Student Aid Report 215
Step 3 Make the college aware of special circumstances 216
Step 4 Compare award letters 218
Step 5 If you need it, ask for a re-evaluation 218
Story from real fife: I assumed I wouldn't get aid, but I was wrong 214
A re-evaluation success story 219
Exchanging one kind of money for another 221
Declaring independence 221
Strategies that can help you get more financial aid 222
A quick word about saving for college 225
The Federal financial aid programs in detail 225
Federal Pell Grants 226
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants 226
Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant 226
TEACH Grant Program 227
Federal Work-Study 227
Student loans 227
Direct Loans 228
PLUS Loans for Graduate and Professional Degrees 229
PLUS Loans 230
Consolidation Loans 230
Getting more help 231
Chapter 16 Free Cash for Graduate School 233
The long and expensive path of graduate school 234
Understanding graduate financial aid 235
More than money 236
It's all about academics 236
Applications: Your stats sheet 237
Recommendations: Getting professorial praise 239
Essays: Getting personal 240
Research grant proposals: Application heavies 241
Interviews: Interaction with a purpose 242
Get paid to step into a classroom or lab 244
Keep your aid flowing 244
Getting more help 245
Chapter 17 How to Keep the Money You Win 249
You're there! 250
Keeping the dollars that are yours 250
Parting words 251
A special request 252
Appendix. Winning Scholarship Essays and Applications 255
Winning Essay #1 Bet You Can't 256
Winning Essay #2 Public Service 258
Winning Essay #3 Cultural Heritage 259
Winning Essay #4 Only Two Hands 262
Winning Essay #5 The Gift 265
Winning Essay #6 Career Plans 267
Winning Essay #7 No Child Left Behind: Well-intentioned but Flawed 268
Winning Submission #8 Shawn Smith 272
Winning Submission #9 Wilmer Wilson 273
Directory. 175 Scholarships (Almost) Anyone Can Win 275
About the Authors 320
What People are Saying About This
“Take these important tips from two experienced writers who are nationally recognized for their expertise on all facets of the college application process.”
—David Miller, Director of College Counseling, Stevenson School
“This book gives a down to earth, step-by-step method of finding, applying for and winning scholarships.”
—Lynda McGee, College Counselor, Downtown Magnets High School
“We recommend Get Free Cash for College.”
—Cosmo Girl
“Helpful, well-organized guide, with copies of actual letters and essays and practical tips. A good resource for all students.”
—KLIATT
“Students applying for college can tap into thousands of scholarships.”
—San Mateo County Times
“The Tanabes use their experiences and those of other students to guide high school and college students and their parents through the scholarship and financial aid process.”
—Palo Alto Daily News
