Utilizing Your Resources

The most important thing in a scholarship search is to utilize your resources. Creating a strong arsenal of letters of recommendation and resumes will increase your chances of earning financial aid.

Here are a few tips on how to do this.

1. Get great letters of recommendation.
Leave ample amount of time for your writers to complete a great resume (2 or more weeks should do the trick) and provide them with a resume or other resource to supplement their letter. Give them examples of your work and accomplishments so they have something intelligent to write about you.

2. Pad out your resume.
Let's say you've been a part of a dance team for four years. That's nice. But expounding on your team's activities is what truly makes a great application. "Dance team member" is not nearly as impressive as "Participated in football performances, basketball performances, national competitions, end-of-year Spring Show, and daily three-hour practices". The committee has no idea how intense your activity may be. Tell them!

3. Make a resume early.
It's hard to remember every single thing you ever did in high school -- so document it as you go along. Keep track of community service hours as well as activities to create a strong resume later.

4. Be honest.
Again, don't lie. The purpose of detailing your activities is to give the committee a more complete picture of you - not to let your imagination run wild. Scholarship committees see hundreds of resumes a day - after awhile, embellishing can become obvious and tedious. Don't ruin your chances by frustrating your audience.

In conclusion
The scholarship committee knows nothing about you -- except what you tell them. Make sure you depict your high school activities to the most appropriate detail. It will greatly increase your scholarship chances and more adequately paint the picture of your well-roundedness. Be creative! The committee has to look at tens of thousands of boring apps. A truly outstanding application is well thought-out and full of originality.