When applying for scholarships, you want to follow all of the directions very closely and make sure all of the requirements have been met. Here are some tips to make sure your scholarship application is the best it can be.

• Take your ACT test as a junior in April or June, or as a senior in September or October. The December test date is too late to meet our December 1 scholarship deadline.
• Apply for admission and submit supporting documents (high school transcript and test scores) in advance of the December 1 deadline. It takes 24 hours to gain credentials for logging in to the scholarship site.
• Make sure your scholarship application is about you and who you are. It is OK to brag about yourself.
• In detail, tell us about all the activities you were involved in. Describe the activity if you are unsure whether a stranger would know what it is.
• Ask credible people to write your letters of recommendation. Best friends, parents, or siblings are generally not a good idea for letters of recommendation. You will need your recommenders’ email addresses to send the recommendation request.
• Be sure to give your recommender time to write a quality letter about you. As the deadline approaches, check in to ensure they have submitted your letter.
• Write your scholarship essay well in advance of the deadline. Consider asking a teacher, parent, or friend to proof it before submitting.
• Write about the essay topic and stick to it. Keep to the word limit. There are no bonus points for an extra long essay.
• Make sure your application is submitted by the December 1 deadline.
• Upon submitting your application, review the opportunities that may require additional items. If you want to be considered for those, be sure to complete the additional requirements by the December 1 deadline.