Optimizing Your Scholarship Application

How to Optimize Your Scholarship Application

The simpler and easier your scholarship application, the more likely students will complete it – so the key to getting more qualified applicants is making it as easy to apply as possible.

Revisiting your application every year to streamline and clarify your application questions is a great way to ensure your application is as simple as it can be. Here are some of the tactics we’ve used to help institutions create their best scholarship applications!

Debrief with your reviewers.

Ask your review committee for feedback about last year’s application. What information was most crucial? What information did they not use at all? And what questions were missing that would have helped them make decisions faster? Your reviewers’ responses will help you make changes to your application that improve the reviewing experience this year.

Imitate successful applications.

Here at AwardSpring, we’ve noticed a few trends among applications that have a high percentage of completion. These applications typically have:

• Fewer than five sections. Applicants will feel less overwhelmed by a shorter set of questions, increasing the chance that they complete their applications in one sitting and reducing the risk that they step away and never return.

• No more than three essays. Are your reviewers really reading every essay? For your general application, consider requiring just one essay – you can always add another one for specific scholarships.

• Only one transcript requirement - the most recent one. Tracking down transcripts can be a big barrier to completion. Requiring only the most recent one makes it more likely a student will have it on hand.

• Only one required letter of recommendation. Teachers and counselors are often inundated with requests during application season. Consider transforming this letter into a form to make things even easier on them!

• Very specific essay prompts. Specific questions get specific answers. Moving away from prompts like “Why should you receive this scholarship?” and toward prompts like “Tell us about one significant academic, personal, or athletic achievements.” will get you the answers you’re really looking for.

In general, the most successful applications have limited requirements, specific requests, and user-friendly formats that provide students with flexibility in their answers. Adjusting your own application to meet these standards will help you gain more applicants and have a better review experience. If you ever need one-on-one recommendations on streamlining your application, contact support at support@awardspring.com – we’re always glad to help.