Prestigious national fellowships are highly competitive and require a lot of work, but the process itself is rewarding. The opportunities that will come with such an award are many: travel, research, meeting influential and powerful people, making connections; these and much more await you if you are fortunate enough to win one of these awards or even if you complete the application process. To compete for and win such a prestigious award does take a lot of preparation, planning and hard work. It's not enough to be smart and have good grades, although that is important. You need to have determination, energy, confidence and a carefully organized plan. Plus you'll need help from professors, administrators, your family and friends.
Here are some tips:
Start early! These scholarship applications can be lengthy and require a great deal of thought and preparation. They are extremely competitive and you must work hard to make your application excellent and noteworthy.
Determine your goals and focus on them. Your course of study and your extracurriular activities should reflect your interests and passions. Selection for these awards is based on your entire life, not just your GPA, and those students who are consistent in their work and play have a much better chance at winning.
Develop your personal statement NOW. It is never too early to begin work on your personal statement, which is a key component for many of these prestigious awards. Keep an up-to-date resume and add to it constantly.
Look into research opportunities. Many of these awards require comprehensive discussions of current problems, research projects and/or courses of study. To adequately prepare something like this takes a lot of time and work, but the payoff can be great!
Get some practical experience. There are several scholarships that require an internship (paid or unpaid). These experiences also enhance your skills, build up your recommendation writers, and give you other valuable contacts. In some cases you can also get funding for an internship.
Think about foreign travel. If you are applying to go to another country for graduate study or research, try to figure out ways to get outside the U.S. even if it is for a short vacation. If you absolutely can’t travel, go to campus events that will put you in touch with students from other countries so you can learn from them and get some exposure to their cultures, languages, and concerns.
Stay up on current events. No matter which award you are interested in, you should be knowledgeable and conversant about current events. You should read a GOOD national newspaper every day (e.g. The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal) and at least one periodical that deals with issues a month (e.g. The Atlantic Monthly or The New Republic).
Contact people to help you NOW. The Office of National Scholarship Advisement (ONSA) can help you learn about and apply for these awards. We can begin the process with you. In addition, many of the awards have on-campus coordinators who can assist you. We can refer you to the appropriate offices for further help.
In addition, work with your professors to develop your ideas and to formulate your goals and plans. Your professors will be invaluable as you work on this project -- both for the help they can give you, but also for recommendations.
