Scholarships in a Nutshell

As we close in on the cold days of winter and the flurries start to fly attention for seniors should shift to scholarships. With admission and financial aid applications in process or submitting, spending time each week on scholarships is the next step in working towards funding the future education and training you are working towards.

There are many pieces of the scholarship search and I'm going to touch on some here today - but for a complete look at the scholarship process you should join ICAN advisor Mary Joan Dougherty for her Scholarship Process LiveStream event this Thursday, December 6 at 6 p.m.

The Scholarship Process: A Guide for Seniors


You can register here.

Now - the scholarship process in a nushell.

The Search

  • Start with the colleges you've applied to. Check with admissions and financial aid and make sure you've completed the applications for their on campus scholarships. 
  • Talk to your school counselor about local opportunities.
  • Look at online searches - visit www.icansucceed.org/scholarships to get started.

Applications
Every applicaiton will be a little different but they all want the same basic information. Be sure to fill in all the questions, leaving nothing blank.

Essay
Write from your perspective and tell your story. Don't try to be overly clever or write about something you aren't truly familiar with. Your essay should reflect you.

Interview
Some scholarships may require an interview. Practice your interview skills with a parent, sibling, teacher, or counselor and be sure to work on your soft skills as well as how you answer questions about your future.

The scholarship process can be time-consuming and seem tedious, but truth be told, it's worth the time if you do it right. If you spend two hours working on a scholarship and receive $500, you just got paid $250 an hour - tax free!

ICAN Senior Alerts
If you aren't signed up for ICAN's Senior Alerts you really should. In addition to reminders about the process, each month you'll get a list of upcoming scholarships that are due in the next month. To sign up for the alerts visit www.icansucceed.org/signup.

Mary Joan is going to go A LOT deeper into this topic on Thursday so be sure and join her online at 6 p.m. You have to register and then you'll recieve a link to the online event. You can register here.

It's always worth your time to work towards making your future brighter and opening the door to oppotunities you have yet to imagine. So get out there and get started.


Brittania - ICAN Hiawatha Center