Flickr user Jenn Vargas
Assuming your getting close to college, we’re also assuming you’re applying for scholarships. A lot of scholarships. That can get pretty overwhelming, which is why you should make a scholarship application calendar. Now, we’re not talking about marking the days that a scholarship is due, we’re talking about a weekly or monthly scholarship application calendar where you set aside time to sit down and search for and apply to scholarships.
Why you should make a scholarship application calendar:
There are opportunities for scholarships year-round, not just in the summer or in the spring of your senior year of high school. Instead of dedicating entire days of your weekend or whole breaks to crafting up as many scholarships as possible, it might be a better idea to spread out the load over a longer period of time. Since there are scholarships available at any point in the year, there’s no point applying to a ton of scholarships at one point in time. Take your time and carefully put together your applications.
For example, what if you spent one hour a day, every other day, searching for and applying to scholarships? It’s not a ton of time in the long run. Or maybe you spend an hour doing your scholarship hunt on the weeknights you don’t have volleyball practice? The point is, find a time period within your normal schedule and squeeze in some scholarship time.
Don’t wait too long:
If you wait till the last minute and furiously try to apply to as many as possible, you’re going to miss out on a lot of great opportunities for financial aid. Maybe some scholarship applications will slip through the cracks. Maybe you end up completely missing the deadline by a few minutes. In any case, there are plenty of things that can go wrong if you rush your applications and send them in late. Instead, do yourself a favor and prepare early and regularly. This can help you build up a nice financial cushion, and do it in a far less stressful way.
Your calendar is important:
So print out your scholarship application calendar and post it above your desk, or enter it as an item on your phone. Treat it like you would a class or scheduled event, and you’re much more likely to follow through and actually use that time beneficially. Try to stick to your schedule, especially since you’re only spending an hour or two on scholarships every day.
And don’t forget, there’s no such thing as applying for too many scholarships. Obviously, don’t overwhelm yourself (and having a calendar can definitely help with that). However, only apply for scholarships you completely qualify for. It doesn’t matter if you have 4 out of the 5 requirements. Don’t waste your time applying; even though you meet most of the requirements, there are students applying who meet all the requirements. There are plenty of scholarships that fit you perfectly, so focus on those instead!
Good luck, scholarship hunter!
Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!
| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
6.97%-15.03%* Variable
5.99%-14.00%* Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CITIZENS |
 |
6.37% - 16.70% Variable
4.50% - 15.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT SALLIE MAE |
 |
4.98% - 16.70% Variable
4.07% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
 |
6.07% - 11.31% Variable
4.39% - 10.39% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
6.22% - 16.08% Variable
4.09% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ASCENT |
|
|
6.54% - 11.08% Variable
3.95% - 8.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ISL |
 |
5.62% - 18.26% Variable
4.11% - 15.90% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
 |
4.98% - 12.79% Variable
8.42% - 13.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ELFI |
