The Truth About Scholarships

“How can I win a scholarship?”

It’s a frequent question in the college planning world. Students and parents have all sorts of wild ideas about how to “win” a scholarship. There are a lot of myths and assumptions about scholarships, based on an observation of who might be receiving large awards in your midst. But aside from some basic steps, there is no magic formula to landing that free ticket to college.

Scholarships are earned

First of all – students don’t “win” scholarships. Scholarships are EARNED – based on the criteria of the award.

Not just for low income or minorities

Secondly – while it’s easy to jump to conclusions that scholarships only go to low income minorities - that is idea is not true. Scholarships go to students who actively pursue them. If it seems like scholarships in your area are all going to low income minority students, think for a minute about what demographic is going to be working the hardest to earn a scholarship.

Middle income families

Over the past 20 years or so, I have seen plenty of middle to upper-middle class students accept scholarships and grants at UCs, CSUs and private colleges, along with  many schools outside of California.  These are students who made scholarship application a priority. Students who earn scholarships are typically those who set aside a few hours each week to search, prepare and apply for scholarships. They worked at it.

Parents’ message about college funding

I’ve counseled with hundreds of parent/student teams planning for college in all economic groups. Frequently I’ve heard parents say, (in the presence of their teenagers) “Whatever it costs, he’s going to college.”  When a parent clearly assumes total responsibility for paying for college – the student is not going to make scholarship application a priority.

So what’s the secret?

Apply – The only thing I am sure of, is that if you do not apply for a scholarship, you will not receive it.

Search for the right scholarships.

Do your homework and research scholarship possibilities. Don’t waste time on scholarships if you are not well qualified for their criteria. Do spend time on those where you shine.

Prepare for the application.

Nearly all scholarships will require at least a couple letters of recommendation and a transcript. Order transcripts now, and get letters of recommendation secured. Make several copies of both. An organized high school resume’ will also be helpful and can usually be inserted into an application.

Present a theme about yourself

Students who develop a theme on their scholarship application will benefit by showing their passion and potential in a field of study or career interest. My observation after administering over a half million dollars in scholarships is that students who declare a major are viewed to be stronger scholarship applicants. So even if you are planning to enroll as an undeclared major, for scholarship purposes, I suggest that you at least declare an area of interest.  

File for Federal and State funding

To receive any college or university scholarship/grant - students must file a FAFSA, even for merit awards that do not use financial need as criteria. 

Decide how important the money is

Several of the CSUs and many private colleges offer merit scholarships, designed to recruit high achievers away from the UC or other top tier universities. These are usually from colleges that are not on the radar of a high achieving student.

 If money is a defining factor for college, consider applying to a CSU or private or out-of-state college that is willing to pay you to attend. Usually these awards are called “President’s Scholars” or something similar and information about them is readily available on the college financial aid websites.

While no one should attend a college simply because of funding, students may find honors programs or opportunities within a less prestigious school,  that are a very good fit for their academic goals.

There are no guarantees

While I have enjoyed watching hundreds of students accept scholarships during my career, I have also witnessed great students, with tremendous potential, disappointment in not receiving scholarships.

Have a backup plan

Sometimes, there is no reason or logic in scholarship selection and it can be very disheartening. Parents and students must be realistic about how much of their college expenses can actually be covered by scholarships or student loans,  and how much the family can afford to pay on its own. This can be a difficult conversation, but it’s far better to decide on a backup plan now (this might include to live at home and attend a community college) rather than the night before the intent to register deadline.

Bottom line

Students who are emotionally invested in the scholarship process, and willing to spend time on the preparation and application, are the students who receive scholarships.

Summer and community service

As summer approaches, it’s tempting for students to plan nothing for those 12 weeks, other than sleeping until noon, relaxing in the sun and vegetating with social media. But students who sincerely want to build strong college applications know that summer is their opportunity to fit non-academic commitments into their schedules, which can set them apart from the masses. It’s not enough to take a plethora of AP classes and earn top grades, for acceptance into top tier colleges. Applicants need recognition beyond their schools, if they intend to be competitive. Community service is one of the best ways to achieve this.

A great way to gain experience and develop a more diverse profile, is to volunteer. Non-profit organizations welcome student volunteers in a wide variety of areas. Students can volunteer for a few hours, a week or two, or the entire summer. Depending on the student’s maturity and interest levels, it’s not usually not too hard to find something to do, that benefits others. There are dozens of non-profit organizations in our region, such as city recreation departments, local chambers of commerce, libraries, schools, churches, civic groups, environmental groups, health awareness campaigns and even private industries that welcome youthful volunteers.

Volunteering is a great way to learn about an industry or occupation. Students who aspire careers in law, public speaking, politics or even policy making can benefit from volunteering at the state capitol. Students interested in health care can quickly find out if they are emotionally equipped to work in a hospital setting, by volunteering in the junior auxiliary. Potential engineers can discover what employees in that world do each day. Students are often surprised to learn that some engineers wear jeans to work, visit construction jobsites and get dirty on the job regularly. Every industry has a culture that students can access when volunteering, which helps with career exploration.

Volunteering is also a way to begin a professional network. While a 15-year-old might not think that a professional network is important yet, sometimes a volunteer supervisor can provide an excellent letter of recommendation for a college application or scholarship application. The expression, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” has merit in our region. Sometimes volunteering leads to interning which leads to part time employment and ultimately a full time profession. When students volunteer, they reveal character, work ethic, integrity and other qualities that impress employers.

A truly profound volunteer experience will probably require some prep work on the part of the student, before the actual volunteering begins. Many organizations pre-screen potential volunteers, train them and some even require immunizations (such as hospitals) before students are allowed to volunteer. Many have dress codes, office protocol and other requirements that students are expected to learn and observe. This is the hallmark of a great place to volunteer – a place where students are well prepared to be of value to the organization. If you are asked to pre-screen, provide references, or be drug-tested prior to volunteering, it is a testament to the organization’s commitment to making your experience positive and worth your time.

For more information on volunteering, visit our website:  Community Service

Denied or Waitlisted College Applications

It’s the season of celebration or commiseration, as high school seniors began receiving notification of admission to the University of California, California State University, Stanford, USC, Ivy League schools and other institutions across the country. With it comes the thrill of goals achieved, or the heartbreak of devastated dreams.

To further impact the admission status of applicants, the University of California, along with some of the CSUs have adapted a Wait List admission policy, similar to what the Ivy League schools have used for years. This is another form of admission denial, that just seems to prolong the agony of rejection, and often doesn’t provide an answer until well into summer, and long after student intent to enroll deadlines.  Waitlisted admits regularly miss housing deadlines, orientation and incoming freshmen events.

When a student is denied admission, the first question is, “why?” With many top tier colleges turning down as much as 90 percent of their applicant pool, there are thousands of highly qualified, denied students asking the same question. And while it hurts to be denied, it’s not personal; nor is it an indicator of the applicant’s potential to succeed at college. It’s simply the result of a process that requires admissions evaluators to find the best fit for their campuses. Overall, I think they do a good job of matching incoming students with their current student body. Occasionally, I think they miss out on amazing students.

A common reason high achieving students are denied admission is failure to thoroughly follow the admissions process or simply missing a deadline. Nearly all communication is completed through a college website portal, where students are advised of tasks or items needed to complete or verify their applications. Frequently, I encounter students who did not open their portal accounts. Equally common are students who did open the portal account, but failed to check it or follow through with tasks or requested items. It is highly unlikely that a top tier university will admit a student by appeal, for failing to follow basic admission procedures.

So what option does a student have if he receives a denial of admission to his first choice college? Is there any hope of appeal? What if the reply is “Waitlist?”

Most universities discourage appeals, and grant few, if any. But the University of California undergraduate admission website does give information on what will be reviewed if a student does appeal. “New and compelling information” is the only hope a student has. This is good advice for an appeal to any university. UC How to Appeal

To determine if a student has new or compelling information, he needs to first look at the original application. Is everything there that he submitted? Frequently I find students who don’t have a printed copy of the application. They honestly don’t know what was on the application they sent to impress admissions reviewers. 

Students can access their applications on the college application website. Print a copy and confirm that all courses are listed, that all the awards, activities, volunteer hours, employment, etc. are there. Verify that the student directed the College Board or the ACT to send the test scores to the college. If the college required letters of recommendation, contact the admissions office to be certain that those letters arrived and are in the student’s application file.  Review the essays or personal statements. Try to determine if the student left something important out of the application that he had intended to send, or should have sent.

Then the student should evaluate what new information he has to tell the college that is germane to admission. Being named a National Merit Scholar or class valedictorian might be considered new information, but keep in mind that at a highly selective university, these kinds of honors will be common, so that alone won’t be helpful. New information might include a new, higher SAT score or a community college course you forgot to list. Achieving some kind of talent recognition such as being named to an Olympic team, a Regional Ballet Company or winning a national level speech contest, would be considered new information, if it happened since you submitted the application.

Compelling information is the other option for students to submit an appeal. Each year I find myself astounded at what a high school senior thinks is compelling information. The fact that you will be a fourth generation to attend the highly selective college is not compelling. Compelling information must be just that – compelling the admissions office to reevaluate your application because of this information.

Compelling information is that you are homeless, but you’re still getting straight A’s; and you just found out that you have free housing a few blocks from their campus. Compelling information is that you didn't report that your lower grades from sophomore year were the result of living in an abusive household and that you were too embarrassed to reveal it on the original application. Compelling must be serious, related to your application or college plans, and above all it must be something truthful, that you can document.

As students struggle with college dreams shattering with the click of an opened an email, I believe it’s important to deal with the feelings of disappointment… for 24 hours.  

I think students (and often parents) need to take those 24 hours to mourn for the loss of their dreams. After grieving for a day or so, everyone needs to “get over it,” and move forward. Students must begin to focus on the college admission offers they have received and begin a successful college experience that is just a little different than they had imagined.

An appeal is the first thing a student considers when being told “no.”  But appealing is risky and usually results in a second denied offer of admission, so it’s imperative that college-bound students who appeal, make plans to attend a college where they have been admitted, while they wait for the appeal answer.

For more information on how to appeal and a sample appeal letter, visit our website 

WSCA How to Appeal  .

Spring and Summer are Important for College Applicants

Acceptance at top tier colleges is often viewed as a mystery. Highly selective schools boast about the number of applications received each year and the low percentage they accepted. These competitive colleges use a holistic evaluation of applicants, looking for students who will contribute to the vitality of their campuses. High grades or test scores are not enough to gain admission to our nation’s top schools.

It is critical for students to begin to build a strong college application early in high school. This will provide s0lid evidence of their potential on a college campus. Students who aspire to attend top tier colleges will benefit from exceeding all the recommended academic requirements and test score averages. This means advancing in college prep courses throughout high school and developing academic areas outside of class time. Admission to a highly selective college requires being a “stand out” in multiple areas. A hopeful applicant must provide clear evidence of passion, initiative, commitment, responsibility, leadership and academic promise.

Your best evidence that you will succeed in college, is your high school success. Spring semester of junior year is the final semester before submitting most college applications. This is the most important semester listed on a high school transcript, when it’s being reviewed on a college application. Colleges will look at your senior course work and base admission evaluation assuming that your senior year will be completed at the same academic performance level or better, than previous grades. So essentially – the junior year grades are superimposed on your senior courses by college admission offices. If there was ever a time to “kick it in high gear” academically, it is spring semester junior year!

But top tier colleges want more than strong academic students. Students can discover where they are “weak” on a college application by simply checking one out. Since nearly all applications are now submitted electronically, visit the college admission website and look for the option to print an application. Students may complete the paper application and note which section on the application is weaker, then focus on how to improve this section. For example, the University of California has five sections for students to share information. There’s a section for academics, awards and honors, activities in and outside of school, volunteer work and employment. If students discover that they are loaded with activities, but only have one or two volunteer items to list, it’s time to find volunteer options for the summer.

Summer is a perfect time for students to gain life experiences that will increase the depth of their college application. It’s a great window to experience areas that stretch comfort zones and develop an awareness of needs outside our community. It’s a time to begin a part time job or assume a leadership role in a summer activity. Spending time studying for SAT or ACT exams can also be beneficial. Students should be cognizant that in building a strong college application requires participation to be honest and meaningful. College admissions officials can spot a resume’-builder right off, so be sure that you are sincerely interested in any activity, job, or volunteer opportunity you begin.