Scholarships are vital within the college application process. Everyone could use the extra cash, considering how pricey it is to go to school. What a majority of applying seniors do not realize is that there is a scholarship for just about everything, and it isn’t as hard as one may imagine.

The first step towards applying for scholarships is believing that you can actually win the scholarship. If you don’t put effort toward the actual application process, you can say goodbye to that free money.

Once you actually believe in yourself, you can begin the journey toward your own college funds.

You have to begin with a search for the type of scholarship you wish to apply for- scholarships types  vary by financial needs, colleges you are applying to, athletics, and academic goals, like an honors program. Once you have figured out what type of scholarship you wish to apply for, you can be overwhelmed with scholarship applications.

Scholarship applications usually have several parts to them- all of your academic and extracurricular information, and usually an essay prompt in relation to why YOU should be chosen specifically for this honor.

When it comes to writing an essay for this financial life-line, the essay prompt becomes your life. The best essays are about homely topics. “I wrote my common app essay about shower shoes,” said senior Maggie Davis. “The more random your essay is, the more you stand out to college recruits.” Uniqueness will become your best friend.

Always get people to review your work- if you get outside opinions on your work, the more likely you will have a successful essay. “I think it’s important to have someone review your work so they can catch any mistakes or errors,”said senior Brittany Hall. “It helps improve your overall essay.” This is vital for you to have any chance at the college cash you’re chasing after.

To sum it all up, keep these tips in mind: don’t apply without confidence, search for scholarships based on relevance, stay unique and, as always, be yourself.