Build Your Scholarship Tool Kit

Your Scholarship Tool Kit is unique to you and you alone; think of it as a custom view you YOU. You Scholarship Tool Kit should contain:

• A copy of your Transcript
• An Academic Resume
• An Autobiographical Essay
• Letters of Recommendation
• A Log of leadership activities
• A Log of Community Service Activities
• Monthly Goal Sheets
• A Personal Statement
• Your Scholarship Tracking Tool

Preparing means assembling these documents BEFORE you begin applying for scholarships. Let’s start with getting a copy of your transcript.  

Your Transcript

You can get an unofficial copy of your transcript from your school principal or counselor by asking for it. The best way to approach this is to make an appointment with your counselor. During your appointment, tell your counselor that you are preparing to apply for scholarships and you need a copy of your transcript. You don’t really need to tell your counselor that you’re applying for scholarships to get your transcript, but it’s a good idea. Your counselor is probably someone you’ll ask for a letter of recommendation. By making an appointment and talking about scholarship applications, you’re sort of giving the counselor a “heads-up.” You can even let your counselor know that you’ll be asking for a recommendation soon. We’ll talk more about how to properly ask for a recommendation letter a little later in this eBook.

Sample Transcripts

Your Academic Resume

Creating an academic resume is not hard; It’s pretty much just writing about yourself, with just a few words. 

The top of your academic resume should display:

• Your first and last name/ address/ phone and email
• The name of the school you attend
• Your college entrance test scores (if you have them)
• Your Grade Point Average (GPA)

Next, the body of your Academic Resume should share more information about you. 

This part of your AR should list:

• Your activities
• Your volunteer experience
• Your work experience
• Any awards or honors you’ve received

Before you create your actual academic resume, take some time to write this information down on a sheet of paper. This will help you identify what information you already have, and the information you need to “research.” You may have to find copies of awards you’ve received, look at your transcript for the courses you’ve taken, or even ask your parents to help you remember some volunteer experience. Your Academic Resume can showcase your teamwork, responsibility and civic duty.

The next page shows an example of an Academic Resume. I created this example by using a template in my word processing software. You can create your AR this way, or you can buy a resume making software package at any office supply store. Another option is to check the Internet for free resume making templates; it’s fast and the free templates usually work well.

Sample Resume Template

Your Autobiographical Essay

Creating your autobiographical essay takes some work, but it’s worth it. I recommend working on this type of essay as an assignment for your English class, or taking a workshop to help write it. With that said, I’ll tell you how we recommend starting your autobiographical essay.

First, you should understand what scholarship judges look for in applicants. You’ve reviewed the Scholarship Judging Criteria, by now you should be able to identify a few themes that describe the type of person you are, or your accomplishments. Use 2 – 3 themes that feel comfortable. Here is a list of the most commonly used themes when writing an autobiographical essay.

• A good person doing good things
• A creative and talented person
• A survivor of a difficult situation
• A really smart person
• A political activist
• An athlete
• A scientist
• An entrepreneur
• A good leader

As you select the themes you want to use in your autobiographical essay, think of a story or example from your life that demonstrates the theme. Perhaps you designed your own pattern for a handbag (creative), or maybe you’re the person everyone comes to for advice (leader). Make sure that you write about a specific example when you discuss the theme in your autobiographic essay. Your autobiographical essay can showcase your passion and enthusiasm, as well as your sense of purpose. Next, follow the steps in the Personal Statement section.

Theme Sheet Template

Theme Sheet Template 2