I don’t have the best grades (3.74 GPA unweighted, 4.5 weighted), no test scores, and just okay extracurriculars. My family doesn’t have much money, so I really need scholarships, but it’s frustrating to spend hours on applications that I probably won’t win.I’m a Black female, low-income, parents are immigrants, and I want to go into STEM.Does anyone know of any small scholarships that are open now? If they’re for Maryland students, that would be even better!
The truth is, all scholarships are competitive because everyone wants free money. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. First, check out Maryland’s grant program and fill out your FAFSA—that’s the easiest way to get money based on financial need.Think of it this way: If you apply to 30 scholarships and only win one for $10,000, was it worth it? How many hours would you have to work at a job to make that much? A LOT. If you recycle your essays, applying gets faster, and your chances go up.Focus on local scholarships—ask your school counselor. Look for ones specific to you (minority, first-gen, STEM, female, low income). The more specific the scholarship, the fewer people can apply, which increases your odds.Most people don’t like complicated applications, so apply to those. For example, video scholarships get way fewer applicants than essay ones. And don’t waste time on huge national sites like bold.org—they’re too broad and not worth the effort.What’s your exact field in STEM? Search for scholarships from companies in that industry. A lot of great ones aren’t listed on the big databases.Your GPA is fine, and most scholarships don’t even care about test scores. Focus on making your extracurriculars sound impressive. You’re basically marketing yourself. Don’t use AI to write your essays, but you CAN use it to brainstorm ideas. For example, type in your extracurriculars and ask for ways to describe them in a strong way.Set aside time every day or week to apply for scholarships. Treat it like a part-time job for now. Yes, you’ll get rejected a lot, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve the money. It just means there were a lot of people applying, and only one could win. Keep going!
@Ridge
Also, look into community colleges. With federal and state grants, you could cover tuition completely at most of them.
Have you checked Maryland’s grant programs? Grants are better than scholarships since you don’t have to compete for them. Here’s the link: State Financial Assistance Programs & Applications