Scholarship Tip #7: Big Three

Sterling Scholar is probably one of the most recognized scholarship names in the state, but very few people have actually seen a Sterling Scholar Application.  This post is going to change that--and with good reason.  I feel like every high school student would be aided to see a Sterling Scholar Application because this particular application has all the questions that every other scholarship application has.  It is THE template to track your own progress on the "Big Three" that compile 99.9% of all scholarship application questions.  The "Big Three" in this context does not refer to the 3 characters on the popular T.V. show...no, I'm talking about the "Big Three" pursuits that applications ask for.  They are:

                             1. Activities
                             2.  Leadership
                             3.  Community Service / Citizenship

Those are the "Big Three"--and students would do well to regularly check in how well they could fill out an application where they must list and explain their involvement in all three categories.  Since Sterling Scholar has the "Big Three", it is the best one to use for tracking a student's progress on scholarship readiness.   Take a moment, and check out this passage from the Sterling Scholar Application:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First Section:  Activities

I.  Category Scholarship Activities

a.  In 20 words or less, list up to six activities, honors and awards, relating to your subject*
     1.
     2.
     3.
     4.
     5.
     6.

                 *since you compete in a specific area in Sterling Scholar, they are particularly interested
                   that you have activities IN that specific area.  If you aim to compete in Science--you
                   should have Science Activities.  The same goes for any activity. 

II.  Category Scholarship Activities Description

a.  Choose one of the activities, honors or awards, from the list above.  Describe it briefly, and explain why it was meaningful to you.  What did you learn, and what did you accomplish?  (Max:  500 words)

III. Supporting Documents

a.  upload a file or document that supplements the answers given in I and II.

Next Section:  Leadership

I.   Leadership

a.  In 20 words or less, list up to six activities, honors and awards, that relate to leadership qualifications
     1.
     2.
     3.
     4.
     5.
     6.

II.  Leadership Description

a.  Choose one of the activities, honors or awards, from the list above.  Describe it briefly, and explain why it was meaningful to you.  What did you learn, and what did you accomplish?  (Max:  500 words)

III. Supporting Documents

a.  upload a file or document that supplements the answers given in I and II.

Next Section:  Community Service / Citizenship

I.  Community Service / Citizenship List

a.  List up to six activities / honors / awards of Community Service / Citizenship you are involved in
     1.
     2.
     3.
     4.
     5.
     6. 

II.  Leadership Description

a.  Choose one of the activities, honors or awards, from the list above.  Describe it briefly, and explain why it was meaningful to you.  What did you learn, and what did you accomplish?  (Max:  500 words)

III.  Supporting Documents

a.  upload a file or document that supplements the answers given in I and II.

My Conclusion

Did you catch the pattern?  You need several activities in each area, and one needs to be meaningful enough that you can write about it for 500 words, including things you have learned and accomplished.  This is a good place to point out that serving for 2 hours at a Homeless Shelter is not enough!  You definitely can't fill up a good essay with that experience, and honestly, you'd be better to just leave it off the list.  And if all you have done in high school is serve for 2 hours at the Homeless Shelter, then GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER AND DO SOMETHING!  Serve!  Join a Club!  Get a Job!  Do something you can put on an application! 

The pattern is a classic example of how to be competitive for scholarships, because it shows that students need both BREADTH and DEPTH!  They need breadth:  the number of activities in each section (activities, leadership, service) is six!  That means that students are committing themselves to several different activities, building breadth.  The other part, depth, comes through on the long answer.  It shows that a student was involved in something where they actually learned, helped others, and accomplished something.  That is the depth part, and it is every bit as important as the breadth--if not more important.  


Well, that's it!  Those are the "Big Three":  activities, leadership, service.  If you keep focused on the "Big Three" during high school, you'll not only be competitive for scholarships, you'll discover that high school is a great place to discover yourself!