How To Find And Apply For Scholarships For Women: A Step-By-Step Guide
The path to finding the right scholarships can be a tough one. No matter your educational or societal background, there are so many factors that go into not only finding the right scholarship, but to securing a spot in the one you want most. That does not mean that it’s impossible. As women, there are more scholarships today than ever before that are created specifically for you. Programs across the globe have been carefully curated to empower the future female leaders of tomorrow, and we at NSHSS want to champion this movement in every way we can. That is why we have outlined a step-by-step guide to finding the best scholarships that fit you. These five tips will help you narrow down your search, and lead to a more effective method for achieving success.
1.Begin with Passion
The best way to get where you want to go is to set your sights on the destination of your dreams. If you have a passion for a certain career choice, start there. By beginning your search with the things you love most, you will find options which excite you. This can lighten the load as you wade through all those applications. When you do eventually find the scholarships you like the most, that passion you began your search with will reveal itself in your application and highlight your personality better. If you’re having trouble with deciding on what your passion is, look at your female inspirations and what they did that made them stand out. By following in their footsteps, you might just find a path you never knew existed.
2. Consult Like-Minded Mentors
Sometimes it’s hard to search for these scholarships on your own. At times, it can almost be overwhelming to wade through dozens, if not hundreds of possible scholarships and not know which ones to truly focus your time and energy on. In order to facilitate this process, try and talk with your teachers, bosses, coaches, and even relatives about this issue. Of course, they may not be able to list off a dozen good scholarships to apply to right off the bat, but they can point you in the direction of jobs, programs, and even other women they know who might get you one step closer to a scholarship that is right for you. Remember to be clear and concise when you ask them for advice, and if they reference places and people you have never heard of, then it is your job to investigate further. If you show that you’re invested, then they are more likely to go the extra mile for you!
3. Research Everything
It might seem a bit obvious at first glance, but there is truly no better way to find what you need than to research it from all angles. Those who plow through all the online pages of scholarships are the ones that are most likely to find scholarships most people never heard of. Don’t just do a quick Google search of the top 10 female scholarships and call it a day. You’ve got to research female-owned local companies in your home state, or the state of the school you’re headed to. You’ve got to look up the top fifty female CEOs and find which companies they run, and see if there are any scholarships available through their business. You could even call local professional women, as young as recent college graduates, working in the exact job you want most and ask them which scholarships they got or even applied for. The best type of research requires you to step outside your comfort zone and really advocate for what you want. You will find that more often than not, older women are eager to help younger generations to achieve their dreams.
4. Current Events Can Be Your Guide
This is an odd one, we’ll give you that, but keeping up with the news of the world can really give you good insight into what industries and professionals are working best and why. If you are a woman who is looking to get into marketing, then it might be good to research the current news about any female-owned marketing firms in the United States. You might find articles about some that are just opening up all the way across the country in Nevada, and after looking at their website, you find that they have a brand new scholarship being offered. These types of exciting new scholarships will not be immediately posted to Scholarship 360, or any of the other common scholarship portals. Some scholarships are older than the people applying, such as those offered by the Coca Cola Company and Microsoft. But there are hundreds more being developed every year by people who are looking to give back to their community. So keep your eyes open to the world around you, because you never know what might happen next.
5. Be Yourself
Yes, you heard that right. As cliche as it might seem, and as commonly as you might hear it, it is absolutely imperative that you take this sentiment to heart. So far we have gone over all of the ways to best find the scholarships that fit you. But now it’s time to apply. And when it comes to the application itself, you must remember that you’re doing this for you and your future. Just like with those mentors you consulted about finding the right scholarship, now you must be clear and concise when applying to the scholarship. You have to show this company or program that you are smart, determined, and worthy of the money they will be putting toward your education. These people are investing in your future, therefore you must show that you are even more invested in it than they are. Explain to them why your passions match their professions, and why your determination is worth their time and effort. They will be reading upwards of a hundred applications, that is why being your best self is the clearest way to securing a top spot. And if you have trouble representing yourself, just remember: specificity and originality are essential to this part of the process!
In the end, no matter where you come from, if you can trust that you can go anywhere, then you will go far. The best way to get there, however, is by hard work and a determined mindset. At NSHSS, we empower women to lead the future in a variety of ways, and we want to help fund their passions today. That is why we have a smattering of amazing and worthwhile scholarships designed specifically for women in the fields of technology and science. Along with the other scholarships listed above, the Notorious RBG Women of Tomorrow Scholarship, as well as the Nobel Future Female Leader Scholarship are amazing opportunities for young women to pursue their career dreams.
At the end of the day, nothing is more important to us than your future, that is why we want women, and students of all backgrounds, to push ahead with their pursuits, to be honored in those pursuits, and to be more as they continue along their chosen path. We can get there together!