Thursday, January 22, 2009

College Scholarships: What Makes a Good Candidate

By Mary Poodel

It is no secret that attending college can be expensive. Whether you have been saving up money to pay for your college tuition, or you have little money to put towards your education, it can be hard figuring out how you are going to pay your tuition bill each semester.

There are many resources available that can help with the pain of paying your college tuition. Some students choose to take out student loans each semester to cover their tuition bill. Unfortunately, they will have to pay back those loans after graduating from college. Good alternatives to loans are college scholarships.

The good thing about college scholarships is that, unlike student loans, you won't have to pay them back after graduation. Another good thing about scholarships is there are many available to apply for-which increases your chances of being awarded one or more.

While some college scholarships can be relatively easy to apply for, others have a more intense application process. For almost all scholarships, you will have to complete an application.

Be sure to completely read the applications for all college scholarships that you are applying for. You should be sure that you meet the qualifications of the scholarship to avoid filling out an application for a scholarship which you don't have a chance of being awarded.

If you are involved in any extracurricular activities, be sure to list them on your application. Scholarship reviewers like to see what accomplishments and awards you have received, so list all that you can think of on the application.

If you are applying for multiple college scholarships, be sure to vary your application responses and application letters. The people that will be reviewing the scholarship applicants will likely have read many applications and will be able to spot a generic application letter that was used in several applications.

Take some time to think about what sets you apart from the other applicants and highlight this in your application letter. Think about what makes you unique and how you can showcase this. The application reviewers will be reviewing many applications and will be looking for a unique candidate that stands out from the others. - 16732

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