The Ultimate Guide to College Scholarships

Written by Lauren Smyth

Sunday. 12:00 a.m. Halfway between morning and night. Moonlight streams through the kitchen window, the only light on your path to a life of crime.

You’ve got thick socks and a grocery bag. You’ve got an excuse, too: Brother was home late from football practice, and he was hungry. Really hungry. A week’s worth of hungry.

You step carefully across that one squeaky floorboard, glancing nervously over your shoulder, and place one hand on the refrigerator door. It opens with a hiss, and blinding fluorescence fills the kitchen. You freeze, but after several tense seconds, the house remains silent. So you fill the grocery bag and sneak back to bed, praying no one will smell the double-bagged hunk of cheddar at the bottom of your closet.

This is a college student, home for spring break, taking advantage of the world’s only free grocery store—Mom’s refrigerator. This is a college student short on cash, blissfully unaware of expiration dates, doing whatever it takes to smuggle a jar of peanut butter back to the dorm. This is a college student who hasn’t yet applied for scholarships.

Many students apply for college funds before they graduate from high school. That’s the Golden Age of writing competitions, research presentations, and heartfelt essays to be read by reviewers in some far-off vault of tuition-paying, food-funding treasure. These students collect $500 here and there, receive their acceptance and financial aid letters, and start seeking off-campus jobs or taking out loans to cover the balance. That’s it, they think. This is what I have to work with.

But students often don’t realize that scholarship opportunities continue into their upperclassman years. Not only are there scholarship funds specifically for current college students, but they often pay much larger amounts than scholarships available to first-year students. This is because, as you go through college, you specialize. You become exceptional at performing Shakespeare, for example, or at designing marketing posters, or at manufacturing jewelry. Generous observers will take interest in your work and want to help you. And boom—you no longer need that loan.

Here’s your guide to getting scholarships in college, from a bona-fide scholarship collector and no-harm-in-applying advocate.

  1.     Look for scholarships in your areas of special interest.

Can you spot the difference between poisonous and edible mushrooms? Can you name every actor in the original Star Trek? Can you compose a serenade exclusively for the ukulele? There are scholarships for that! (No, seriously. I Googled it.)

No matter how niche your interests, or how “unprofessional” they may seem, there’s likely someone who’s just as enthusiastic as you are and wants to help you succeed. Connect with that person or organization. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask about opportunities if you’re having trouble finding the right fit. 

  1.     Look for scholarships in your areas of affiliation.

Are you a direct descendant of George Washington? Are you a woman interested in aviation? Are your parents graduates of a military academy? There are scholarships for that, too!

  1.     Ask professors about scholarship possibilities.

Professors were young once. Under duress, they admit to raiding their parents’ refrigerators and smuggling canned goods. They know you’re hungry, busy, and broke, and they’re more than happy to help you match with opportunities that fit your skills.

Sometimes, you don’t even have to ask. At Hillsdale, departmental scholarships may rain from the heavens at moments when you least expect them. Remember: Hillsdale professors are on your team. They want you to succeed. 

  1.     Take your essays and resume to Career Services.

Some scholarship committees make decisions purely based on academic credentials, but most will want to see a resume and at least one essay. When it comes to supplemental application materials, Hillsdale’s Career Services is your best friend. They can help you with everything from formatting to spelling to content. And, if you’re not sure where to send your spiffy new documents, they can also match you with opportunities.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Career Services is your personalized gateway to a vast array of alumni with experience in—quite literally—thousands of different career and academic paths. Hillsdale alums are a tight-knit group, and they’ll be more than happy to help you.

While you’re in the office, take advantage of some other resources for current students. Take a personality test to learn your strengths and weaknesses, adorn your resume with an on-campus job, get help applying for that summer internship you’ve always dreamed of, or learn how to make your LinkedIn profile stand out.

  1.     Have an essay template and resume ready to go.

Chances are, you’ll eventually encounter an opportunity with an imminent deadline. You’ve been permanently installed in so-called Purgatory, you’re swamped with homework and academic essays, and you just don’t have time to rewrite your portfolio from scratch. This is where essay templates and updated resumes come in handy.

Pro tip: When you do something resume-worthy (i.e., win an award, take a new job, or get published—at least one of which will probably happen to you at Hillsdale), add it to your resume right away. If your resume gets too long, or if your list gets disorganized, that can be fixed in the editing stage. What you don’t want to do is rewrite your resume every time you submit it.

Another pro tip: Keep a handful of past essays on hand. Most scholarships will ask versions of the same questions (usually things like “how will this scholarship help you?” or “tell us about yourself”). You can often submit the same essay to multiple committees. Case in point: I’ve submitted versions of a two-page business proposal for my podcast to at least three separate scholarships. All three applications were successful—and required less than one afternoon’s preparation.

Don’t be afraid to reuse class material if the essay prompts allow it. At Hillsdale, where classes are small and professor-student relationships are personal and by name, professors take great pride in helping you make your writing the best it can be. An essay edited by the English Department is highly valuable as, say, a writing sample for a journalism scholarship.

  1.     There’s no harm in applying.

The worst they can say is no. The best they can say is cold, hard cash.

You don’t need perfect grades or stellar extracurriculars to earn scholarships. You just need to be exceptionally good at or exceptionally interested in something, then find the right person to share that skill or interest.

  1.     Ask for recommendation letters well in advance.

Standard etiquette demands two weeks’ advance notice when asking for recommendation letters. But your politeness exceeds the standard. It’s a good idea to ask for recommendations as soon as you discover a new scholarship (unless, of course, the deadline is several months away). It’s also OK to send occasional reminders if you’ve given too much advance notice.

On the flip side, if you’ve just discovered the perfect scholarship that’s due tomorrow, don’t hesitate to ask for recommendations. Politeness, gratitude, and an after-the-fact thank-you gift cards go a long way.

Don’t reuse recommendation letters, unless your recommender gives you explicit permission to do so.

  1.     Always express gratitude.

The money granted by a scholarship committee may feel somewhat impersonal. Acceptance letters may come in the mail, or even via email, without ever revealing the real-life human behind the operation. Always remember that scholarships are funded by real people with real interests and real jobs who are giving up real resources to help you. That’s incredible. That’s praiseworthy. And it only takes 15 minutes to express gratitude in a thoughtful thank-you note, perhaps during the College’s annual Day of Thanks event, that will probably make the donor’s day and reassure them that their sacrifice has truly made a difference in your life.

 With these tips, you’ll be ready to get through college with less stress, more opportunities, and (of course) more food. If you’re ready to start the scholarship search, why not book an appointment with Career Services to fine-tune your portfolio and put your best foot forward?

Lauren Smyth, ’25, is an economics major and journalism minor. Outside of starting arguments in philosophy class, she enjoys curling up on a bench outdoors (sun, rain, or snow) to write novels or articles for her blog, www.laurensmythbooks.com.

 

 

Published in June 2024