There are many ways to make a bad first impression, but I can’t think of a worse one than making the committee pay money for the privilege of reading your essay. Don’t send your application with postage due. When in doubt, add an extra stamp or two. I hate wasting stamps as much as the …
I’ve already covered the type of paper and envelopes you should use for your application, so if you’ve read this far, you can consider this a review. Just so we’re clear, though: you should save the Hello Kitty envelopes and sparkly pink paper – or the NASCAR stationery with “In Loving Memory of #3” envelopes …
This happens dozens of times a day, so pay close attention here. A committee may love your essay, but you’d be surprised how their impression of you may change once they realize it was sent from demonicsoulslayer420@yahoo.com or gettinmydrinkon@hotmail.com or sexndrugs4ever@gmail.com. If it’s not obvious to you that sending email from addresses such as those …
We now do a lot of our scholarships via email, and despite our warnings, students still do this occasionally. Here’s the problem: if a scholarship program is accepting submissions via email, that means the email address you’re supposed to send to is probably sitting on a web page somewhere for you to look at. If …
Psychological studies indicate that people tend to recall items at the beginning of a list and the end of a list far better than they do those in the middle of the list. Try it yourself — go look at 20 items in your kitchen, 20 books in your bookcase, or any set of 20 …
Send in your essay near the beginning or the end of the application period. Read More »
Once you read this section, it’ll seem very obvious, but most people completely overlook the advantage you can give yourself by paying great attention to the way you physically package your essay. Remember Rule #1: Competitors are everywhere, and you must put your best foot forward. Your essay’s packaging is one way to do this …
Preferably a 9″x12″ or even a 10″x13″ envelope so that you don’t have to fold or otherwise crumple your essay to get it to fit. After all, you’ll be going to a lot of trouble to make sure your essay has a very nice appearance, and you don’t want to let it all go to …
Don’t use clear plastic page protectors, and for that matter, the long triangular binders that come with them. First of all, these are a pain to read — it makes turning the pages difficult, and as far as that goes, trust me, staples are just fine! More importantly, though, a plastic cover for every page …
Remember when I said that using high-grade paper was one of the best dollar-for-dollar ways of making your essay stand out? Well, this tip is in the same category as that one, but this one may be even better. Let’s examine what happens to your essay after you drop it in the mail (or even …
Send your essay in a folder so the papers stay crisp. Read More »
