Going to college is expensive—regardless of your school or course of choice—that’s why applying for scholarships is crucial! It might be daunting at first, but here’s a no-nonsense dos and don’ts list to help you!

Do your research

It is important that you know what you’re getting yourself into! You can find scholarships that best fits you not only in the internet but also through other ways—try asking your principal, look for corporations that sponsor college kids, and scour organizations in your school and city government. Researching will help you gear up when applying for scholarships as well as prepare you towards your potential life as a scholar.

Do try to keep your grades up

Although not all scholarships are based on grade point averages, almost all of them require a certain grade to actually qualify you for the scholarship. The important thing is to try to keep your grades as high as possible even if you’re not applying for an academic scholarship. This will ensure that you will not be automatically disqualified in the scholarship you’re applying for.

Do apply to as many scholarships as you can

Applying to various scholarships will increase your chances of getting in one. Remember that even if you think you are qualified for a scholarship, there are thousands like you who are also applying—some of them even have better credentials than you.

Do stay organized

It’s better to submit scholarship applications ahead of time so you have extra time if you missed out on other documents that need to be submitted. It’s easy to lose track of the requirements if you’re busy applying for a number of scholarship programs. Start early and make a checklist of what you need to submit and when you need it to avoid any missed requirement or deadline.

Don’t make assumptions

Just because a sporting brand is offering a scholarship, it doesn’t mean that it’s only for student-athletes. Many organizations offer scholarships for every kind of student whether you’re a star athlete or not. It’s also important to remember that you don’t need to be someone “special”—that is be the president of your class or an honor student—to qualify for different scholarships. There are scholarships that cater to specific ethnicities, merits, disciplines, and the like.

Don’t submit the same essay to multiple scholarship programs

As tempting as it may be, submitting the same essay over and over again is not a good idea. Different scholarships need different types of essays because not every program has the same selection criteria. It is important to personalize your essay according to the requirement asked of you.

Don’t solely rely on spell-check for your essay

As effective and efficient as computers are, they are bound to miss errors. They also don’t have the capacity to check the quality of the content. Make sure you proofread your essay and make someone read it to give you feedback. Listening to feedback, good or bad, is helpful in polishing your essay.

Don’t get discouraged

Rejections are part of applying for scholarships. Just because you were rejected the first two times you applied, it doesn’t mean that you’re not gonna find a scholarship that best suits you. Remember to apply early so that you can move on from another scholarship program if the previous one didn’t work out.

Scholarship applications are definitely not easy, but with a little luck and a lot of hard work, you may be able to score a scholarship that will help you get through your college education.

Interested in getting a scholarship? You can check Edukasyon.ph’s scholarships page to look for one that fits you.