There’s a new app in our midst that can help you find scholarships and even give you tips on your essays. It was featured on Shark tank and is being used by over 100,000 students now. Scholly, developed by Drexel student Christopher Gray, aims to make the process of finding relevant scholarships quick and easy. Who wouldn’t want a little less stress in the college process?
Scholly uses basic information like GPA, state, and race, to find scholarships that are tailored specifically to you. This eliminates much of the time and energy exerted in finding potential scholarships, so you can spend that much-needed effort on the applications themselves. Another cool feature is that the app allows you to see successful application essays and will alert you to approaching deadlines, an extra helpful feature when you’re trying to keep track of different dates during application season. Scholly is priced at a low 99 cents, and can be purchased on Google Play or through the iTunes store.
Other options to consider are some very good, free websites that will narrow down your options in a similar manner. Some notable sites are Cappex, Fastweb, Schoolsoup, Zinch, and your school’s Naviance. Many will even send you email updates when a new, relevant scholarship opportunity is posted. You might feel more comfortable with these options if you are already familiar with how to navigate them.
As is the case with every feature of the college process, you’re never out of options! Even while you’re searching online, you can search for other scholarship opportunities in your community. Find out if a parent’s company offers scholarships, ask leaders in your religious organization, or read up on scholarships for a particular volunteer activity in which you participate (ex. Eagle Scouts/Girl Scouts, Habitat for Humanity, etc.). Even recreational activities might give you an edge on some more specific scholarships. Have you been writing for your town newspaper? You might qualify for a journalism scholarship! Did you invent a cool, new robot that can make sandwiches? There might be an essay that asks you to talk about your creation.
The opportunities are abundant; don’t be afraid to use all of your resources. Which resources have worked well for you?