How do I stand out for scholarships and merit aid (even if I apply test-optional)

How do I stand out for scholarships and merit aid (even if I apply test-optional)

A meaningful service project and/or extracurricular and/or job is the way to secure a scholarship and large merit aid offers (aka money the colleges give to you when you are accepted to incentivize you to come) most of the time.

The colleges and universities that reward good grades and tough class schedules tend to be pretty upfront about it. The more competitive the college, the less likely grades and tough classes move the needle for scholarships and merit aid awards.

ACT/SAT scores and grades get you through the door but you want your student to tell a story about the impact they could possibly make at a college/university when competing for scholarships and/merit aid awards

My Presidential Scholarship, Full-Ride Scholarship, and large scholarship winner use the time over the summer and into the fall to dig deep into a passion of theirs. That moved the needle.

Finding a Good Project that Will Help You Secure Scholarships and Merit Aid Awards: What Projects Lead to Scholarships and Merit Aid Awards

Ask your student:

  • What is one thing you have not had time to do with their busy schedule that you wish you had time to do this summer?

  • What is one thing you are passionate about?

It doesn't need to be something grand. If your student is passionate about video games and making others kids feel accepted and welcome- a video game support group where students connect and talk about the problems they are facing is a cool idea to explore.

If your student is passionate about cooking maybe find a way to make meals for those in need or even for families in the neighborhood.

One student explored the idea of bringing puzzles to nursing homes and spending time with residents. That was an amazing essay to read because the student was passionate about it

Another, a skateboarder, collected skateboards for students who had fewer resources. The skateboard came with some nice notes and stickers. It just cheered other students up. The student developed a club for students to talk and skateboard.


Activities That Can Hurt Students Applying for Scholarships and Merit Aid Awards

Avoid checkbox activities. What I mean is 100 hours at a hospital when your student is NOT passionate about it and everyone else is doing may yield some scholarship dollars but not many. If your student is in love with the checkbox activity, do it. But if your student is only doing the checkbox activity to get an edge in admissions, find a better checkbox activity.

Here is the lesson:

Happier students who are passionate about what they are doing tend to do it well. Happier students write better essays. Happier students have more to say in scholarships interviews and admissions interviews. Happier students who have a unique story that tells you more about who they are than what they did to get admitted are the ones colleges and universities want to feature in their admissions brochures.

Making your student happy usually produces a lot of scholarship and merit aid dollars.

Picking Activities to Improve Chances of Scholarships and Merit Aid: Questions to Consider

Questions I am always asking myself when working with a student on their application and helping the student pick an activity to do or highlight:

  • Why should a college pay this student to attend this college and attract them away from every other college?

  • How can we show admissions officers the impact this student can make on their campus

  • How can we tell a story about who this student is through their activities (and later their essays)

  • Does the activity selected tell me about the student, what they are passionate about, how they like to make a difference in the world, and how they will make a difference on campus

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What do test-optional colleges & universities want, how do I find out a college's secret formula, and do admissions officers lie or sabotage student's applications

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All Things Test-Optional: Can students get in and get scholarships without a SAT/ACT score (Class of 2021 & Beyond)