How to Win College Scholarships

Finding and applying for scholarships is quick, easy and free when you get matched to them by creating a profile at Scholarships.com. In just a few minutes, you’ll be matched with scholarships that fit you. You can also use our Scholarship Directory if you would like to search by category and then check to see if you qualify for each one.

Once you receive your customized list of scholarships, you might wonder how to begin applying and increasing your chances of winning. Believe it or not, there’s a strategy to winning scholarships, and Scholarships.com offers the best approach. Follow these steps to maximize your success:

How to Conduct a Free Scholarship Search

It's important to remember that the more detailed and complete your profile is, the better we are able to match scholarships to you. Let us know which sports you like and include any artistic interests you may have. What majors are you considering? Add all of them from our extensive list of majors. What organizations do you belong to? All of these can be a factor when you are searching for scholarships for college.

Categorize and Organize Your Scholarship Matches

Use the convenient icons on each of your scholarship matches to organize them, keeping track of which you like the most, which you have applied to and so on. Create a spreadsheet you can easily share online with your counselor(s), parents, etc. so they can help you along the way. Include key details such as deadlines, award amounts, announcement dates, and any additional information.

Establish a Scholarship Application Plan

Now that you have your list, which scholarships should you apply to first? It’s entirely up to you, but we recommend starting with scholarships that are the best fit for you and have the nearest deadlines.

Consider your odds of winning. It can be tempting to apply exclusively for scholarships that are worth a large amount of money, but those are generally going to be VERY competitive and your odds of winning them are going to be much smaller. Consider applying for some low competition scholarships, too! Below are just a few of the reasons you should consider smaller scholarships.

1. Large scholarships often attract thousands, possibly tens of thousands of applicants, while smaller scholarships tend to have fewer applicants, increasing your chances of winning.
2. Many smaller scholarships are designed for specific demographics, majors, interests, or even hobbies. This can make you a stronger candidate for them!
3. Winning multiple smaller scholarships can equal or even surpass the value of one large scholarship.

We’re not saying you should not apply for the big ones, just that you might find the smaller ones more accessible. Apply for a mix of large and small scholarships to increase your overall chances.

Focus on those scholarships that align with your unique background, interests, or intended field of study. Read the description of each and determine how likely you are to win.

Gather Your Application Materials

Make sure you have all the required materials for each scholarship application to avoid disqualification. This may include test scores, personal statements, resumes, recommendation letters, or essays. Carefully read the application requirements for each scholarship. You can also use the Scholarships.com Scholarship Application Checklist to stay organized while gathering your materials. Keep track of deadlines and requirements to ensure you don’t miss out on any opportunities.

Be sure to mark each in your Scholarship Matches list as Favorite, Applied, Won, or Deleted so you will stay organized and can easily continue the search and apply process when you return to Scholarships.com. View the screen-shot on the next page for an example.

Smaller scholarships allow you to personalize your application more, making it easier to stand out. This may include an essay requirement. Unless the provider requires a unique essay, you may be able to use one essay for more than one application. Regardless, while more time and effort is required, this can be a great opportunity to stand out and win.

It’s important to find scholarships that are tailored to you and you can create a profile on Scholarships.com in around five minutes. You will likely get matched to 100-200 scholarships, many of which will be those smaller, less competitive scholarships that are a bit more accessible and for which you stand a better chance of winning. You can sort by dollar amount, too! Check out a few scholarships that are $1,000 - $3,000 and you might find them to be much less competitive.

Apply Early and Often

You can’t win if you don’t apply. Most scholarship providers won’t accept late applications, so make sure to apply before deadlines. Applying for scholarships isn’t a one-time event. You may need to apply for several scholarships before winning one, and the more you apply, the greater your chances of success. Continue searching and applying for scholarships throughout your undergraduate and graduate studies to cover the costs of higher education.