Greatness Your Discover, Capture & Embrace Scholarship Application Guidelines

Topics General information How to complete the application Essay tips Letters of recommendation Additional documentation Selection process Disbursement process Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

General Information A scholarship is a sum of money awarded to a student in order to help her further her education. Scholarship money can come from many different sources. The scholarships offered at EVC come from campus clubs, Associated Students, and private donors. All of the scholarships offered at EVC have specific eligibility criteria that must be met in order for your application to be considered. With a just a little effort you can apply for (and possibly win) money to help make your college dreams a little more affordable. Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Completing the Application Before starting the application you should decide which scholarships you want to apply to. Pay close attention to the specific criteria for each scholarship. You should only apply to the scholarship that you meet all the criteria. Scholarship name and amount Specific criteria Additional requirements Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Completing the Application Page 1 – Personal Identification Your application must be typed. No handwritten applications will be accepted. Type in your name (use the name you go by), student ID, address and phone number. You must have a valid email address. All communication about scholarships is done via email. Page 1 – Scholarships You can apply for up to 10 different scholarships on one application. Please type the entire name of each scholarship you are applying for. Page 2 – Personal Information Be sure to answer all 14 questions. Pay special attention to questions 9, 10, 11, 14 on the application. This is your opportunity to tell the selection committee about you. You want to really sell yourself. The selection committee takes all of this information into consideration when reviewing applications. Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Essay Tips The essay is the most important part of your scholarship application. The essay is what sets you apart from all of the other applicants. Follow these steps to a great essay: Step 1…Read the topic Step 2…Review essay requirements Step 3…Brainstorm Step 4…Create an outline Step 5…Write a rough draft Step 6 …Proofread your essay Step 7…Ask someone else to review your essay Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Essay Tips Step 1…Read the topic This is the subject of your essay. Most of the topics are specific and it is important that you stick to it. This is not the opportunity to write whatever you want to write. The selection committee wants to know if you are able to follow instructions. Step 2…Review essay requirements Unless otherwise specified your essays must be: 1-2 pages typed Double-spaced 1 or 1.25 inch margins Label each essay with your name and the name of the scholarship(s) The selection committee may downgrade your essay score if your essay does not meet the formatting requirements. Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Essay Tips Step 3…Brainstorm Before you start writing your essay, think about what you want to write in regards to the topic. Write down all your thoughts. There is no wrong way to brainstorm, just get your thoughts down. Step 4…Create an outline The purpose of the outline is to keep you focused while writing your essay so that you don’t go off topic. This is your chance to organize your brainstorming thoughts so that they make sense and flow nicely. Step 5…Write a rough draft Use your outline and begin filling in the different sections. Your first draft should be a starting point. It doesn’t need to have perfect grammar. Writing a rough draft can help reduce your anxiety because you know it’s not the final product.  Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Essay Tips Step 6…Proofread & revise your essay Work on your essay until you get to your final draft. It make take you 10 drafts -- that’s okay! Step 7…Ask someone to review your essay Ask friends and family to give you feedback. It always helps to have fresh eyes look at the essay. And then when you have that final draft in your hand, check the requirements. Make sure that your essay meets everything that is required.    Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Letters of Recommendation For your letters of recommendation you can ask your references to either: Write an original recommendation letter OR Use the form provided on the EVC Scholarships website Tips: Ask early! The person writing your recommendation is doing you a favor. Try your hardest to be considerate of their schedule. Be well prepared. Provide any necessary information that may be useful to the person writing your recommendation. Ask someone who is familiar with your abilities, skills and academic performance. Make sure you refer back to the scholarship description for the people you can ask to write your recommendation. It is never ok to ask a fellow student to give you a recommendation. Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Letters of Recommendation If you are using one letter of recommendation for multiple scholarships, list the name of each scholarship at the top of the letter and/or form. You do not need to make copies of the same letter and/or form. Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Additional Requirements & Documentation Many scholarships have additional requirements and may require additional documentation such as: Proof of participation in certain events Proof of membership to certain clubs or programs Proof of ASEVC membership You can use your Registration Statement from myWeb as proof Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Selection Process Winners for each scholarship are decided by at least 2 different and anonymous readers. Using a scoring sheet and a rubric, each scholarship application is scored and the total score determines the winner. In the case of a tie a 3rd reader will break the tie. Your application is scored based on the following Quality of your essay 5-point scoring system Quality of your recommendation letters Whether or not you meet all of the scholarship criteria. Bonus points may be given for overall neatness of your entire scholarship application. Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Disbursement Process You must meet the Fall 2014 enrollment requirements exactly as they are published in the scholarship listing. If you do not meet the enrollment requirements exactly, you forfeit the scholarship. If you have any outstanding fees at either Evergreen Valley College or San Jose City College, the amount outstanding will be deducted before the check is disbursed. Scholarships for continuing EVC students will be disbursed via the myEVCcard during the Fall 2014 semester. Scholarships for students transferring to a 4-year university will be sent directly to the transferring university after proof of enrollment has been provided by the student. That university will then disburse the scholarship according to their policies and procedures. Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Don’t Forget… ~Apply only for scholarships that you meet all criteria ~Answer every question on the application ~Make sure your essays address the required topic ~Proofread your essays ~Ask for letters of recommendation as soon as possible Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.

Greatness truly exists in all of us. ~Will Smith Discover, capture & embrace your greatness.