I’m thinking about applying for scholarships, both local and national. I want to know if it’s really worth my time and effort. I’m totally ready to work hard and do what it takes, but I’m worried about spending hours on essays and applications if I don’t have a good chance of winning.
I’m an average student with a 3.7 GPA, not in the top 10 of my class. I don’t have sports or leadership roles, and I’ve never been in any clubs during high school. My extracurriculars are basically non-existent, and my ACT score is really low. There’s a reason for my lack of participation, but I’d rather not get into that right now.
So, do you think it’s worth applying for scholarships, or should I just skip it? I’d prefer to spend my time working out or reading instead if there’s no chance for me. If you can’t help me, could you at least suggest some scholarship organizations or websites? Thanks for reading.
(I know I sound a bit negative, but I’m just trying to be honest about my situation. Just got home from work and feeling a bit tired.)
This isn’t mediocre at all! You should give yourself more credit. Yes, you should apply to as many scholarships as you can, especially local ones. You’ll have less competition there!
Volunteered at church, coached little league, managed sports, and was a robotics coach senior year
Played sports only junior year
Worked in the family business
He’s not a minority but does have financial needs and is a first-generation college student.
He won enough scholarships to hopefully graduate without debt. So yes, it’s worth your time if you’re determined. My son spent over 320 hours applying last year. The key is your essays. Find someone who can help you edit them.
Darwin said: @Ellis
He probably got financial aid instead of merit-based aid.
You’re right; he didn’t receive any merit aid. He got Pell Grant money, and only five of the scholarships he won required showing financial need. He did win a scholarship from the college itself, but that was a real scholarship, not just aid.
Monica Matthews has a monthly email list and an ebook to guide you through the process.
Dave the Scholarship Coach at Scholarship GPS sends out a daily scholarship email and offers essay reviews, plus he has a great video course coming out.
Also, check professional organizations related to your major—they often offer scholarships only for members and can provide mentorship and networking opportunities. My son won one of these and received support for two years.
He doesn’t like writing and takes a long time to do it. I wanted him to focus on creating strong essays, so I did the searching for scholarships. When he got home from school, we’d go through options together to find the ones he liked. We used a shared Google doc to keep track of which scholarships he was applying for. Having someone to support you in the process really helps!
He wrote a 1200-word essay and trimmed it down for different scholarships. We had someone review his essays to ensure they were good before submission. Most of his applications used that main essay, but he also had a leadership essay and a work ethic essay, among others. It’s best to write about experiences that show how you’ve grown.
I’ll make another post with my search recommendations.
There are several need-based scholarships available for low-income students, if that’s your situation. Also, an eye-catching essay can make a big difference, so if you’re a good writer, that could help you stand out. Plus, there are many niche scholarships for specific interests that you might qualify for with little competition.