Now that you’ve postmarked your application or, in most cases, hit that “Send” button in your email browser, your new mentality is probably out of sight, out of mind. Though your focus should be on other scholarship applications, there are still some “to-dos” to check off of your list for this particular scholarship.
A high school or college student, there are five, next steps you can do once you have applied for a scholarship. While you wait, here’s what to do next:
Send a follow-up email.
Give your application 7–10 business days to reach the scholarship provider and be processed along with the other applications. After this time has lapsed, send an email to verify they received your application.
Don't nag the scholarship committee.
On a similar note, the emails most likely to be ignored by the scholarship committee are those asking if a final decision has been made and if so, who the winner is. For the most part, scholarship providers will only reach out to the applicant selected as the recipient and not to everyone else who has applied.Ask for feedback.
Once a month or two has passed, it doesn’t hurt to reach out to the scholarship provider and ask for any feedback they might have on your application.
Asking for and implementing feedback helps make your future scholarship applications. Plus, you’re getting the opinions and insights of someone who knows what to look for in a scholarship application.
The chances that you’ll get a response from the scholarship provider are slim, but if you do get a response, it’s more than worth it to send a quick email to ask for feedback. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know if you could have received some pointers!
Maintain your GPA and Stay Involved.
It’s important to remember that you’ll need to keep up your academic work. While the award you’re following up on might not be a merit-based scholarship, you want positive academic status for other scholarships you qualify for!
This includes continuing to look for ways to enhance your brag sheet and finding ways to give back to your community with volunteer work.
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