EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 July Issue | Page 31

Applying for Scholarships
and Loans
Most if not all top universities offer
scholarships for their students. So, what
are you waiting for? Start preparing
your applications. You just need to do
some research, such as what kind of
scholarships they are, where to get
them and criteria needed to be eligible.
Although putting together a successf ul
scholarship application can be timeconsuming and quite exhausting, the
fruits of your labour will be worth it when
you are successful at the end.

• Deadlines and Research
Before doing anything, always check
the deadlines of the applications. The
last thing you want to do is to prepare
everything and realise that they are not
accepting applications anymore. So,
mark the due dates on the calendar,
your phone, and computer desktop anything that reminds you of the due
date so you don’t miss it. Then, work
your way backwards to ?gure out how
much time you have left to ?ll in and
submit the applications.
Another thing worth noting is,
start your research early. Never put
unnecessary pressure on yourself and
build up the anxiety. Instead of putting
everything off to the last minute and
apply for the scholarship that you’d die
to get your hands on, you can get more
options if you start early and search
for the ample scholarships available to
you. With good time management, the
process of completing your application
– scholarships research, information
request and form application – will be a
breeze and you might even have extra
time after that to pamper yourself for
the good job you have done.

• Eligibility
Know what you are actually looking for.
In this case, you need to ?nd out what
scholarships you are actually eligible
for. Why spend unnecessary time and
effort in applying for those that you
are not even entitled to when you can
spend the precious time by applying
for those that you are suitable for and
increase your chance at scoring a good
scholarship? Spend your time working
on applying for those.

• Organisation
While working on your scholarship
application, lessen your headache with
good organisation. For starters, come
up with a separate ?le, consisting of
only your scholarship material such as
high school transcript, standardised
test scores, ?nancial aid forms, parents’
?nancial information, essays, letters
of recommendations, and proof of
eligibility for the scholarship. You
might also need to prepare for an
interview. Other than that, an audition
or portfolio might be required if
you’re competing for a talent-based
scholarship. With a separate folder for
your scholarship ?les, you will always
know where to ?nd it and it will be
easy to update. You will also be able
to keep track of the multiple due dates
of your scholarships. Maybe you could
stick a scholarship due dates list in big
red marker in front of your folder to
make sure you are on track.

• Instructions and Information
Follow the instructions given. If it is
stated that your essay should be less
than a thousand words long, don’t
submit one with a thousand and one

words. Keep to the word limit. Don’t
send in supporting materials if they are
not requested.
Then, include all the required
information and provide the correct
ones. Make sure that you provide
whatever that is required of you in your
application. You don’t want to miss a
thing; it simply does not make the best
?rst impression, especially if you omit
speci?cally requested information. The
correct information, such as your name,
address, contact number and such, is
important for a smooth processing and
to avoid any delays as well as making
you look professional with everything
done ?awlessly.

• Check and Re-check Your
Application
Before submitting your complete
application, you should always
proofread your applications or ask
someone reliable to proofread it for
you. Make sure that all the necessary
blanks are ?lled and run spell checks
and grammar checks. If you do
not know how to ?ll in part of the
application, do not hesitate to call up
the scholarship sponsors. Ensure that
your handwriting is legible to others
and printed in a neat manner. Another
important thing to note is your reused
materials. With a few applications that
you are ?lling in, you are bound to use
the same one, such as a cover letter or
essay. In this case, make sure that you
are ?lling in the correct names.
Last but not least, remember to sign and
date your application. It is also a good
idea to keep copies of your application
for records purposes or just in case the
application materials get lost during
delivery. This suggests that you should use

EASYUNI Guide 2013

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