With first semester ending soon, seniors are pushing forward with their stressful schedules full of college, college, and more college. How could it get worse? Try adding yet another crazy process: applying for scholarships.
The application process of most scholarships is infamous for being tedious and grueling, but all that hard work pays off in a tremendous way. Literally.
If it means a year’s worth of books, half a semester, or possibly a full year of college would be payed for, wouldn’t it be worth a shot?
Junior Mary Daley is pro-scholarship and is going to give those applications her best attempt. “I think regardless of where we live [referring to the affluence of the North Shore and the higher socioeconomic classes around here] college is still a major investment.”
Daley also believes that after working incredibly hard in high school, receiving a scholarship would not only be highly rewarding, but would help relieve some financial strain for her family, “Even if I could get money for books, that’s something.”
James Conroy, Post-High School Counseling Chair, encourages students not to get discouraged when it comes to applying for scholarships. “Students don’t apply for scholarships as much as they could be,” stated Conroy.
“You’ve got to look at the big picture. There are some students who apply for 25-30 and don’t get any, and some who apply for 15-20 and get one or two. You’ve really got to be pushy about how you apply.”
Conroy compared applying for scholarships to playing a game, “that you’re playing it to win.” He expressed it is important to advocate for yourself and to be persistent. The moment you become discouraged, you allow yourself to start giving up.
Senior Celine Oberholzer, is applying for scholarships to avoid serious debt after college. “People sometimes are just simply lazy and don’t want to fill out yet another application, or just assume they won’t get one, so then they don’t even try.”
“The main scholarship I’m interested in included a weekend where I had to do interviews at The University of Indiana during a time span of two days,” Oberholzer said. “The whole process was pretty intense.”
Senior Sedrick Joseph, feels every student deserves a fair shot. “Colleges are so competitive nowadays, and every student is unique in their own way, so why not try and apply for a scholarship?” Joseph believes it can only help students, not hurt them.
Another interesting fact about scholarships is that the board or foundation providing that particular scholarship can decide how much money they’re willing to donate, as well as what kind of person they want to receive it.
“Sometimes there are scholarships that are available one year, and then disappear the next, if the money doesn’t come back,” said Conroy.
Over the years, Conroy has come across a few unique scholarships that students have expressed interest in.
One that has returned a few times is the tall scholarship. “I remember that the girl had to be at least over six feet tall,” he said.
A lot of times the more interesting scholarships have to do with a person’s ethnic background, such as a Lithuanian scholarship, but you have to be able to prove it, which is sometimes difficult.
Conroy is also amazed with how unique some scholarships can be.
“I can remember one where Northwestern University talked to us about a scholarship that was looking for any girl from a certain county, in a certain state, who had red hair, with a certain first name. They haven’t used it in 25 years because no one is qualified for it.” Usually the money just sits there, waiting for a particular student with all of those qualifications.
Some places can even require you to pay in order to apply for a scholarship. Conroy commented on this incredulously, “You should never pay a penny to find money. That’s ridiculous, to maybe not get anything, but still pay to apply?”
Rachel Rohland, a freshman at Boston University, reflects on when her friends were applying for scholarships. She said the most awkward thing about scholarships is that money is such a personal issue.
“I hate how colleges don’t know your backstory, or why you’re applying for that scholarship. Money shouldn’t define a person’s academic ability or personality.”