Since attending a private girls high school on a full academic scholarship, I also studied piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, went to an Ivy League college in the United States, and conducted research in China – all on scholarships. What I’ve learned is that scholarships are everywhere. You just have to look.
- Start with the institution you plan to attend.
Almost every university you seek to attend will have a number of scholarships offered. You’ll find them if you just do a quick search on the university’s website. Look for the scholarships that are targeted towards your age group, year or interests.
- Read the eligibility criteria and application requirements carefully.
Make sure that you are eligible for the scholarship award, and then check whether the scholarship application requires anything more than your academic records and/or ATAR. For example, some scholarships may require you to submit a personal statement about your academic/career goals and accomplishments as well as one or two academic references.
- Apply to any and all of them!
The cheesy advice – that you miss 100% of the chances you don’t take – is completely true! Don’t let laziness keep you from shaving $10,000 or more of debt off your school fees each year. Certainly don’t let insecurities about your chances of winning scholarships keep you from applying either. Since so few people make the effort to find and apply to these scholarships, your chances of winning may be much higher than you think.
Of course, most of these scholarships will be based on merit; study hard to perform well in your HSC so that when the time comes, you’ll feel all the more confident in your scholarship applications.
