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Inside scholarship judging

If you’re transferring to a four-year school, you’re probably preparing for the higher tuition and costs of off-campus life by looking for all the scholarship money you can find. But what happens to your application after you drop it in the mail? Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how scholarship-selection committees choose their winners—and what you can do to improve your chances of winning.

Who are the scholarship judges?
You might imagine that, with a mountain of applications before them, scholarship-selection committees must be composed of cold-hearted judges who take great pleasure in tossing applications into the trash. Scholarship judges are often ordinary people; many are volunteers from a wide variety of occupations. Service organizations, such as the Lions Club or Rotary Club, often ask their members to be judges. Companies that give scholarships usually create a judging committee composed of a variety of people such as educators, religious or community leaders, local business leaders or politicians.

Round 1: Sorting the applications
Once your application arrives, it is subjected to the first round of judging. This is usually done to narrow the field of applicants. Those who pass this round will move on; those who don’t will receive rejection letters. This task is difficult because many of the applicants are qualified to win. Daniel Pelletier, scholarship committee chairperson of the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce, describes it in the following way: “I view our work as a process not of rejection, but of letting go. I often think that I could easily fill the recipient pool with just the sliver of applications I’m reviewing.”

Picking who continues to the next round does not just mean choosing the students with the highest GPAs. In fact, in most competitions, grades are not the primary consideration. In awarding scholarships to African-American, Latino and American-Indian students, the New York City-based National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering reviews transcripts not just for GPA, but also to weigh the engineering courses each student has taken.

Aileen M. Walter, vice president of scholarship management, says judges also consider such attributes as leadership potential, ability to work in teams, problem-solving skills and commitment to engineering.

For the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce, Pelletier recalls awarding a scholarship to a student who had a GPA below 3.0 but who volunteered more than 2,000 hours with the Special Olympics, including coaching two teams. “Several of us remarked that we doubted we would have it in us to do what she did. Selecting her was an easy decision for us, despite the fact that her grades were not strong. We only needed to feel comfortable that she would succeed in college, which we did,” says Pelletier.

Round 2: Selecting the winners
Once your application makes it past the initial screening, it will most likely face a second review. This may include an in-person interview with the judges. At this point, the focus of the judging changes slightly. Your grades and test scores matter much less. When it comes to choosing the winners, the judges want to give their money to students who they feel are the most deserving and promising. How do they make this decision? One piece that plays a strong role is your essay or personal statement. For the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce scholarship, Pelletier says, “the two most important pieces, hands down, are the applicant’s record of community service and the personal statement.”

The scholarship-selection committees view the essay as their way of learning about applicants beyond the list of grades and achievements on the application form. This is your opportunity to share your motivations, expand on an accomplishment or explain circumstances that aren’t reflected elsewhere. Plus, you get to do it in your own words. “A poorly written essay makes it difficult for the selection committee member to support the applicant, even if the applicant has overcome difficult circumstances,” Pelletier says. T

he support of even one selection-committee member can be crucial. Pelletier says that there have been numerous times when an “underdog has received a scholarship due to the impassioned and persuasive argument of one or two members.”

The interview is another factor used in selecting the winners. Here, the scholarship judges meet face-to-face with applicants to learn about who they are beyond their applications. For interviews, judges say that you should be prepared to speak about your achievements and beliefs. Don’t be afraid to describe what you have accomplished, and don’t be surprised if you are asked to explain your source of inspiration.

Common mistakes to avoid
After having reviewed thousands of applications over the years, the scholarship judges have some observations about what works and what doesn’t. They advise that, before spending time on an application, you understand the requirements and make sure you’ll be a good fit for the award. But be careful not to be too quick to rule yourself out. While the Intel Science Talent Search (STS) awards students for some extraordinary achievements in science and technology, Andrew M. Yeager, chair of the judging committee, says you should consider applying even if you aren’t a scientific protégé. “A student doesn’t have to be number one in his or her class and doesn’t need to have double 800 scores on their SATs to be a finalist in the STS,” he says. “Finalists in the STS have often included students who made inventions or who did research projects in behavioral or social sciences, areas not traditionally considered in the ‘hard sciences.’ There is no simple equation for deciding on the top winners.”

Once you decide to apply for a scholarship, it’s important to spend time on your application, the judges say. They advise that you make sure to complete all required pieces and proofread your work—especially your personal statement. Walter says that insightfulness is important. “Respond thoughtfully to questions, and make sure you say something important, interesting and memorable,” she says. As you are writing, it is crucial that you demonstrate why you deserve to win but not go overboard. Pelletier recalls one applicant who wrote, “My statistics speak for themselves,” when describing his athletic ability. Unfortunately, when it comes to scholarships, statistics rarely speak without your help, and as a result, this applicant didn’t win. “An arrogant-sounding applicant will always rub a few members the wrong way and will lead to rejection,” he says.

To develop a strong application that gives context to your accomplishments without going overboard, it is important to start your scholarship efforts as soon as possible. “Waiting until a bill is sent by the college of one’s choice is often much too late to participate in the competition for awards,” says Nan Sninsky, director of financial aid at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pa.

Knowing what happens to your scholarship application once it reaches its destination is critical to winning. After all, if you are going to spend the time and effort to apply for a scholarship, you want to make sure your application gives you the best shot at winning.

Gen and Kelly Tanabe are Harvard graduates and authors of Get Free Cash for College, Money-Winning Scholarship Essays and Interviews, Get Into Any College and Accepted! 50 Successful College Admission Essays.

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