A scholarship can change your life. Being free of the financial burdens of education gives you freedom, choices, and peace of mind. It also gives you more time to focus on your studies. If you want to bag a scholarship, make sure you go over these application tips. With these suggestions, you’ll have more than a fair shot at getting the scholarship you want.

Identify the Right Ones

Believe it or not, there are plenty of education grants that offer a good scholarship for school students. The problem is, too many people—students and their parents alike—don’t know about them because they assume scholarships are only awarded based on academic strength. They don’t do enough research to find out that there are plenty of educational programs that their kids can try out for. Good news, for you, though since that means you’ve got less competition.

Submit on Time

We cannot stress enough the importance of submitting the application form on time. The programme deadlines are strict and won’t give you an inch, even if you’re late by only a minute, an hour or a day. That’s why it’s crucial that you know the deadlines in advance. Make arrangements to ensure that your application form is well and ready before or by the deadline.

Plan Ahead

It’s not enough to start preparing a week or two before the submission deadline. Consider the requirements. Some of those documents might have to undergo weeks-long processing times, especially with many schools these days operating on a skeleton staff. You’ll want to factor that into your timeline and plan way, way ahead. Some scholarships even force you to get ready an entire year ahead of when you need the scholarship, so keep that in mind. Preparing for the scholarship right before the summer before the school year isn’t going to get you any slots.

Apply to a Lot

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Check out other programmes and apply to as many as you can manage. That way, even if your first few tries don’t pan out, you always have the rest to look forward to. 

Do a Timeline

Put together a file with all the application deadlines along with other essential details for the scholarships that you are applying for. Consolidating the data this way will make it easier for you to stay on top and on track of the deadlines and the requirements you need to get done and by what day or week to make sure you never miss even a single deadline.

Choose Important Details

When you write about yourself in the personal statement essay, make sure you pick out important details. Don’t just provide a list of all your accomplishments. Remember, many of the kids applying for the scholarship are as talented as you, if not more than you. Instead of just providing what is essentially a rundown of your achievements, mention something important to you, too. What is your dream? If you won first place at the science fair, what was it that you wanted to achieve for that project? Do you still believe in the same things? How have your goals evolved? Do you see yourself making a difference—or even a bigger difference—in the world?

Be You

Some applicants write about themselves in a way that they think will impress the screening panel, sometimes going overboard with how they see themselves. But it’s all right just to be you. When you write about yourself, show them that side of you that’s passionate about working on a project, that side of you that is disciplined and knows how to get work done; that side of you that never gives up, that keeps trying, and that is relentlessly and endlessly curious. Draw them in with those qualities. By showing them who you are, you make it possible to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Read the Prompts Carefully

Don’t rush through the instructions. Read them carefully. No one is forcing you to hurry, after all. Go over the entire application form before you start answering. Some of the questions may lead to the same answers for you. However, if you read over the form, then you can think about where to put those answers to best address the questions in the form. Also, be sure to check if you missed any sections. Some students overlook a section and that automatically gets their application tossed out.

Know the Values of the School

Another way to prepare for the scholarship is to get to know the values of the school by heart. What does the school teach about kindness and empathy? What is the school’s stance on punishment? What are the universal values that the school seeks to instill in all of the students? Are those the same values that your family teaches at home? Find out.

Follow the above tips when applying for a scholarship for school students and increase the chances of winning.