Student Applies to 73 Scholarships, Finally Wins Big

If at first you don’t succeed, try again. We’ve all heard this saying countless times, but one college student in North Carolina took it to heart and it paid off for her – literally. According to WRAL.com, Sarah Allevato, a current student at Wake Technical Community Campus, had hopes of transferring to a four-year institution in order to earn her Bachelor’s degree. However, when she considered the move financially, it was not a possibility. Though she is a Pell Grant recipient, it wasn’t nearly enough to cover tuition, fees and room and board at North Caroline State University – her number one choice. With that in mind, Allevato did what most students do in her position – she applied for scholarships. But when she faced rejection after rejection, she didn’t give up. A whopping 72 scholarship application rejections later, Allevato got the news she’d been longing to hear. She was a scholarship winner – a big scholarship winner. Allevato applied to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and won $40,000 per year to help fund her remaining college education as well as $75,000 for graduate school. After graduating in May, she also plans to study abroad in London with the help of the scholarship. For further motivation, look no further than Jasmine Harrison, another North Carolina student that applied to 113 colleges and was awarded a combined $4.5 million in scholarships. Using the Common Black College Application to apply to 26 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as well as the Common Application to apply to 20 more, she received merit scholarships from multiple colleges and universities, including three full ride opportunities, according to WFMY in Greensboro. Harrison told reporters that it wasn’t just her 4.0 GPA that got her into college; it was the hours she spent pouring over every application as well as her faith. So how can Allevato and Harrison’s strategies help you increase your chances of winning scholarships? 1. Maximize your scholarship search. As you can see, it may take a lot of scholarship applications to finally win. Rather than research opportunities on your own, you can fill out a Fastweb profile in order to find a variety of scholarships for which you actually qualify. Essentially, we can save you hours of time and prevent you from hitting a lot of dead ends. To maximize your search even further, update your Fastweb profile on a frequent basis. This ensures that the scholarship matches you see are the most tailored to your current circumstances, academic standing and achievements. 2. Apply, apply, apply. As you can see, applying to as many scholarships as possible only helps your chances of winning. Treat applying for scholarships as a part-time job. Commit a few hours a week to checking your Fastweb profile, completing applications and submitting all materials before the deadline. Check out our expert scholarship advice for tips and tricks that make applying to scholarships easier and more fruitful. 3. Double check your work. The fastest way to get your scholarship application thrown out of the pile is to submit it with mistakes. Have your parents, teachers or guidance counselors review your applications before you apply. An extra set of eyes on your application, essays and other materials will also help to increase your chance of winning a scholarship. 4. Don’t get discouraged. Sarah Allevato told WRAL.com, “A winner is only a loser who tried one more time.” It can be defeating to receive rejection after rejection – but don’t let it get to you. Stay focused on your goals and keep trying. If you win a scholarship, it will all have been worth the hard work and effort.