From Zero to Hero – in a Jiffy: How one student earned a $10,000 scholarship

In our series on our successful scholarship applicants, we have a real treat for you – meet Sarah, a 2020 high school graduate who earned $10,000 from the HonorsGradU Design A Better Future Scholarship using the ScholarshipOwl platform! By sharing Sarah’s story with you, we hope to inspire you to keep applying to scholarships. It is so important to develop an effective scholarship application strategy. Sarah has some great tips to share – and some of those tips might just help you to earn scholarships too. 

Enjoy, and keep on applying!

Meet Our Superstar

Tell us about your plans for college and what you want to do once you graduate?

At the University of Chicago, I’m planning to major either in Business Economics or Psychology and minor in Cinema & Media Studies!

Though I don’t exactly have a set career path in mind, I would love to help budding social entrepreneurs and develop a social venture of my own. Currently, I’m producing affordable antiviral masks that accommodate varying facial structures and features. As I gain more experience and have access to more startup-friendly resources throughout college, I hope to grow this initiative and reduce respiratory health disparities.

You’ve won $10,000 in scholarships so far. That’s amazing! How does it feel to win a scholarship?

With all the accumulating worries and doubts leading up to the scholarship announcement date, it’s incredibly gratifying to refresh my inbox and see the “Congratulations” email heading at the center of my screen.

How will the $10,000 you’ve earned so far change your life during and after college?

Winning the $10,000 scholarship definitely alleviates the financial stress of paying for college along with other expenses. With limited scholarship opportunities for international students, I’m lucky to have identified one I was eligible for that closely aligned with my interests.

Insider’s Tips & Tricks to Winning a Scholarship

How did you learn about ScholarshipOwl?

I first discovered ScholarshipOwl through its featured sweepstake in Maia Learning, a research tool used by my school’s counseling department. I later learned that ScholarshipOwl is a scholarship database in itself, and I’ve been using it ever since to identify upcoming scholarship opportunities.

Do you have a unique strategy when it comes to picking which scholarship to apply for?

For the scholarship I won recently, I created a list of common characteristics among the past winning entries and tried to incorporate them into my entry. Judging criteria in scholarship competitions tend to be undisclosed to participants, so reaching out to past scholarship winners for feedback helps immensely in generally deducing these criteria and precisely targeting them.

What factors helped you choose the scholarships to apply to?

After creating a list of scholarship opportunities based on eligibility, I tend to narrow down my list by determining my interest in the subject area, required submission materials, and the selectivity of each scholarship. 

Using the T&C tool in ScholarshipOwl, I was able to find the HonorsGradU Design a Better Future Scholarship, which requires video documentation of a community improvement project. Aligning with my interest in entrepreneurship and my experience with video editing, I was lucky enough to win the scholarship. I think this goes to show how the “fit” factor is crucial when it comes to strategically applying for scholarships.

Applying to and winning those private scholarships will definitely free up some time for more of what you love. Do you have​ any hobbies? Do you think hobbies help with applications?

In my free time, I enjoy listening to true crime podcasts or reading mystery novels. After exhausting my Netflix selection over the summer, I recently started watching underrated foreign films and indie movies. While my hobbies haven’t directly benefited my applications, the issues, and current events podcasts and films they have exposed me to definitely gave me ideas on how to approach different scholarship prompts.

Closing Words

Lastly, what is your superpower?

I would love to have the power to create and place checkpoints throughout my life (like a video game) that I can return to! This would allow me to selectively re-experience and shape memorable life events.

What’s your one piece of advice to other students who want to win?

Never give up on your scholarship entry halfway! 

It’s a common habit for students to abandon their essays or videos as the deadline approaches since we start to question the feasibility of winning. Regardless of whether you win or not, the process of fully completing and submitting an entry helps you gain transferable skills that benefit your odds of winning future scholarships, awards, and internships.

 

ScholarshipOwl congratulates Sarah on her efforts – we know the scholarship will be put to good use!

Now that you know how to do it (better), head over to our platform, and continue applying! We might want to interview you next!

If you want to polish your application skills even more, read our blog for more tips and tricks.