Welcome to Scholarship Weekend. I wanted to share with you a quote that I recently heard:
Among high school students, self-discipline is two times more likely to indicate future success than intelligence.
The quote was given in the context of the importance of attending a particular elite private school vs. making the most of whatever school you can afford to attend, even if it’s a lower ranked public state school.
To me, however, I instantly saw the application of the 2:1 stat to scholarship applications. You may be thinking to yourself, “I’ll never win a scholarship because I don’t have a 4.0 GPA / play varsity sports / participate in a million extra curricular activities / you fill in the blank.” But the truth is even the smartest, most athletic, band geekiest person out there won’t win you a scholarship, either unless they have SELF DISCIPLINE.
Self discipline is filling out one or two or five scholarship applications a week – rain or shine, finals or frat parties. Self discipline is spending 20 minutes every day searching for scholarships and other hour each week tweaking your personal essay. Self discipline is meeting deadlines, making sure your references are turned in and following up with selection committees.
So, yes, I agree with the 2:1 stat. GPAs, extra-curricular leadership positions and athletic prowess all count for something. But they don’t get the application completed and they certainly don’t wow the committee all on their own. Self-discipline just might, though!
And on that note, here’s a quick look at three great scholarship opportunities with upcoming deadlines. Be sure to click on the links to learn more about each of these gigs and to see if it might right for you.
1. Signet Classics Student Scholarship Essay Contest: $1,000
If you are a fan of classic literature, then you should definitely know about the Annual Signet Scholarship Contest. Five high school students can win $1,000 each for their winning essay on the classic H.G. Wells novel, War of the Worlds. Call (212) 366-2372 for more details, including the five essay topics you can chose from. Essays must be no more than three double spaced typed pages — and must be submitted by your English teacher. Essays will be judged on style, content, grammar and originality. Applications must be post-marked by the deadline. Winners will be notified.
2. Worldstudio AIGA Scholarships: $2,000-6,000
With the aim of benefiting minority and economically disadvantaged students who are studying the design/arts disciplines, Worldstudent AIGA awards basic scholarships in the amount of $2,000-$3,000 per recipient. One Grand Prize will receive up to $6,000 at the jury’s discretion. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., and be ale to demonstrate financial need. Learn more about the application and recommendation process at the above link. But do it quickly, because the application deadline is the beginning of April.
3. The NSHSS Earth Ethics Doctoral Grant: $5,000
The National Society of High School Scholars is offering one $5,000 to doctoral level students who are past-recipients of the NSHSS honor. The scholarship is intended to encourage and reward study and the creation of new knowledge in Earth Ethics at the doctoral level. Specifically the award will go to those who, at the doctoral level, are researching and writing their dissertation on a topic that
provides workable solutions to enhancing the sustainability of the Earth’s environment, resources, inhabitants, or ecological systems through responsible stewardship.
Doctoral students from around the globe are encouraged to apply, but all final dissertation work must be completed in English. The application deadline is April 1, so please don’t delay if you think you might qualify!
Good luck with your scholarship applications! If you would like to learn more about college scholarships, please visit the Financial Aid Finder’s section on college scholarship information. Let us show you how to navigate the scholarship application process, write killer scholarship essays, take advantage of scholarship search engines, and win weird & unusual scholarships.
