The Art of Winning Canadian Scholarships
What is Scholarship Coaching
Parents, do you need money for your children's post secondary education?
Teens face many decisions such as what career to choose or what subjects to take in high school. Parents need to start planning and talking about university and college with their teens before they enter high school. Parents can encourage their teen to develop their talents, interests, gifts and abilities.A well rounded student win scholarships.
There are more than 37,400 scholarships and awards available today which translate into more than $58 million. Scholarship is free money; however most students and their parents are unaware of where to start looking for scholarship money. Most importantly they do not know what it takes to win scholarships.
Mentoring is a necessary step to winning scholarships. Students need someone who is knowledgeable about scholarships, the application and review process to mentor them. Great sports figures like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordon hire personal mentors and coaches to help them obtain the edge over their competitors. Scholarship coaching involves a partnership between students, parents, and mentors. It is based on positive motivation and personal growth. If a student and parents are serious about winning scholarships, I would suggest that they consider hiring a scholarship coach. Caution! Don't expect the scholarship coach to do everything for you. You and the scholarship coach are a team and your effort and humility will determine your success.
What is a Scholarship Coach?
A Scholarship Coach is a person experienced with scholarships, who has the important role of mentoring the student and partnering with their parents to actualize success. A good scholarship coach can help students from their grade 9 to grade 12 years of high school. Students should be able to get advice on how to obtain better grades, what school and community activities to join, how to develop leadership skills, how to build a scholarship portfolio and how to develop innovative projects. An important part of the job of a scholarship coach is to connect the right student with the right opportunity. Most importantly, the coach must have the ability to communicate with young people and know how to motivate them.
The benefits of having a Scholarship Coach
- Students in grades 8 to 12 learn how to prepare themselves to apply and win scholarship
- Students receives help with preparing and writing winning scholarship essays
- Assists the student identify the best source for scholarship and how to choose the scholarships that best suit them
- Assists students develop lasting community projects
- Motivates students to apply for scholarships and gives them moral support during the application process.
- Assists students in the preparation of letters of recommendation.
- Assists students about their school activities, education plans, and career goals.
- Scholarship and Career Portfolio management
- Insight on what the scholarship reviewer is looking for
- Scholarship Coaches may also make regular presentations to students, schools, parents and community groups in regards to scholarships and the students personal and human relations development. These presentations help students get a sense of who they are, what they want, and how they can position themselves to get it.
Scholarship Tips
- Treat scholarship search as you would academic subject. Start preparing early.
- Study hard and get good grades
- Get involve in extracurricular activities, try for a leadership position
- Develop community projects and serve the community
- Develop your portfolio
- Apply for as many scholarships as you can
- Read the application thoroughly
- Answer all questions on the scholarship application
- Get good recommendation letter
- Get help to proofread your essay
Scholarship Coaching presentations include:
- How to better to prepare for post-secondary education
- How to prepare to master life
- Personal development
- Team dynamics
- Developing leadership skills.
- Student /Community service connection.
- Interview preparation
- Presentation skills
- Scholarship and Career Portfolio management
- Resume writing
- Bursaries, grants and loans
- When do I seek help from a Scholarship Coach?
Since most scholarship and university application forms ask for information about high school activities, it makes sense to begin just before students enter Grade 9.
Grades 8 students are not too young to develop ideas about their future goals or career choices. In preparation for Grade 9, Grade 8 students are required to choose courses and the academic level they will be taking at high school. Some students and parents may require help with selecting appropriate courses and levels of courses that will alert the student to the potential to win scholarships. A scholarship coach can help.
At grades 9 and 10 students should begin to plan and execute innovative community projects and be a part of school clubs and teams in a leadership role if possible. A scholarship coach can help!