You Need, We Provide: New Features, Filters and Functions

So you thought that after those new features we published recently you wouldn’t hear from us in a while?

Well – you have much to learn about our dedication to students.

After the initial changes to the platform and new features, the keen eye of our team noticed several things that could be further improved. So we decided to introduce additional functionality and make everything even more practical.

Read on to find out what new features await you – which were changed, which ones are newly introduced, and which are just beautiful creativity in action.

New Layout of Scholarship Cards: Every Info You Need, Presented Concisely

One of the first things you’ll notice is a new layout of scholarship cards – and we think you’ll love it!

It’s not that the previous ones were bad, but there’s always a more elegant approach to presenting the information.

So here it is – a brand new design, showing the most relevant information in a neat and clean way – you’ll see the info on scholarship providers, requirements, amount of money awarded, deadline, even the number of applicants! Additionally, in the lower left corner, you can check scholarship confidence score, and if it’s recurring.

Why should you care about this layout? Although there’s not a lot of text, there’s a wealth of information here. All the relevant info is presented on a simple card, for you to decide whether you want to look more into it.

Updated Sorting Menu: Browse Easily Through Most Relevant Characteristics

Do you remember the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter? There were only four houses, and even that was too much for some wizards-to-be. This got us thinking about our own congested sorting tool (well, not really, but it connects really nice, right?).

Still, we did decide to streamline our sorting menu and leave only the most popular (and relevant) sorting criteria. Choose between the highest or lowest amount of award money, least requirements, closest deadlines, or fewest applicants, depending on what suits you the most.

The good thing about so few criteria is that you can see all of them right away. Sure, we could have added a few more, but these cover the greatest bulk of searched items and we wanted to make it really easy for you to switch from one to another.

This makes sense since, when you filter according to different parameters, it’s easier to review and compare the search results.

Deadline Filter, for Better Priorities

Remember this announcement and the explanation behind the deadline view? Admittedly, sometimes it’s tricky to figure out the exact date for submitting an application because of the rounding algorithm.

That is why we introduced a new deadline filter: now you can filter scholarships based on the deadline approaching, and organize them.

We think this is a great tool in terms of prioritizing applications and things you need to do. Combine it with other filters (say, new scholarship cards where you’ll see the number of requirements) and numerous applications just plan themselves out.

And you know what that means – more time to chisel your applications and dazzle scholarship providers!

Amount of Award Money – This Filter Is Pure Gold

Money is not always the most easily discussed topic, and sometimes it takes a lot of time to comb through various scholarships in order to find the amounts you wish and/or need.

Let’s look at it this way, though: typically, the scholarships with lower amounts of award money have fewer requirements. Often this means they are easier to apply for.

Although the scholarships with higher award amounts may require more sweat and tears on your part (kidding – well, kinda), and this might prevent you from applying (who’s gonna spend all that time, right?), we recommend you still think about them.

Here’s why – for the most part, students will refrain from these scholarships for the exact same reasons you would. And what does this mean? The fewer number of applicants.

Uh-huh, I can already hear cogs whirring in your mind.

Remember our motto? Higher number of applications, bigger chances of winning.

Let’s rephrase it for this particular case: lower number of applicants – more chances for ka-ching!

Obviously, you won’t be able to apply for every single generous scholarship, but we introduced the amount filter so you can strategize and adapt the number of applications you send out, depending on your current schedule.

So, say you choose 5 scholarships with lower award money and 1 or 2 scholarships with higher amounts and more requirements. It is completely doable in terms of planning and, with this approach, you will have much better chances of winning.

Zap Those Requirements You Don’t Want in Your Applications

Sometimes we just don’t like certain things. Like particular vegetables. Or getting up early. Don’t even get us started on working out.

And then, there are scholarship requirements. Although scholarship providers have very good reasons for listing their requirements and these align with administrative procedures, we understand that some students are simply uncomfortable with sharing their photo or some other piece of information.

In a prehistoric era of digital scholarships, if you wanted to avoid some requirement – you would have to look at a scholarship, check requirements, then move on to the next one. Check, look, move on. Ad infinitum.

But, why would you do this when now you can just filter them? Simple.

You don’t want to share something or invest too much time because of too many requirements – we hear you. Check the requirement(s) you wish to exclude and enjoy the miracle of modern technology (seriously, though – it’s not a big deal in terms of technology, but we believe it’s a huge timesaver).

Number of Applicants – the Scholarships’ Legit Kryptonite

The last two features give you potent information, especially the one under this headline. So use them responsibly.

Why do we believe that the number of applicants is a powerful piece of information? Because it is directly related to the chances of winning.

Fewer applicants, higher chances for you. More applicants, lower the chances. Though you never know.

With this filter, you can sort scholarships based on the number of applicants, and estimate your chances of winning.

But then, you might ask, why would you ever want to apply for scholarships with loads of applicants? Why not just always go for those with fewer numbers? 

You need to know that there’s a reason why hundreds of people are applying for a certain scholarship. These are typically low on requirements and offer solid amounts of prize money.

Another thing to consider is that not all scholarships with a fewer number of applicants are the same. Some are downright spam. Others have very strict guidelines or specialized requirements.

Again, the key here is balance. First look at your schedule and figure out how much time you can spend on applying and fulfilling requirements, then plan and sort accordingly. 

Spam or Not: Credibility Score Filter Lets You Know

The credibility filter might seem unimportant to some, but we believe it is one of the main features you should look at.

The credibility score shows you how transparent/upfront a certain scholarship provider is regarding their selection criteria, requirements, and overall organization. 

In other words, whether or not the scholarships are spam, i.e. time-wasters.

The higher the credibility score, the more reputable and trustworthy the scholarship is, and you should definitely consider applying, especially if other filters are in your favor.

The credibility score filter lets you choose how much you are willing to tolerate. Make sure to read short descriptions next to each category – these will give you a fair idea of what to expect based on the assigned score.

Putting It All Together

And one more thing for our users – the product tour! It begins when you log in! Give it a try now!

We’ve taken you on another journey through the wonderful world of new features, designed so that you, our student, can better utilize the ScholarshipOwl platform.

It would be a pity a) not to use these features and b) to use only one or a few of them.

Be strategic and think about how you could maximize your chances. We are sure you will find that the filters you need are already there for you.

To learn about the full scope of new features, read other articles on our blog, then try them all out.