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General Tips
Read
all scholarship requirements and directions carefully,
and apply only if you’re eligible. If you aren’t
sure, talk with your guidance counselor or
contact
us.
Complete the application – completely. Leave
nothing blank.
If a question doesn’t apply to you, mark it “N/A” or
indicate in some other way.
Do
your own work.
It’s
okay to ask for help or feedback, but you are the only
one who should fill out the application, and the essay
must be your original work. Applications that
are not your work will be disqualified.
Follow directions carefully and
provide everything required by the deadline, including
transcripts, letters of recommendation, and your essay. Supply only things that are requested; extra
materials are not seen by the selection committee.
Your
application is the first – and often last – impression
the selection committee will have of you. Make it
count. Neatness matters. Type
your application, print neatly and legibly, or use the
on-line application.
Before you start, make photocopies of all forms. Use
them as working drafts before you complete the final
application.
If
you use the on-line application, be sure to read the
instructions for using the form. It cannot be saved on
your computer. You may want to print out a blank copy,
fill it out as a draft, then go back on-line to complete
and print the application.
Edit
carefully. Be grammatically correct, spell properly,
and ask someone who has the skills and can be objective
to proofread your essay.
Use
standard white 8 ½ by 11 paper. Heavy papers and
cardstock jam the copier, and colored or designed papers
do not copy well.
Your
Essay
Essays can make or break an application. Write a strong
essay. Be personal and specific. Don’t simply re-state
accomplishments mentioned elsewhere in the application
or
use a generic essay that doesn’t address the questions
asked in the essay instructions. Even
a simple experience can be powerful if you explain its
impact on you.
This
is your chance to tell the committee things about
yourself they can’t glean from your list of
accomplishments – to help them get to know you as more
than a list of activities, academics, and awards. Make
the most of it.
Plan
ahead. Essays written in a hurry read like
essays written in a hurry.
Most
of all, be yourself, and be truthful.
Letters of Recommendation
Get
appropriate letters of recommendation. Don’t ask
someone simply because they know you’re nice. Do not
seek reference letters from friends or family members. Ask a
teacher, employer, minister, or other adult who knows
you well and can write about your strengths,
academics, work ethic, or accomplishments; don’t ask
someone, no matter how “important” they are, if they
don’t know you well. An honest, original recommendation
from someone the committee doesn’t know will have more
weight that one that is vague or a “cookie-cutter”
recommendation no matter what the person’s title.
Don’t wait until the last minute; many people,
especially teachers and other school staff, are swamped
with requests. Get letters from a variety of sources –
not all teachers, for example. Send in only the
requested number of references – additional references
are not considered. Tell your reference what the letter
is for, when the deadline is, and provide them with an
addressed, stamped envelope. Be sure to follow up
with each reference until you know that the letter has
been delivered to The Community Foundation, as it is
your responsibility to be sure that your application is
complete. Late recommendations are
not accepted.
Submitting your application
Before sending the application, make a copy of the
entire packet. Give it a final review, and then send in
the application early. Call the foundation to make sure
it’s arrived. If your application arrives after the
deadline, we cannot accept it. If you’ve submitted it
early and it gets lost in the mail, you’ll still have
time to get another copy to us; if you wait until the
deadline and it gets lost, we can’t help.
Making sure the application is received on time is
your responsibility, even if you ask someone else to
do it.
Observe the deadline.
The application and all requested
materials must be in our office on time; no
exceptions are made.
And
finally, ask for help if you need it.
If you have problems with the application, don’t
hesitate to
contact us.
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