This document summarizes strategies for winning scholarships based on a talk by Mark Kantrowitz, a financial aid expert. It provides statistics on who typically wins scholarships and tips for finding, applying for, and retaining scholarships. Some key points are that having good grades, test scores, and applying to many scholarships increases chances of winning, and it's important to carefully follow application instructions and interview tips. The document cautions against scholarship scams and provides resources for finding legitimate scholarships.
Fostering Friendships - Enhancing Social Bonds in the Classroom
Scholarships
1. Secrets to Winning a Scholarship
Mark Kantrowitz
Publisher of Fastweb and FinAid
April 19, 2011
2. About the Author and this Talk
Mark Kantrowitz is Publisher of Fastweb.com
and FinAid.org, the two leading free web sites
about planning and paying for college
Mark is a nationally recognized expert on
student financial aid and a member of the board
of directors of the National Scholarship
Providers Association
This talk is based on Fastweb’s new book,
Secrets to Winning a Scholarship, which is
available through Amazon.com in both
paperback and Kindle formats for less than $10
3. Overview
Who Wins Scholarships?
Basic Strategies for Winning Scholarships
Searching for Scholarships
Tips on Winning Scholarships
Pitfalls and Dangers
After You Win a Scholarship
Top Ten Lists
Key Scholarship Resources
4. Who Wins Scholarships?
Very few students win a completely free ride
• Of students enrolled full-time at a 4-year college
– 0.3% get enough grants to cover the full COA
– 1.0% get enough grants to cover 90% or more of the COA
– 3.4% get enough grants to cover 75% or more of the COA
– 14.3% get enough grants to cover 50% or more of the COA
• Of students winning scholarships, more than
two-thirds (69.1%) received less than $2,500
More students at 4-year colleges win
scholarships
• 8.3% of students at 4-year colleges win scholarships
• 2.6% of students at 2-year colleges win scholarships
5. Some Majors are More Lucrative
Major
Percentage
Winning
Average
Award
Math/Statistics 23.2% $4,059
Engineering 17.6% $3,075
Physical Sciences 17.1% $3,180
Life Sciences 16.9% $2,649
Education 15.0% $2,420
Health 14.8% $2,880
Social Sciences 12.7% $3,063
Humanities 12.5% $2,623
Computer Science 11.1% $2,974
Business 9.1% $2,828
6. More Students with Good Grades Win
Cumulative
Grade Point
Average (GPA)
on a 4.0 Scale
High School GPA
(% Winning
Scholarships)
College GPA
(% Winning
Scholarships)
0.0-1.9 (D- to C) 5.7% 7.0%
2.0-2.4 (C to B-) 7.1% 9.1%
2.5-2.9 (B- to B) 9.5% 10.7%
3.0-3.4 (B to A-) 10.7% 13.1%
3.5-4.0 (A- to A) 18.7% 18.8%
7. Better Test Scores Mean More Awards
SAT
Combined
Score
Probability of
Winning
a Scholarship
< 700 2.6%
700 to 800 4.2%
800 to 900 5.4%
900 to 1000 5.8%
1000 to 1100 7.4%
1100 to 1200 8.5%
1200 to 1300 11.2%
1300 to 1400 13.2%
ACT
Composite
Score
Probability of
Winning
a Scholarship
< 15 2.6%
15-17 4.7%
18-20 5.6%
21-23 7.3%
24-26 8.3%
27-29 11.1%
30-36 14.2%
8. The Race Myth
Race
Percent of
Recipients
Percent
Winning
Average
Award
White 71.5% 14.4% $2,645
Black or African American 10.5% 11.4% $2,962
Hispanic or Latino 8.1% 9.1% $2,353
Asian 4.4% 10.5% $3,170
American Indian or Alaska
Native
1.4% 32.7% $3,967
More than One Race 3.4% 16.0% $4,891
All Minority Students 28.5% 11.2% $3,167
9. Strategies for Winning Scholarships
It’s a numbers game
• Even among talented students, who wins involves a
bit of luck, not just skill
• To win more scholarships, apply to more
scholarships, but only if you qualify
You can’t win if you don’t apply
• One in four students never applies for financial aid
It gets easier after your first 6 applications
• Essays can be reused and tailored to each new
application
Don’t miss deadlines
10. Searching for Scholarships
Start searching as soon as possible
• If you wait until spring to start searching, you will miss
half the deadlines
• There are many scholarships available to students in
grades 9, 10 and 11, not just high school seniors
• There are even scholarships for students in grades
K-8 and to current college students
Use a free scholarship matching service like
Fastweb
Look for scholarship listing books at the library
or bookstore, but check the publication date
11. More Ways of Searching for Money
Look for local scholarships on bulletin boards
near the guidance counselor or financial aid
offices, or the library’s jobs and careers section
Look in the coupon section of the newspaper
Answer the optional questions on a scholarship
matching service for twice as many matches
Look for near-miss matches
Pursue less competitive scholarships, such as
small awards and essay contests, since they are
easier to win, the money adds up and they help
you win bigger scholarships
13. Tips on Winning Scholarships
Prioritize your applications by deadline and the
expected value of the scholarship
Use a calendar and checklist to get organized
Create an accomplishments resume
Tailor your application to the sponsor’s goals
Read and follow the instructions
Make your application stand out from the crowd
Ask to be nominated
Practice on a copy of the application form
14. Writing a Winning Scholarship Essay
Answer the essay question orally and transcribe
the recording
Use an outline to organize your thoughts
Give examples and be specific
Personalize your essay and be passionate
Write about something of interest to you
Talk about your impact on other people
Proofread a printed copy of the essay for
spelling and grammar errors
15. Tips for Letters of Recommendation
Ask the teacher whether she can write you a
great letter of recommendation
The recommendation should be relevant to the
scholarship sponsor’s goal
Provide the recommender with a copy of your
accomplishments resume
Provide the recommender with a SASE and all
required forms
Thank the recommender for writing the letter
16. Acing the Scholarship Interview
Practice, practice, practice
Videotape a mock interview and review the
recording afterward
Wear appropriate business attire
Visit the restroom before the interview
Brush your teeth and wear deodorant
Arrive 15 minutes early
Pay attention to the interviewer’s name
Be polite and send a thank you note afterward
17. Telephone and Webcam Interviews
Conduct the interview in a quiet room
Use a corded phone, nor a cordless or cell
phone, and do not use a speakerphone
Clean the lens on your webcam
Make sure there is nothing embarrassing within
view of the webcam
Look at the webcam when you speak, not the
video of the interviewer
18. Other Scholarship Application Tips
Use a professional email address, such as
firstname.lastname@gmail.com
Clean up the content of your Facebook account,
removing inappropriate and immature material
Google your name to see what shows up
Make a photocopy of your application before
mailing it
Send the application by certified mail, return
receipt requested or with delivery confirmation
If rejected, ask for the reviewer comments
19. After You Win a Scholarship
Understand your college’s outside scholarship
policy and seek adjustments to the cost of
attendance or defer a scholarship if necessary
If your scholarship is renewable, review the
requirements for retaining eligibility
Tell the scholarship sponsors when you win a
major award or other recognition
Understand the taxability of your scholarships
• Amounts for tuition, fees, books, supplies tax-free
• Amounts for room and board, transportation and other
living expenses are taxable
20. Beware of Scholarship Scams
If you have to pay money to get money, it is
probably a scam
Never invest more than a postage stamp to get
information about scholarships or to apply for a
scholarship
Nobody can guarantee that you’ll win a
scholarship
Do not give out personal information like bank
account numbers, credit card numbers or Social
Security numbers
Beware of the unclaimed aid myth
21. Most Common Application Mistakes
Missing deadlines
Failing to proofread the application
Failing to follow directions (essay length, number
of recommendations)
Omitting required information
Applying for an award when you don’t qualify
Failing to apply for an award for which you are
eligible
Failing to tailor the application to the sponsor
Writing a boring essay
22. Top Ten Most Unusual Scholarships
1. Scholarship for Left-Handed Students
2. Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck at Prom Contest
3. David Letterman Telecommunications Scholarship
4. Zolp Scholarships
5. Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship
6. Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year Award
7. National Marbles Tournament Scholarships
8. Klingon Language Institute Scholarship
9. National Beef Ambassador Program
10.Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
23. Top Ten Most Prestigious Scholarships
1. Marshall Scholarships
2. Rhodes Scholarship
3. Winston Churchill Scholarship Program
4. Harry S. Truman Scholarships
5. Henry Luce Foundation Scholarship
6. Morris K. Udall Foundation Undergraduate
Scholarships
7. Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program
8. Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
9. Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest
10. National Merit Scholarship Corporation
24. Top Ten Most Generous Scholarships
1. Intel Science Talent Search
2. Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology
3. NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program
4. Elks National Foundation Most Valuable Student
Competition
5. Davidson Fellows
6. Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
7. Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships
8. Collegiate Inventors Competition
9. Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship
10. Gates Millennium Scholars
25. Top Ten Scholarships for Age 13 and Under
1. National Spelling Bee
2. National Geography Bee
3. National History Day Contest
4. Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest
5. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
6. Christopher Columbus Community Service Awards
7. Dick Blick Linoleum Block Print Contest
8. Gloria Barron Prize for Your Heroes
9. Patriot’s Pen
10. Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
26. Top Ten Scholarships for Community Service
1. Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
2. The Do Something Awards
3. Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship
4. Discover Card Tribute Award
5. Echoing Green Fellowship
6. The Heart of America Christopher Reeve Award
7. Kohl’s Kids Who Care Program
8. Samuel Huntington Public Service Award
9. National Caring Award
10. Youth Action Net
27. Top Ten Scholarships that Don’t Need an A
1. US Department of Education
2. AXA Achievement Scholarship Program
3. Horatio Alger Association Scholarships
4. Ayn Rand Institute
5. Girls Going Places Scholarship
6. Holocaust Remembrance Project Essay Contest
7. Americanism Essay Contest
8. AFSA National Scholarship Essay Contest
9. Red Vines Drawing Contest
10. Community Foundation Scholarships
The book has been a bestseller on Amazon.com, among the top 100 nonfiction books. There are 1-1/2 million scholarships worth more than $3 billion dollars. Mark wrote Secrets to Winning a Scholarship to help families find and win these scholarships.
STEM fields are more likely to win scholarships than non-STEM fields. Of students enrolled full-time at 4-year colleges, 17.0% of STEM win scholarships vs. 12.1% of students in non-STEM fields. These statistics are for students enrolled full-time at a 4-year college and seeking a Bachelor’s degree in the specified major.
But you can still win even if your grades aren’t stellar. Every scholarship sponsor is looking for the students who best match their criteria. Instead of academic talent, they might be looking for artistic talent or athletic talent or even something a bit unusual. One of Mark’s favorite unusual scholarships involves making a prom costume out of duct tape. That may seem gray and boring, but duct tape comes in many colors. The winners are incredibly creative and make amazing costumes. It’s a nice way of winning $5,000 each for you and your date.
Above average test scores twice as likely to win as below average test scores. Average SAT is about 1,000 and average ACT is about 21. SAT >= 1,000 (9.2%) twice as likely to win as SAT < 1,000 (3.8%) ACT >= 21 (9.0%) twice as likely to win as ACT < 21 (3.7%)
Minority students are less likely to win scholarships than white students enrolled full-time at 4-year colleges. White students are 61.8% of college population, but win 71.5% of the scholarships. Minority students are 38.2% of college population, but win 28.5% of the scholarships. This is probably not due to intentional discrimination, but rather because the sponsors of scholarships establish the scholarship programs based on their interests and values, and these criteria resonate more with students of the same race. For example, minority students are much less likely to pursue equestrian sports or water polo as Caucasian students and are more likely to major in business than in mathematics, science or economics. Geography may also have an impact.
It is very difficult for scholarship sponsors to choose between two extremely talented finalists for a scholarship, so the decision can often be arbitrary. Often there is no wrong choice for a winner. Skill gets you selected as a finalist, but the final choice of who wins may be purely random. So applying to more scholarships (for which you are qualified) will increase your chances of winning a scholarship.
Many families wait until the spring of the senior year in high school, missing half of the deadlines. Give examples of scholarships for younger students: Jif PB&J, Spelling Bee, Geography Bee, art, writing, community service, national marbles tournament (mibsters). If a scholarship listing book is more than one or two years old, it is too old to be useful. About 10% of scholarships change in some material way each year, such as a change in address or eligibility requirements. One of the advantages of online scholarship databases is the ability to update the database more frequently than in a book. Fastweb’s database is updated daily and the site will send you email when there is a new scholarship that matches your profile.
You can double your chances of winning a scholarship by being thorough in answering all of the questions in the background profile. Students who answer the optional questions match twice as many scholarships, on average, as students who answer just the required questions. The optional questions are there to trigger the inclusion of specific scholarships. It takes a little extra time to list all your hobbies, activities, affiliations and other attributes, but it is worth the effort. Near-miss matches can help encourage a student to improve their grades to qualify for more scholarships. Students often express disdain for small scholarships and essay contests, saying that they are not worth the effort. But it is precisely because fewer students apply that these scholarships are easier to win.
This graph shows how the number of scholarship matches increases when students answer more of the optional questions. This data is based on the Fastweb scholarship matching service, but other scholarship sites demonstrate similar results. About 30% of the questions in the Fastweb background profile are required and the rest are optional.
Expected value is the product of the chances of winning the scholarship with the amount you get if you win the scholarship. A less competitive scholarship with a lower top prize may have a higher expected value because your chances of winning are better. The accomplishments resume can help you complete the scholarship application and improve your awareness of your strengths and interests. It can also help your teachers write better letters of recommendation.
Most people can speak and think at a rate of 100 to 200 words per minute, but type or write at a rate of 35 to 60 words per minute. The act of writing interferes with the flow of thought. After you transcribe the recording, you can revise the essay to add structure through an outline of your thoughts. Such an essay will be more fluent and passionate, making it more interesting and lively. You should proofread a printed copy of the essay because it will be easier to find errors when you are looking at the essay in a different format. Don’t rely too much on the spelling and grammar checkers that are built into the word processing software, as these programs miss a lot of errors, such as valid-word spelling errors (e.g., its vs. it’s, though vs. through, principal vs. principle).
Be sure to thank the people who help you because you may want to ask them for more help later. It is very rare for students to say thank you, so by being polite you will stand out and make a good impression.
This may sound like common sense, but common sense is not all that common. If you don’t pay attention to the interviewer’s name, you will quickly forget it. This can lead to awkward situations later in the conversation. Asking how to spell the name can backfire if the interviewer has a common name, like S-M-I-T-H. Asking for a copy of the interviewer’s business card can help, especially since it gives you an address for sending a thank you letter. But respect the business card. Do not use it to pick your teeth or clean under your fingernails.
The voice quality on a corded phone is much clearer than on a cordless phone, cell phone or Skype connection. Try to place the webcam at the center of the video of the interviewer, so that you are always looking at the camera, instead of continually shifting your eyes to the side to look at the video. This can make you look distracted.
Just as you would want to present a professional appearance in a face-to-face interview, you need to have a professional appearance online. It can make a difference between winning and losing a scholarship. When you are asking someone for money, try to make a good impression. Scholarship sponsors are increasingly checking the online appearance of finalists to determine whether they demonstrate good judgment and will reflect well on the sponsor.
Keep receipts for books, supplies and equipment and ask the college for an adjustment to the cost of attendance if your total costs exceed the allowance within the student budget. The tax-free status of a scholarship when used for tuition, required fees, books and supplies requires the student to be pursuing a degree.
Unclaimed aid: The most common form of the unclaimed aid myth says that $6.6 billion went unclaimed last year. But this figure is based on estimates (not a tabulation) of employer tuition assistance, not scholarships, from a 1976-77 study by the National Institute of Work and Learning. The only scholarships that ever go unclaimed can’t be claimed. For example, the Zolp scholarship is available to students at Loyola University of Chicago who were born with a last name of Zolp. Most years they have one or two students who qualify. But some years they don’t. You can’t change your name to qualify, as the last name of Zolp must appear on your birth certificate and your christening certificate. Most scholarship scams are focused on getting you to pay them money. But you should also be careful about identity theft. If a scam artist has your bank account number, they can remove money from your bank account without your signature through a demand draft.
Unfortunately, Congress may have cut funding for the Byrd Scholarships.