Finding your best scholarship

Every year billions of dollars are given away for help with scholarships and by having your finger on the pulse you could be on the receiving end of some of it. If you're in the junior year of high school you should be aware of where to look and what to do. When you first start your research you'll find it pretty daunting with so much information available. But nothing worth doing is easy, and if you really want this help you'll be prepared to put in the time and effort to make it happen.

Most people still start their research with either the high school counselling office or the financial aid office and then move on to look at the civic and community organizations and the state Department of Education that all offer scholarships. Some are given for financial need whilst others are for extra curricular achievements. If you are of a certain ethnic origin or belong to certain religions you'll find that there also may be funds to help you. There are literally thousands of institutions, charitable foundations and other organizations that can give help. The main problem is wading through all the information.

Nowadays most people start their research on the internet which is fantastic but can we start with a word of warning? There are unscrupulous companies who are running scams. They will either ask for money to be sent to them or for your personal (including banking) details. Don't become involved with anything that you think might be suspicious; there are plenty of good, reputable people who want to help you. When you start making your enquiries be specific about the search that you're going to make. If, for instance, you enjoy writing poetry and feel that you have a real talent in this area, type 'creative writing college scholarship' into the search rather than just 'scholarships'. This will cut down the number of decisions you have to make and weed out any that aren't suitable.

Be aware that if you are awarded a scholarship, you'll probably have to renew it annually and so you need to prepare for this at the outset. If you're working on the Internet, the chances are that you'll be warned by email and have regular information about the various scholarships.

Take great care with your application and make it look absolutely perfect. The people who will read it will be reading thousands and you need yours to stand out. They need to see that you are someone with potential and you're going to use your education wisely. Tell them what makes you tick and what areas you feel you are good at. Tell them how you've helped other people and what you want to do with your life. Let them know that you are focussed and that you set yourself goals that you try very hard to achieve, but that you can also cope with failure and learn by it. This is a very positive exercise that everyone should do whether they're applying for a scholarship or not!

Winston Fiennes is the owner and editor of www.collegefront.com a premier resource for college and scholarship information on the Internet. For more information following this article please pay a visit.