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.

Outside Scholarships

CAUTION: Reading this post may ignite an irrational personal desire to tame a wild beast. No, seriously. Searching for outside scholarships is a long and tedious process that, if done correctly, will cause you to pull your hair out in agony and consider giving up college to join a tribal hunting society.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't pursue outside aid anyway. It is the single most lucrative form of financial help. Lets start at the beginning...

1. Register yourself for these sites.

• www.zinch.com. This site is awesome because of it's "Mooching" feature. Every time a friend you win an award that you found on Zinch, the site will match the amount dollar-for-dollar. So, say you win a 3,000 scholarship; Zinch will give you an additional 3,000. They will also give YOU the same amount for every friend you "invite". So, say your friend that you invited to Zinch wins 3,000 -- you, in turn, win 3,000 as well.
• http://www.zinch.com/Anonymous/StudentRegister.aspx?affid=1213844 -- my personal "invite" link. Register with that and we'd instantly become best friends, promise.
• www.fastweb.com. The most widely-known scholarship search engine.
• www.schoolsoup.com Boasts the "largest database on the Web". I'm not really sure how true that is, but it still has some good awards.
• www.cappex.com Yet another scholarship site. Has the least amount of awards, but an absolute treasury of college information. My favorite tool on this site is the admissions match up, where you can see your chances of getting in to a specific school.
  
• Search in Google for awards specifically engineered for you -- ie "Scholarships for Houston-area Seniors" or "Scholarships for female seniors" etc.
• Talk to your high school counselor about local scholarship opportunities. Counselors have a wealth of information about applications and where to get them.

2. Get organized. My scholarship search started out as a few paperclipped materials, then became a folder, and finally transformed into the 4 1/2-inch monstrosity of a binder that it is today. In it, I have all of my applications, as well as transcripts, letters of recommendation, and photographs. Invest in manila envelopes as well -- you'll be keeping Office Max in business this year.
3. Get a flash drive. I cannot tell you how much my flash drive helped me out during my year of scholarship searching. It served as the very lifeblood of my scholarship search. Many, many scholarships ask questions like "Why do you want this scholarship?" and "Explain any special circumstances." If you already have these essays typed up, you can simply tweak them to fit the scholarship instead of writing thousands of identical essays.
3. Stay on top of your sent applications. I had a bad habit of forgetting the scholarships I had already sent in. Keep track of the date of the winner's announcement and number of scholarships you applied to. By April of my senior year, I had applied to over 100.

You are more than a GPA: "I'm not valedictorian, a world-class athlete, or Mother Theresa. Why should I try?"

Believe me, I hear you on this one. It's easy to get discouraged during application; after all, scholarships are really just one giant cutthroat competition.

But please, don't give up hope! In high school, I wasn't what you would call a "stellar" student. My grades were only slightly above average (I graduated in the top 23 percent of my class). I wasn't even granted automatic admission to many of the schools I applied to, how could I expect to earn scholarships?

The truth many students don't understand: Scholarship applications are about so much more than being "perfect" in one aspect of high school (case in point: GPA). Don't misunderstand; yes, grades are important...but a student who has nothing more to boast than a 4.0 is not going to impress a committee amidst thousands of other applicants with the same GPA. Scholarship applications are looking for mature, well-rounded students ... so demonstrate the full breadth of your accomplishments. It IS possible to earn aid without a perfect GPA ... don't give up hope!
In conclusion:
Tailor your scholarship search to fit your lifestyle. I had to sacrifice a lot of activities my senior year to devote so much time to my search. Know that your commitment to this search will take a large amount of time and plan accordingly.

Standardized Testing

Riddle me this - what are three letters that strike fear into the hearts of upper-level high schoolers? If you guessed SAT, congratulations, you live in America.

In this section, I'm not going to spend a plethora of time focusing on "how to ace the SAT." There are plenty of great books out there for that (my personal favorite is the one published by the Princeton Review). However, I am going to expound on the differences between the ACT and the SAT as well as offer insight into making the most of your scores.

ACT vs. SAT
The popularity margin in this equation really seems to depend on location. My friend in Missouri says that everyone in her school takes the ACT, but in my home state of Texas, everyone takes the SAT. Really, what's the difference? I have taken the ACT twice and the SAT three times; from what I can personally deduce, it's simply a matter of learning styles.
To me, the ACT was a more reading-based test, favoring the well-read rather than the well-reasoned. The SAT seemed to focus more on logic skills and had a stronger math base. Since I never really progressed passed elementary addition, my ACT scores were much higher than my SAT scores. I believe it is advantageous to all students to take BOTH tests. You never know how which one will be better suited to your testing style.

Making the most of your scores
For the seriously cash-strapped, look at smaller schools you may not have thought of before. A smaller institution can more adequately provide for your financial needs. Larger schools have enough students vying for spots; they simply don't need to "pay" bright kids to enroll. My test scores got me into several big-name schools, but they got me full tuition at several smaller universities. Beat the system by considering a school that caters to your needs.

Course Testing

This post could be adequately titled "Getting Your Freshman Basics Done in 1000$ or Less". It never fails to amaze me just how many students opt out of CLEP or AP tests because they have bought into a number of high school myths about course testing.

• Myth #1 -- "CLEP/AP tests are too expensive."
  I have to take a minute to laugh here, yet this absurd notion is the most recurring reason my peers give me for not taking course tests. Yes, AP/CLEP tests cost around 80$ each, which to a dependent high school student, is no small chunk of change. But consider how much that course would cost you in college. Depending on the cost of your school's tuition, it could save you as much as two thousand dollars per test. 80$ still sounding expensive? On top of that, some high schools offer AP exams to all students at a discounted price as a testing incentive and to disadvantaged students at a tenth of the cost.

  
  

• Myth # 2 -- "CLEP/AP tests are too hard."
  Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to completely abandon this notion - taking an AP test is definitely not a TAKS-esque experience. However, AP/CLEP tests are not scored the same way as regular tests in high school. The recommended passing score on a CLEP test is a 50, and most AP exams require you to correctly answer at least half the questions to score a three or above. Think you could pass with a 50? Then course testing could be right for you.

  
  

• Myth # 3 -- It's my senior year and I don't wanna bother with extra tests.
  Your funeral, friend. AP/CLEP can save you hours of tears and suffering later. Yes, it took me a month of reading and fifty-five pages of typed notes to prepare for the Western Civilization I CLEP test, but I saved myself a semester's worth of work and a few grand in tuition fees. Think of it as academic insurance. And what better time to work on CLEP/AP than your easiest year in high school? Utilize your free time while you can.

Alright, I'll take a test.
Great choice! Begin by researching the exams you want to take (all the information you could ever want is on www.collegeboard.com). Look at the information the test covers, the required skills, and get to studying. IMPORTANT: It is imperative that you research which AP/CLEP tests your proposed college accepts BEFORE testing. You don't want to fork out eighty dollars for a test you don't need to take.

How I Did It:

After deciding the exams I was going to take, I obtained textbooks for each of my proposed subjects. (You can visit your school bookkeeper to do this, or try a local library.) Once I had secured my materials, I simply read and took notes on the chapters that the test covered, made flash cards, and pounded the information into my head. I typed my notes (as I said before, 55 pages!) and put them into a three-ring binder. On test day, I was more than prepared and passed with flying colors.

Know your strengths.
I study best when my materials are well-organized, so I bought a three-ring binder and categorized and typed my notes. I'm also a visual learner and grasp concepts best when I read, so I spent hours in my textbooks. Knowing how you learn best can maximize your potential for passing CLEP/AP exams. Haven't the foggiest what a "visual learner" is? You can discover your own individual learning style here.

In Conclusion:
AP/CLEP testing is all about understanding your strengths and needs. Research what basic courses your college requires you to take, and decide which tests would be best for you. Maybe CLEP-ing out of Calculus is a little optimistic for your mathematical abilities, but chances are there will be at least one test that administers to your strengths. Passing AP/CLEP tests is all about knowing what you can do.

Check this site out:
www.free-clep-prep.com
This site offers user feedback and insight into every single course CLEP has to offer and is a great way to kickstart your study process.

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.

Overview

Absolute beginner? You've come to the right place, friend. Here, I'll debrief you on my general money-saving techniques:

• CLEP/AP testing. This is basically earning college credit before you actually enter college (testing out of courses will save you tons in the way of tuition, books, and fees.) Check out the Course Testing page for tips on acing these exams.
• SAT/ACT testing. These can be an invaluable scholarship booster -- test scores are often weighted much more heavily than GPA's because they are measured universally. Check out my Standardized Testing page for tips on how to effectively utilize your scores.
• Outside Scholarships. This is free money that you can apply for. Check out my Scholarship page for tips on creating out a winning scholarship application.
• Institutional options. Your chosen college may offer individual aid that you can't get anywhere else. Check out this page for tips on unearthing college-specific aid.
• Utilize your Resources. Check out this page for original tricks on padding out a resume and securing a fabulous letter of recommendation. Ingenuity is key.

Before you research out these pages, make sure you check out the Game Plan page. It will be the cornerstone of your finance-finding experience.

Good luck, and happy hunting!
-Megan

Introduction

Welcome! My name is Megan and I'm currently a freshman at Texas A&M University. I am a self-supporting college student, which in plain English translates to "broke". During my senior year of high school, I realized I had literally no money for college (parents, savings, loans, anything!) so I sought out several ways to finance my education. I found a wealth of information as I searched for financial aid (and in the end, I received full tuition and more.)

And that brings me to this blog. At the end of my labors, a lot of students kept asking me "how I did it". Thus I created this blog to answer your questions (as you'll see, it's quite a long answer.) Hopefully, this blog will bring you a few dollars closer to the degree of your dreams.

Check out the Overview page to begin.

Best wishes!
-Megan