Scholarship Tip #4: How to Organize

Years ago, I would counsel students to keep track of things in a standard notebook--a couple pages for each month of their senior year, and a few pages for the 9th - 11th grades (which still have scholarships, but not as many as the overpacked senior year).  As scholarships moved to the web, using the notebook for scholarships became antiquated (just like using the term "the web" has become antiquated:-)).  I did some research of what other people used, and found this great idea from the UNIGO website.  By the way, take some time and explore UNIGO--it's a massive website with loads of helpful information.  You can even get lost in the website, and a little overwhelmed.  If that starts to happen, click on this specific link:  UNIGO Post:  Organizing Applications.

Did you click on it and read it?  Pretty awesome technique.  I love XCel, and think it is the perfect format to organize scholarships.  I just wish I had come up with it myself!  Ever heard of that phrase:  "Beg, Borrow, and Steal"?  That applies here--if someone is willing to share a great idea for getting the job done--use it!  We did--and my students have been using this Organizing Method for several years with AWESOME results!  Students are keeping track of the scholarships they find in their early years of high school, knowing when deadlines are coming and how to space them out, and are submitting applications at a much higher rate.

Here are some things I would add:

• Don't feel locked into using the spreadsheet provided by UNIGO.  You can create your own spreadsheet!  Keep the critical fields if you create your own spreadsheet:  the name of the scholarship, the URL address, deadline, window, $ awarded, and what is required to apply
• It is easy to rearrange information in XCel, so don't be afraid to add or move lines of data.  You might simply want to add in scholarships first--then worry about organizing it according to the deadlines.
• Instead of only listing the "deadline", put in in the "window" the application can be submitted:  the open date through the end date.  Some scholarships have a 1 month window, others extend to 3 months.  This way, even if 10 applications have the same deadline, they probably have varying beginning dates, and you can submit them throughout that time, hence increasing the amount of scholarships you have applied to without stressing yourself out in any one month.
• Use XCel to help you organize.  There are tab buttons at the bottom to add more "sheets" as needed.  If you are creating the spreadsheet early in high school, it would be helpful to create a "sheet" for each year of high school, and then a "sheet" for scholarships that can be completed once you are in college.  I would advise using one sheet as a "master" sheet--where aoo the scholarships are listed.

Please note:  do not overlook this step!  It's easy to think that you have to look for scholarships and apply for them as you find time, but if you organize as you go, you'll cut your work in half and not have to re-search for them time and again.

What are you still doing reading this?  Go make your personal scholarship spreadsheet and get organizing!  I also have a scholarship template that most of my students use.  Just email me and I'll send it to you.  Email:  krim.scholarship@gmail.com  OR  brooke.krim@davinciacademy.org