Here’s some good advice on how to write the best scholarship essay…

We’ve told you to take your scholarship essays seriously. So where and how do you begin? Here are some helpful questions to get you started:

What attributes do you wish to convey?

- In order to answer this question, you should at the very least read a description of the award. Is the award intended to honor a certain person, and how is he or she described? This will give you an idea of the criteria on which your character will be judged.

- What are the main interests or goals of the organization offering the scholarship? How might you be expected to help achieve these goals? Present yourself as someone compatible with the organization’s mission.

- Create a list of attributes you wish to emphasize in your scholarship essay. Remember: in addition to self-confidence, humility is a very attractive trait!

- If you have questions regarding the scholarship, you can always call the organization. Committees want to help students create strong applications.

Do you need to do some research, or is the question more personal?

- Outside research can enrich your writing and strengthen its impact. You may be required to do research in order to answer the question – if, for example, you need to evaluate a policy and take a stance for or against it. If the question is personal, outside research may still be helpful for placing your circumstances in context. Maybe you want to explain just how crucial the lab research you’re conducting is to our understanding of the habits of howler monkeys.

Do you come across as human?

- If so, good! It’s alright – even beneficial – to reveal shortcomings, as long as you have some insight into them and can demonstrate that you’ll give a challenge everything you’ve got. Have a friend read your essay, and see what kind of picture of you it paints.

- Use specific details and examples to convey desired attributes. Don’t just say you work hard. Describe the steps you take to succeed, and how you manage to balance work with other demands.

• Examine your examples. How can you make them even more specific, and therefore more compelling? Remember that your readers have never met you or anyone in your life (probably). In order for your character to stand out, people need specifics, just as they do when reading a novel or a biography.

Lastly, get feedback.

Top Test Prep offers admissions counseling that can help you hone your scholarship essays and grab an organization’s attention.

This article is on how to write scholarship essays. For more information on scholarship essays for applications, go to TopTestPrep.com.

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Some tips on getting scholarship money to fund your education…

1. Start researching now.

Don’t assume you’re ineligible for a scholarship without thoroughly researching what’s out there. Use the internet, see where your friends are applying, buy a scholarship guide at a bookstore, and ask your college counselor for suggestions. There are scholarships for everything, from tall brunette women to musical prodigies. Through diligent searching, you’ll discover you’re a candidate for more than a few.

2. Increase your chances.

If you start researching scholarships early, you may still have time in your educational career to become a good candidate. A scholarship might require that you’ve completed a certain project or spent time on an extracurricular interest by the application deadline. If you know in advance which scholarships interest you, you can work these things into your free time or your classes.

Another way to increase your odds of receiving scholarship money is to apply for scholarships with specific candidate criteria, scholarships for which fewer people will be applying.

3. Consider schools that offer academic scholarships to attract students like you.

Review the schools’ websites to see what kinds of recruitment scholarships they offer. Schools will invest in high-caliber students in order to boost their rankings. Additionally, schools may use scholarship money to attract students from different geographical areas, students who can contribute to the school’s ethnic and cultural diversity, and students who are involved in less popular areas of study. Check to see whether these schools require supplemental materials or separate applications from students interested in scholarship money.

4. Take applications seriously.

Be sure to do everything a scholarship application asks of you. Approach your potential patrons with humility: they’re considering giving you money, after all. The application itself – and how well you’ve managed to follow the directions – will influence your eligibility.

5. Write a killer scholarship essay.

Approach scholarship essays with the same seriousness of purpose (and attendant anxiety) you reserve for admissions essays. Remember that the people bestowing scholarship money are interested in you as an individual. They want to sponsor candidates that they can easily picture profiting in specific ways from the education they’ll be helping to fund.

Top Test Prep offers admissions counseling that can help you manage your search for scholarships and financial aid.

This article is on getting scholarship money for colleges. To get help from college admissions experts, go to TopTestPrep.com.

Ross Blankenship, Chairman of Top Test Prep and education expert on scholarships, college admissions and test prep, wrote this article.  Call (800) 501-Prep to learn more.

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Looking for education experts?

If you need an education expert and admissions counselor who specializes in getting students into top schools (Ivy League and beyond), contact Top Test Prep’s team at (800) 501-Prep.

As students are going back to school now, it’s important to get started on the applications. Our admissions counselors are dedicated to improving applications, working with families, and developing plans for getting into the best prep school, colleges and graduate schools.

Call (800) 501-Prep today to get the help you need.

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• Develop a theme: instead of listing every extracurricular activity you’ve done or all the things you have done throughout high school, write one consistent theme that embodies who you are as a student. Example: if you are an athlete but also enjoy biology, write an admissions essay or personal statement about what it is like being a student scholar on your team, and how people perceive you as a student and teammate.
• Proofread, proofread, and proofread: Nothing looks worse on an admissions essay than grammar or spelling errors. Proofread your admissions essay, correct the errors and then do it again. Read it out loud, read it backwards, and ensure that all mistakes are removed.
• Think Critically: As you proofread your essay think about every sentence and every paragraph critically. Could you write something differently to make a bigger impact? Is your word usage correct? How could you improve upon what you have written to make it even better?
• Admissions Essay Help: Along with taking steps one and two yourself, have someone you know do the same. Your friends, your teachers, or even your college counselor may have ideas that can help your admissions essay become that one element that pushes you over the top and gets you into the college of your choice. We also offer admissions counseling which is excellent for students applying to all programs, whether private schools, colleges or graduate schools.  Our Ivy League editors and private admissions counselors are here to help you get into the best schools.
• Revise Accordingly: As you work through the first three ideas, revise your admissions essay accordingly. Each time you do go right back to step number one and edit your essay again. If you work through these steps a few times you will get to the point where you feel it can’t be improved anymore.

“Writing the Best Admissions Essays” was written by education expert and college consultant, Ross Blankenship.  Ross is the President of TopTestPrep.com, which provides private tutoring and college admissions consulting to students and parents. If you’re applying to top schools, call (800) 501-PREP today.

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Here are the Top 10 test prep tips to improve your exam scores…

I’d like to share with our readers tips to use for test prep, whether you’re taking the SAT exam, ACT exam or other standardized tests like the LSAT, GMAT, GRE or MCAT. Preparing for exams can be tedious, but with the right plan you can succeed.

Ten Test Prep Tips to Help Improve Your Test Scores:

(1) Practice sections: Always take practice sections and exams under testing conditions. Testing conditions refers to taking an exam during the same time and general day you are scheduled for the actual exam (e.g. Saturdays at 9am)

(2) The back of the book: Do not simply look to the back of the book for answers. This causes you to rely on the book and others’ knowledge more than your own. Always try the problems first and then rely on the back of the book to check your answer.

(3) Manage your time wisely. One of the most important things to do before you begin studying for tests is to set out a proper study schedule. At a minimum, you should devote between 2 to 3 hours per day in preparing for exams. Make it your part-time job. Choose only one or two test prep books and go to work.

(4) Get help when necessary. In most cases, students only get once chance to take a major test like the PSAT, SAT, ACT or other grad level exams like the GRE and LSAT. So why not consider a private tutor? At the very least look into it. Beyond providing you direction, a private tutor may go a long way in helping you prepare for these exams. For example, Top Test Prep’s tutors all have scored in the top 1% percentile and are double-screened to ensure they are able to successfully tutor students.

(5) Speed exam taking: If the student has difficulties with time or time pressures, have the student take the sections under faster time settings. For example, have the student take what would normally be a 30 minute section, in 15 minutes instead. Like running with weights attached to your ankles, this will make the tests and each sections faster for the student.

(6) Math Problems: The method is more important than the result. If a student cannot explain how he or she got to the correct answer, they won’t be able to do it correctly on their own exam. Like any mathematical proof, you want to make sure you have every step down perfectly. Every studentmust be able to explain their methods.

(7) Verbal Problems: One method that has worked for Top Test Prep is to have every student read the verbal passages out loud before answering the questions. Most test prep companies recommend reading the questions first, and then skimming the content. During your tutoring sessions, we want the students to hear what the author is writing and then to explain the passage’s main point to the tutor. If a student can explain what an author intended to write, he or she will know the answers before they get to the questions. If a student can come up with his or her own title to the passage, they become more involved and will understand the questions better. Essentially, make the student the author of the passage.

(8) On test day: The Five P’s of Test Prep are simple: Proper preparation prevents poor performance. Make sure every student has everything they need on test day: All #2 pencils, calculators, and their admissions ticket. Being prepared will prevent nervousness and overall anxiety. Students are encouraged to have some caffeine, but not too much however much they are comfortable with drinking.

(9) Expect the Unexpected. When test day arrives, you must expect that you will see questions with which you are unfamiliar. In the event you don’t know the answer, make sure to eliminate as many problems that are not logical or those which have no basis for even being an answer choice. This takes practice. However, it’s important not to just guess if you have a chance of losing points.

(10) Don’t Panic. No matter what your score is, keep in mind that you can take an exam again. You can take most exams again without being penalized – several admissions offices will look to your highest score regardless of any previous exam results.

This article was written by Ross Blankenship, an education expert and Chairman of TopTestPrep.com, which provides private tutoring and admissions consulting to students around the world. Call (800) 501-PREP to get help with private tutoring and admissions consulting.

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Our admissions consulting offers students and parents the opportunity to gain admission to top-ranked schools. If you’re applying to prep schools, colleges or graduate schools, take a moment to visit our admissions consultants.

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The Premium Program is designed for students and parents who need enough time to complete up to 10 applications at any level. This includes:

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The Plus Program is designed for students and parents who need enough time to complete up to 5 applications at any level. This includes:

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The Admissions Essay Program is designed to help you with three admissions essays of your choice.

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Interviews are nerve racking to say the least. This is it: just you and the admissions experts. You need to convince this committee why they should let you attend their school. Talk about pressure! There are plenty of ways not to have a total nervous breakdown at the interview; all it takes is time and a little practice.

Prior to the interview, start thinking about what you are going to say. You should consider what makes you a unique and vital addition to the school. Think about your interests, your strengths, all of your activities. For example, there are plenty of applicants with a 4.0 GPA and awesome test scores. The usual sports, cheer leading, school clubs and band are all the same. What makes you different? Are you a leader at your school? Do you write, or have you been published? Have you started a non-profit or been a head volunteer for a major organization? These are the things that set you apart from the crowd.

Take a good look at yourself and know your strengths and weaknesses. The admissions committee may ask you what your weaknesses are. Even Superman had Kryptonite. Be prepared to answer this question. If you are expecting this question it will not catch you off guard and you will already know what you are going to say.

Now that you have some idea of what to say, let’s work on the sweaty palms, the stuttering, the nausea…. The best way to do this is to learn how to speak in front of people and this is really difficult for many of us. Practice talking to people in a confident way. Never look down; it is a sign of weakness. Look the admissions committee straight in the eye when you address a single person. When speaking to a group, find a focal point on the area in back of them that is at eye level with the majority of the group. Talk to that spot. Confidence is very effective, having an over inflated ego is not. Be sure you know the difference.

Think of the interview from a different perspective. It is not a final judgment of you. It is an exchange of ideas to see if this situation is a good fit between you and the school. Come armed with a few questions for the admissions committee. It will show that you are as interested in them as they are in you and that you put some thought into the interview.

Being well prepared is the best defense against nervousness. Most likely you will feel butterflies in your stomach. A little nervousness is expected and it is a good thing. However, don’t let fear paralyze you.

A final recommendation is to consider turning the interview theme into how you will help contribute to their particular institution. The interview on the surface is about you, but beneath it all, it’s about how you can represent, enhance and contribute to the academic milieu of that particular school.

Private tutoring.

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