1. Presented by the MHS Professional School Counseling Department November 14, 2015

2.  Who Wins Scholarships?  Searching for Scholarships  Tips on Winning Scholarships  Scholarship Interview Tips  Q & A

3.  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 Cost of Attendance (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 Fastweb.com—October 2014

4. Majors Percentage Winning Average Award Math/Statistics23.2%$4,059 Engineering17.6%$3,075 Physical Sciences17.0%$3,180 Life Sciences16.9%$2,649 Education15.0%$2,420 Health14.8%$2,880 Social Sciences12.7%$3,063 Humanities12.5%$2,623 Computer Science11.1%$2,974 Business9.1%$2,828 Fastweb.com—October 2014

6. Cumulative GPA on 4.0 Scale High School GPA % Winning Scholarships College GPA % Winning Scholarships 0.0-1.95.7%7.0% 2.0-2.47.1%9.1% 2.5-2.99.5%10.7% 3.0-3.410.7%13.1% 3.5-4.018.7%18.8% Fastweb.com—October 2014

7. SAT Combined Score Probability of Winning a Scholarship < 7002.6% 700 to 8004.2% 800 to 9005.4% 900 to 10005.8% 1000 to 11007.4% 1100 to 12008.5% 1200 to 130011.2% 1300 to 140013.2% ACT Composite Score Probability of Winning a Scholarship < 152.6% 15-174.7% 18-205.6% 21-237.3% 24-268.3% 27-2911.1% 30-3614.2% Fastweb.com—October 2014

8.  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 six applications Essays can be reused and tailored to each new application  Don’t miss deadlines

10.  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. Also utilize your high school’s counseling website, and the financial aid website of the college you will attend.

11.  Look for local scholarships on bulletin boards near the guidance counselor or financial aid offices, or the library’s jobs and careers section  Churches, grocery stores, fast-food places, and your parents’ place of employment  Answer the optional questions on a scholarship matching service for twice as many matches  Pursue less competitive scholarships, such as small awards and essay contests, since they are easier to win. Small scholarships can add up to large sums of money that you can use toward your college expenses.

12.  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

13.  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

14.  Use a professional email address, such as firstname.lastname@gmail.com  Clean up the content of your social media accounts, 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

16.  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

17.  Make your essay unique and interesting  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 Have a teacher/counselor to review and give feedback

18.  Ask the recommender whether he/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 self addressed and stamped envelope and all required forms  Thank the recommender for writing the letter  Give the recommender at least two weeks notice to write your letter

20.  Practice, practice, practice  ALWAYS do research before-hand on the organization for which you are interviewing  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; do not wear cologne or perfume  Arrive 15 minutes early  Pay attention to the interviewer’s name  Be polite and send a thank you note afterward

21.  Conduct the interview in a quiet room  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

22. What is your greatest strength? When you are asked questions about your strengths, it's important to discuss attributes that will qualify you for the scholarship. The best way to respond is to describe the skills and experience that directly correlate with the scholarship you are applying for. Be prepared to answer by making a list of the qualifications mentioned in the scholarship posting. Make a list of your skills that match those listed. Then share your top related skills with the interviewer. Sample answer: My time management skills are excellent and I'm organized, efficient, and take pride in excelling at my work.

23. What is your greatest weakness? When you're asked what your greatest weakness is there are several different ways you can answer, including mentioning skills that aren't critical for the scholarship, skills you have improved on, and turning a negative into a positive. Never use the term "weakness" in your answers - you always want to focus on the positive when interviewing. Sample answer: An area that I may need to improve upon is that I am not particularly adept at conducting group presentations; however, my strength lies in being able to provide one on one communication with others.

24. Tell me about yourself. When you walk into an interview, remember to always expect the "tell me about yourself" question. Prepare ahead of time by developing your own 60-90 second personal branding statement that clearly tells who you are, your major strengths and the clear benefit that your interviewer receives. The advantages of this approach are that you'll quickly gain their attention and interest them in knowing more. You'll separate yourself from your competitors. You'll also have a higher chance of being positively remembered and hired. Examples—Share personal interests, avoid politics and controversy, transition from personal to professional, share your expertise.