Applying for National Fellowships

and Scholarships

Tips on creating competitive applications

Topics covered:

Advance Preparation Application Basics Writing Tips Refining and Polishing

Preparation~

Start early! There’s a lot you can do

in advance.

Preparation~Research, Read, and Bother People

Start looking for possibilities a year (or more) early Get recommendations Do a Spin Search Check scholarship websites and university website

scholarship lists List the most promising for further investigation

Preparation~Find YOUR Scholarships Review the fine print on a scholarship’s eligibility and criteria for

selection. Devour the entire website for extra clues on the kind of person they want to fund. Read bios on previous award-winners.

Look for the unusual criteria that applies to you.

See if your professors know anyone who has been awarded this scholarship or if anyone from a nearby university has received it in the last couple of years and, if so, talk with them.

Finalize a list of the right scholarships, with the right set of criteria, for you—the ones that match your interests, expertise, and eligibility. Don’t waste your time on marginal scholarships.

Preparation~ Jack Kent Cooke Foundation criteria list:

academic achievementcritical thinking abilitya breadth of interests and activities *financial need * will to succeed *

Look farther in the web material and you find:

Record of hard work * Leadership Participation in or strong appreciation of the arts and

humanities *

Preparation~Schedule your Applications

Develop a timeline of steps and deadlines for these most promising scholarships/fellowships.

Beware multiple deadlines.

Make a plan: determine how many applications you can submit in the available time period, and schedule your academics/work/application tasks accordingly in one master calendar.

Allow significant work time for each application and ask for reference letters early.

Preparation~Prepare common application bits and

pieces

Gather your information.

Draft common application components. Modify for each organization.

Should one organization not give you much direction for what you should address in a component, compare directions in similar funding organizations.

Preparation~Know What Makes You Different

How do you think you are special, unusual, or distinctive as a person and/or student? Try to find or create opportunities for these qualities to come through in the application. (“Show” via anecdotes, examples, or accomplishments, don’t “tell.”)

Application Basics~

Do’s and Don’ts

The Basics~

Police Yourself

Do what is asked of you exactly and completely. Follow up to make sure materials are not just

requested but received. If there is an item you can’t supply, be sure to

include a separate explanatory statement. If your application is not complete you won’t make it

past the first gatekeeper, and the selection committee will never see it.

The Basics~

START!

Getting something, anything on the computer is the hardest part. Allot a big chuck of time, make a pot of coffee, and plan a reward for yourself when you have put in the time.

Stream thoughts from your brain onto the page without judging or filtering.

The Basics~Choose Your References Wisely, and

Help Them Help You

Don’t hesitate to ask potential references if they can give you a strong, positive recommendation.

Give them all possible information about the scholarship organization’s mission and the specific criteria for evaluation, as well as your own background.

Give them plenty of time.

The Basics~Choose Your References Wisely (continued)

Tell each reference one or two specific things you would like him/her to address: this helps keep your recommendations from being too similar and sounding formulaic.

Make sure references know the deadline and provide them with a stamped, addressed envelope (or detailed uploading instructions). Give them a “gentle reminder” close to the deadline, with your thanks.

If necessary, nag! (Politely!)

The Basics~Be Absolutely Honest

Don’t overstate accomplishments, claim credit for what should be shared, or propose a study and career plan only to conform to this scholarship.

The Basics~ Think Strategically

Think strategically as you choose which questions you will answer and the word choices, anecdotes, and examples you use.

Use every question to demonstrate a facet of how you meet the criteria for selection.

Make your answers work for you on all possible levels.

The Basics~It’s okay to toot your own horn. In fact, it’s

mandatory!

It’s part of building your case. Where it fits, mention awards, accomplishments, involvement, and even worthy compliments and what is behind them.

(Just be matter-of-fact in the way you do it.)

The Basics~Obstacles

Some scholarships, as a part of their criteria or questions, may ask to know about hardships and obstacles you have overcome. If discrimination, poverty, family breakdown, severe illness, or another problem beyond your control has been a major factor in your development, do write about it.

Tell your story honestly, simply, and without self-pity. Avoid playing for sympathy. Focus instead on how the hardships have impacted your values and motivated your career aspirations.

The Basics ~Don’t Quit Halfway

If you have read everything you can get your hands on about this scholarship, and you truly believe you are the kind of person the organization wants to fund, then:

don’t get busy and decide the pressures of the moment are more important than your future, and

don’t second guess the selection committee and decide for them that you’ll never get it.

The Basics~

Back up your files frequently!

Don’t push the deadline.

Writing~

Everything depends upon what’s on the page.

Writing~ Jack Kent Cooke Foundation criteria list:

academic achievementcritical thinking abilitya breadth of interests and activities *financial need * will to succeed *

Look farther in the web material and you find:

Record of hard work * Leadership Participation in or strong appreciation of the arts and

humanities *

Writing~Write Simply

Write simply and conversationally, rather than

trying to sound “impressive.”

Write for the layman. Remember that all selection committee members may not know your field well. Avoid slang, technical jargon, and unusual abbreviations.

Writing~Write Like You Talk

Write like you talk, especially in early drafts.

Having a distinctive “voice” is a huge plus. Applications which convey a real sense of the person writing definitely stand out from the crowd.

Writing~Write With Passion

Yes, I said “passion.”

Writing~Be Who You Are

If you want to stand out, be who you are. Don’t just

say what you think the selection committee wants to hear. Answer outside the box.

Colorless neutrality and safe, cliché answers do not make you memorable. Don’t try to hide who you are if you want to be remembered.

Writing~Show, Don’t Tell

Show, don’t tell, drawing on your life experience and academic/volunteer/work record. General statements can come across as clichés. Back up your statements with details, stories, examples, and specifics.

In other words, PROVE IT!

Writing~Great Openings, Great Closings

Grab attention with your openings, and try to have a neatly phrased and memorable ending, too.

One way to start an answer is to tell a very pertinent, personal story.

Another technique is to “tell the unvarnished truth, then tell the moral of the story” (only once per application, though!)

Review & Refine~

Bring the power of your creativity and analytical ability to bear.

Review & Refine~Proofread. Several Times. Over Time. Draft the entire app, wait a couple of days, and go

back and look at it again with fresh eyes, reading for an overall impression.

Then read again and again over time for all the better ideas and examples that may pop into your head the more you think about your answers. Prepare the application EARLY to give you time to harness your subconscious, your creativity, and your own analytical skills.

Review & Refine~Make Sure Your Writing is Technically

Flawless

No typos, no misspellings, no incorrect punctuation. There is dictionary.com; there are nice teachers and writing centers. It’s generally expected that you will get this kind of advice if needed.

Read aloud (slowly and carefully) to catch missing words and awkward, convoluted sentences.

Read for clarity and logical structure.

Review & Refine~

Keep It Tight

Make sure you have written economically. Examine every paragraph and every sentence for their necessity. Examine every sentence for words you can leave out while still retaining the meaning and impact.

Conversely, if you are not filling at least 2/3 of the available word count, you are missing the chance to leave a strong impression.

Review & Refine~

Did You Maintain a Sharp Focus?

Do you have tailored, focused responses to each question?

Did you try to share too many passions, ambitions, accomplishments, or social concerns? Be strategic in your choices.

Did you avoid repetition of experiences to better show your many dimensions? Do you talk only about your career, discipline, or did you try to convey a sense of what and who else you are?

Review & Refine~

Involve Your Mentor

Feedback from a knowledgeable person in your discipline before submitting your application is not only allowed, but encouraged by most funding organizations.

In the End…

Go for it, with great passion, belief in yourself, and a great deal of

strategic thought.

Good luck!