Preparing The Scholarships : Filling out the scholarship application is a fact of life when seeking scholarships.

Unfortunately, there is no generic form or format; each scholarship fund has its own methods and information needs. Some scholarships such as The Annual Signet Classic Scholarship Essay Contest offers no application form at all; submissions are accompanied by a letter with a required set of information. You should plan to spend 10-15 hours per scholarship application. This estimate includes gathering materials, filling out application, preparing the package and writing a short essay. Now its time to add efficiency to your skills because the preparation of scholarship applications is something of a production line process where efficiency will save you time and help you avoid errors High Demand Materials Obtain or create a number of copies of materials that will be requested over and over again. Frequently requested documents might include transcripts, financial aid forms or copies of tax returns, resumes, letters of recommendation or photographs. Your efficiency in preparing scholarship packages will be astronomically enhanced by being able to simply pluck the requested documents from the document holders filed in your scholarship three ring binder. Multi-Tasking In most cases, applying for a scholarship means writing an essay. Look for opportunities to use those scholarship essays to fulfill class requirements as well. If you need to write an essay for your government course, you might as well write on the topic of a current elected public official in the United States, who is acting courageously to address a political issue at the local, state, national, or international level. Then you can submit your homework assignment to The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest. Or, if you need to read a book and write a report on some aspect of the reading, plan to read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and submit your book report to the Annual Signet Classic Scholarship Essay Contest. We particularly appreciate the requirements of the The CollegeProwler Essay Competition. This competition requires that you submit up to three college application essays that you have already written and submitted. Now thats a great example of the power of reuse, recycle. The Scholarship Cover Letter The application cover letter conveys the package from you to the funding organization. It is one more opportunity to demonstrate professionalism and knowledge of appropriate business etiquette. If possible, make a determination to whom the letter should be addressed. Be sure you have that individuals name and title spelled correctly. Avoid using either, Dear Sir or Dear Madam In the body of the letter, express your pleasure at the opportunity to submit your application for the specific award you are seeking. Its always useful to add a sentence praising the work or the mission of the funding organization. Close the letter by expressing your enthusiasm for participating in the process and always thank the recipient for their time and consideration. Forms and Documents The scholarship application form introduces you to the judges. You need to make that introduction as crisp and business-like as possible. Make copies of the application form so that you can create a working draft. Use that draft to complete the final application form. Type the application form if at all possible. Dont use fancy fonts; stick with standard business fonts like Times New Roman or Arial. Legibility and neatness are extremely important. Your application can be eliminated if it cannot be easily read. Put your name on every page of the application. Many funds prefer that applications be free of staples so they are easier to photocopy or distribute. That means there is the potential for parts of your application to become lost. Placing your name on every page gives your application a fighting chance of being reconstituted if a page or two gets waylaid during the process. Answer every question. If you dont believe that a question applies to you, dont leave it blank it could be judged incomplete. Dont mark the question N/A, not applicable. The evaluators may have a different point of view on its applicability and can disqualify you for failing to complete the form. Instead, answer the question if you can. If the question is truly not applicable, write a sentence that describes your situation. For example, if the question is,What is your military history? it is preferable to write I have never served in the military rather than leave it blank or write N/A Check, check and re-check for typos. Enlist help in this review. It is very hard to proof read your own material. Inevitably, your minds eye reads what you thought you wrote, not what actually made it onto the page. A fresh reader will catch the words that you missed and find the spelling problems. If there is one thing we learned from speaking with funders, it is that simple errors will remove you from the competition much more quickly than listing too few club activities. Even if you are not class valedictorian or community volunteer of the year or a survivor of some horrific circumstances with a heroic story to tell, you can still be in the finalist round by being sure you spelled the name of the scholarship fund correctly and attending to all of the other minor details that will make your application perfectly correct and therefore worthy of consideration. Place the requested documents in the package in the order that they are requested. This consistency makes it easier for evaluators to locate information. Its also simpler for you to check the documents against the list of requirements. Do not add documents that have not been requested. There are many scholarship guides in the press that encourage you to add additional materials as a way for you to show your creativity and make your application unique. Judging by the available data, if you create an error-free, neat and timely application package, you will have already distinguished your application as unique. Additional materials: Give the impression that you think the funders dont really know what they need Can disqualify you in some competitions Makes your application more difficult to manage and consequently more likely to be eliminated

Some advice givers swear by the additional material strategy. We dont. You are better served by focusing on making your application shine, using the structure requested by the funder. Do not staple documents together unless directed to do so. It is always reasonable to use paper clips to keep materials tidy. Do not place the application in a special folder unless directed to do so. The place to be creative and innovative is in the preparation of your essay. When preparing the applications, just follow the directions you are given. Make a complete copy of the application before you send it. Dont skip the transcript or the financial aid statement because you know those are included; it is always important to have a complete record of everything you send the funder in exactly the form it was received by the funder. Use an envelope that will hold your application without folding it. As a matter of presentation, the application will look better without creases. Send the application return receipt requested or use a delivery service like FedEx that allows you to track the packages path and verify who signed for it. In this way you will have proof that the application was received by the organization. If you do not receive verification within the appropriate length of time, follow up. You wont have a chance at the scholarship if the application never makes it to the in-box. The Bottom Line The scholarship application is a paper model of you. Make sure your application is professional and compelling

http://internationalscholarship.blogsome.com/letter-of-scholarship-request/

sample of scholarship request letter.

Your Name: Address: City: Phone Number: Postal Code: Email Address: Date:

Dear Sir/ Madam, My name is Sarah Barnes, and I am a junior Finance major at the University of Iowa. I am Honored to receive the Millard Business Scholarship this year. I would like to thank you for your Generosity and thoughtfulness in regards to this award. I am pleased with the education I have received at the University of Iowa, as well as the Invaluable learning experiences this institution has made available to me that have expanded and Strengthened my education. For example, in addition to my finance coursework, I am the

Treasurer for the student-run, on-campus organization, Dance Marathon. (Dance Marathon Raises money for children being treated in the pediatric oncology unit of the Childrens Hospital of Iowa.) Upon graduation from the University of Iowa, I hope to carry this knowledge into the Financial services industry working as either a junior securities analyst or an economist with an Investment firm. My ultimate career goal is to become an investment portfolio manager. I cannot begin to tell you the many ways your scholarship will assist me as I pursue my Educational and career goals. I am extremely grateful for your support. Yours sincerely, / faithfully Name Signature

D f .................................................

Your Name: Address: City: Phone Number: Postal Code: Email Address: Date: Dear Sir/ Madam, It is with deep gratitude I write this letter to thank you for you generous scholarship support Through the 2005 Jane Doe Scholarship. Its especially meaningful to write to you once again this year, as I received your scholarship last year. This support for two years means a great deal for me Im very proud to share this connection with you, and I am extremely grateful for your financial assistance. Your willingness to maintain strong ties to the University of Iowa and the College of Business is an inspiration as I begin to reflect on my college years and plan for graduation. Im beginning to realize just how instrumental this academic community has been in shaping who I am and my goals for the future. As a junior Marketing and Journalism major, I have found a number of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom in the College of Business that have encouraged my decision to pursue a career in integrated marketing communications. One of these opportunities has been serving as a communications consultant in the Business Writing Center. In this

position, I work one-on-one with students to improve their written assignments and communication skills. I have been able to form important connections with faculty, staff and students through this position, and its motivated me to further pursue a career in marketing communications. Your scholarship serves as an exciting challenge for me to maintain and improve my level of achievement before graduation. It is also an important connection to someone else who has had a meaningful experience at the University of Iowa. I look forward to strengthening my own ties in the coming years to this academic community and someday being able to support students as you do today. Thank you once again for your generous support. Yours sincerely, / faithfully Name Signature

Your Name: Address: City: Phone Number: Postal Code: Email Address: Date: Dear Sir/ Madam, Things we do in life often have measurable results but the extent of their impact is often difficult to Quantify. The Millard Business Scholarship, which you have so generously donated to the College of Business, has had an impact upon me far beyond the obvious and measurable Financial help. This year, as a senior majoring in Finance, I am already feeling nostalgic. I have begun to Wonder, How can I give back to this place that has given me so much? Your gift serves as an Example of the impact I would like to have beyond my graduation. In receiving this scholarship, I am touched not only by your generosity but also by our shared Desire to give back to this great college. You have eased my financial burden but equally Important, if not more so, you have allowed me an opportunity to see the impact such a gift has

On a students point-of-view. I feel a kinship and camaraderie with your husband, a man whom I Never had the opportunity to meet, because we have a shared experience. I feel pride in being Selected to receive this gift. I feel a responsibility to uphold the expectations that accompany Such an honor. And, I feel an excitement to some day be in your position, giving back to the Institution that has helped builds the foundation for the rest of my life. This summer, I will begin my career in Chicago with The Northern Trust Company. As I move to The next phase of my life, I will remain strongly tied to my roots here at the College of Business And the people, like yourself, who have helped shape my collegiate experience. Thank you for your gift and the immeasurable impact it has had on me. Sincerely, Yours sincerely, / faithfully Name Signature

If you are searching the answer of the question how to write a scholarship letter You do not need to be worried about anything. Writing a scholarship letter is an important step in a students life. We shall provide you all necessary information in this matter. Some sample scholarship letters are also given below that will help you in customizing your own scholarship letter according to your own needs. Following are the important tips to write a scholarship letter;

Your scholarship letter should be in business format. You can follow any of the business letter format for the scholarship letter. You should include all your positive points in a scholarship letter. In first paragraph write, why you are writing to them. State the type of scholarship you are applying for. Your recipient does not get time to see your scholarship letter thoroughly, so you need to write a letter in such a way that communicates whole idea in first glance.

Mention how you think that you are eligible for the scholarship. Include all your relevant abilities for the job but mention your most important ability in first paragraph. If you are thanking the person who has provided you scholarship, we would suggest you to write from your heart. When thanking the person for giving you scholarship, include all information about the scholarship as well. Mention how strongly it benefited you. Mention your objective and expectations of achieving those objectives with scholarship. Appraise your recipient for the work he / she has done.

Address the letter to the recipient by writing Dear Sir / Madam In last paragraph, thank the reader once again for considering you for the position. Proofread your letter at least once to see that whatever you wanted to include in your letter has included.