In addition to Willamette scholarships, you may be eligible for one or more private scholarships administered by outside organizations (i.e., those not affiliated with Willamette University). A good place to get started in identifying private scholarships you might qualify for is to visit our scholarship search page.
Some other helpful hints for the scholarship search process include:
- Begin your scholarship search in the fall of your senior year.
There is most likely a counselor at your high school that can help you with your search. There is a lot of work involved in making an application that gets results! Don't put this off until it is too late to do it well. - Get involved! Activities and community service are important.
Sure it helps to be a straight A student, but what scholarship committees really look for is an involved student who demonstrates leadership and an interest in helping others. - Research other private scholarship opportunities online.
There are many national scholarship databases online. One of the oldest is fastweb.com, but there are a lot out there. Unfortunately, no one national database lists every scholarship out there--that's just not possible, given how frequently private scholarships are created (and also discontinued). - Talk to employers, civic organizations, clubs, etc. that you or your family members belong to. Sometimes they have scholarship opportunities that are not nationally advertised.
- Keep a notebook with a section for each scholarship.
Assemble activity lists, essays, recommendations and applications. Be sure every application is complete and answers the questions asked. Tailor your essays for that specific application. - Arrange applications by deadline.
Late applications do not get considered. Know when the deadline is, and be sure to mail your complete application in plenty of time. - Request recommendations early in the process.
If recommendations are to be mailed separately, provide a stamped, addressed envelope, with the deadline clearly indicated. - Never pay or provide credit card information to apply for a scholarship or for a scholarship search.
- Continue searching for private scholarships after you’ve enrolled in college.
The same steps, time, effort, and energy that you put into scholarship searches as a high school student can be continued after you start college.