It's no secret that the cost of a college education is increasing year over year. As a result, the dream of going to college is becoming more difficult for each generation of students to achieve. Scholarships are a great tool in combatting this issue. You can find scholarships offered through organizations, schools, or private individuals like Dr. Suhyun An. Today we'll share a few tips that any student seeking financial aid can't afford not to know.
Use A Scholarship Matching Tool
According to studies, every year over $7.4 billion dollars in college scholarships are awarded to students. With more than 1.7 million private scholarships available annually, the good news is that there is an ample supply of financial aid available to you. But the difficult part can be finding the scholarships that you specifically qualify for. Through the use of scholarship matching tools you can create a profile to plugin your gpa, interests, and other information that will then auto populate a list of scholarships you qualify for that you can apply to. Three of the most popular tools are FastWeb.com, Scholarships.com, and Cappex.com .
Leverage Letters of Recommendation - Even If They're Not Required
Letters of Recommendation provide scholarship committees with a more complete profile and image of who you are as a student and as an individual. Some scholarships such as The Dr. Suhyun An Scholarship require these character references as a component of the application process. Others may not request letters of recommendation, but if you are able to add attachments it would be a great idea to include these letters with your application. You can request recommendations and character letters from anyone who has known you in a personal or a professional capacity such as a minister, past or present teacher, coworker, supervisor, or neighbor.
Get A Headstart & Stay Organized
With so many scholarships available with various requirements and deadlines, it's imperative to start applying early and to stay organized. The earlier you start, the more time you have available to accumulate financial aid. You can even start applying for scholarships prior to your junior year in high school. One of the things to make sure you keep an eye on as you begin applications is to be mindful of the scholarship deadlines. You can use a physical planner or track your scholarships through a digital calendar on your phone or computer. Missing a scholarship deadline hurts because it automatically disqualifies you. This can be easily circumvented by staying organized and setting reminders to complete and submit your applications prior to the deadlines.
As always, we invite any students interested in medicine to apply for The Dr. Suhyun An Scholarship. Scholarship details and online applications are available on the official Dr. Suhyun An Scholarship website.