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It’s December. There's a brisk chill in the air, and...application deadlines are almost here. Put your well-honed application essay writing skills to work by applying for scholarships this month.
Remember: applying for small, under-the-radar college scholarships equals better odds of earning money for college. To improve your chances, focus on regional and local scholarships that directly relate to your interests, skills, and accomplishments. Then, schedule a consultation with a Zen Admissions scholarship coach, who will compile a personalized scholarship list and create custom application strategies just for you.
Maine Limousine Scholarship
Deadline: December 30, 2017
Eligibility: Not just for Maine-ers! All US citizens 15 years or older who are currently enrolled in or planning to be enrolled in college by 2020.
Requirements: No required topic, format, or word count. The only requirement: "Bring the funny, keep it original, and make our judges laugh till they make that gross dry heaving sound."
Awards: $1000
Strategy: Read through the goofy instructions on Maine Limo’s website to get warmed up. Then, flex those creative writing muscles and “bring the funny”! If you’re feeling less than hilarious, use some of our favorite zen tips to loosen up, then grab a friend for a brainstorming session or curl up with a fresh notebook.
Comedy Defensive Driving School
Deadline: December 31, 2017
Eligibility: US citizens currently enrolled in high school, college, or graduate school.
Requirements: Design an advertisement (billboard, commercial, PSA, poster, radio ad, etc.) that will educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving, and convince them with a clear call to action not to text and drive, drink and drive, eat and drive, or any other distraction you choose to focus on. Entries will be judged based on creativity and humor.
Awards: $1000
Strategy: Have you watched corny PSAs and thought to yourself, “I could do better”? Now’s your chance. The judges are looking for advertisements that young drivers will find genuinely relatable, so don’t be afraid to use humor and infuse your real voice into the project.
Moolah Spot Scholarship
Deadline: December 31, 2017
Eligibility: Any student at least 16 years or older who plans to attend (or is currently attending) college or graduate school. Students may be of any nationality and reside in any country.
Requirements: Write a 400-word essay on ONE of the following topics: (1) Why do you deserve to win this scholarship? (2) What is your academic or career goal? (3) Describe what is most important to you and why. (4) Any topic of your choice.
Awards: $1000
Strategy: Shhh, don’t tell: you can reuse any application essay for this scholarship! Go ahead and upload that clever Common App essay or brilliant personal statement. The judges won’t judge you for recycling, and you’ll save yourself time. Zen mission accomplished.
Do Something Shower Songs
Deadline: December 31, 2017
Eligibility: Legal residents of the U.S. or Canada 25 years old or younger in college or with plans to enroll in college.
Requirements: Write a brief (150 words or less) explanation of why this project matters to you. Then, create a 5-minute "shower song" playlist. The goal of the playlist is to save water by encouraging others to take shorter showers. Take a screenshot of your playlist and upload it to DoSomething with your application.
Award: $2000
Strategy: This super simple (and environmentally friendly) scholarship is lottery-based, so nobody’s judging you on your music taste. Pull together a few of your favorite sing-along shower songs, upload the photo, and get your name in the hat ASAP. You can’t win if you don’t enter!
To learn more about our personalized scholarship research and college application essay coaching, visit our scholarship coaching and Insta-Edits Essay Review pages.