5 Things To Do BEFORE Submitting A Scholarship Application

You have a lot riding on your scholarship applications, so it’s best to make sure they are as close to perfect as they can be. You’ve done the digging, found some that fit you, and you’ve got everything together. But before you submit your scholarship application, it’s good to go through things one last time.

Keyboard keys scattered in a pile with the enter key sitting on top.

Check Your Details

This may seem like a no-brainer, but make sure your name, address, and prospective school are spelled correctly. Having the right information is crucial to receiving these awards. Weird things can happen to your brain when you’re filling out various forms and applications, so it’s best to cover your bases. This is also a good time to make sure that you’ve answered all the questions.

Don’t Spend Money

If a scholarship is asking you to pay them to apply, question it. You shouldn’t have to pay for the possibility of winning a scholarship. Also, there’s no way anyone can guarantee you an award. Any websites that say they can are likely scams, so run. There are plenty of other opportunities out there.

Sallie Mae logo.

3 Repayment Options

Variable rates from 5.54% - 15.70% APR with auto-debit

Learn More

Refer to the Submission Guidelines of Your Scholarship Application

Have you completed everything the application asks for? Do you have all the parts required? You always want to make sure that you’re doing what you’ve been asked. It’s no fun to hit “Submit” only to realize that you forgot to attach your essay, or you need a referral, or whatever else the case may be.

Read Through Your Essay and Short Answers

Try to approach your writing as though you don’t know what it’s going to say. That will help you catch any silly mistakes: accidentally writing “of” instead of “if”, or “an” instead of “and”, punctuation errors, sentence fragments, and so on. Also, ask yourself the questions “Does this make sense? Is my point/argument clear?” You can always ask someone else to read through things as well.

Make Certain Everything is Up-to-Date

If you started the scholarship application earlier, double-check that all the info you’ve used is updated. Examples might include FAFSA and CSS information, updated GPA or transcripts, or scholastic awards/achievements. If you are reusing any application components, such as an essay, be sure that its content works for the particular award you are applying to.

Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!

 

Lender Rates (APR) Eligibility
Citizens logo.
5.50%-16.12%* Variable
3.99%-15.61%* Fixed
Undergraduate and Graduate
VISIT CITIZENS
Sallie Mae logo.
5.54% - 15.70% Variable
3.99% - 15.49% Fixed
Undergraduate and Graduate
VISIT SALLIE MAE
Credibe company logo.
5.00% - 17.99% Variable
3.49% - 17.99% Fixed
Undergraduate and Graduate
VISIT CREDIBLE
Lendkey company logo.
6.00% - 13.75% Variable
3.99% - 13.75% Fixed
Undergraduate and Graduate
VISIT LENDKEY
Ascent company logo.
5.66% - 14.72% Variable
3.69% - 14.56% Fixed
Undergraduate and Graduate
VISIT ASCENT
3.70% - 8.75% Fixed
Undergraduate and Graduate
VISIT ISL
Earnest company logo.
5.62% - 16.85% Variable
3.69% - 16.49% Fixed
Undergraduate and Graduate
VISIT EARNEST
5.00% - 14.22% Variable
3.69% - 14.22% Fixed
Undergraduate and Graduate
VISIT ELFI
College Raptor is not a loan lender and does not assume responsibility for suggesting a loan to a user who may not be eligible for it. Rates, terms, conditions, eligibility, approval, and other considerations are the decisions of the lenders and may vary depending on which lender or marketplace the user selects. We urge users to carefully consider and review all loan options and terms before committing to taking out a loan.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.