Game Plan

In high school, we're told that we have plenty of time to declare a major, make grown-up decisions, and decide the meaning of life. For the scholarship-minded student, however, this simply not the case. Scholarship committees are much more likely to choose a student with a definite career plan in mind than a student that can only offer the drooling stare of "Major Undecided". Don't misunderstand - I'm not bashing these students in any way; the simple truth is that having a game plan can monumentally boost your chances for earning a scholarship.

So where do I begin?

Start thinking now about your future options. It's better to write down three possible fields of study that have absolutely nothing to do with each other than leave "Proposed Major" blank. It's okay if you change it later; the important thing is that you're at least thinking about the proposed direction of your education.

But I already know what I want to do!

That's great! Knowing what you want to do with your education will be a huge help in your scholarship search; it can provide more insight into your individuality on an impersonal application as well as offer major-specific scholarship opportunities. Once you've realized the purpose of your existence, specify how you intend to use your education or your career goals. For example, I plan to major in English literature. That information alone may or may not impress a scholarship committee; however, when I tell them I want to earn my doctorate and become a novelist and a professor, I provide specific information much more likely to earn me an award.


I'm not saying you should lie; don't tell the committee you want to be a volunteer doctor in a third-world country if that's not really what you want to do. The important thing here is to show the committee that you have recognized and channeled your own personal ambition into a tangible course of action (degree, school, career, etc). This is a noteworthy aspect of personal maturity and a building block for a successful scholarship search.