• Begin building an academic and personal record as early as your first year in high school.

• Maintain good grades and enroll in college prep courses.

• Get involved in your community through your school, church, or local organizations.

• Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses; utilize your strengths by participating in school clubs, extracurricular activities, athletics, and summer workshops or internships. Work to improve your weaknesses by seeking assistance from parents, teachers, faculty members, and tutorial services.

• Establish goals for your educational and career objectives.

• Find a mentor who is willing and able to advise you throughout your high school or college education.

• Begin researching scholarship opportunities on the web, at your local library or community organizations, with your high school counselor, and/or college financial aid offices as early as your first year in high school.

• Create a resume to include your academic and personal accomplishments and use it as a guide in applying for scholarships.

• Create a list, with deadlines, of scholarship opportunities that meet your needs and for which you meet all eligibility requirements and qualifications.

• Download or request applications at least two months in advance or as soon as applications are available.

• Build a network of educators and peers who are willing to write letters of recommendation, proofread your application materials (personal statement, essays, etc.), and guide you throughout the application process.

• Take advantage of as many scholarship opportunities as possible by establishing a timeline (i.e. committing yourself to completing and submitting two scholarship applications per week over a two month period).

STEP THREE:  Complete Your Scholarship Applications
Being organized and prepared in advance is key. With the numerous scholarships available it's hard to keep track of all the documents you need to submit for each program. Here are some important things to remember when applying for a scholarship:

Before completing the application, verify that you meet all of the eligibility requirements and other qualifications.

Answer ALL questions and submit ALL required documents (each year, many applicants are disqualified from consideration due to an incomplete application).

Request additional documents, such as transcripts or letters of recommendation, well in advance of the scholarship deadline.

• Your Letter of Recommendation: Give the recommender at least two weeks so that he or she has time to do a diligent job for you. Provide your recommender with the Letter of Recommendation Form included with the application in order to ensure that he or she addresses relevant topics.

• Your Essays: Generic essays are easy to detect. Make certain that you answer all the essay questions and that you cover all required topics using specific examples.

• Proofreading: Have a peer, teacher, faculty or mentor proofread your application and essays before submitting them.