An effective scholarship applicant learns to gain control of as much of the application process as possible, from filling out the paperwork, to writing the essay, to rounding up the right secondary materials, to interviewing. Small wonder, then, that the process of providing written references can cause slight bouts of indigestion to applicants, many of whom are uncertain of what their referrer will say, or what attributes he or she will stress (or neglect).
But with just a little due diligence, you can avoid most of the uncertainty/fear/insomnia, and get through the process without receiving any unforeseen jolts.
The Whats and the Whys
References are requested by scholarship boards to gauge just how good of a match you'll be for the scholarship, and how well you'll represent the values of their foundation with your smarts, talents, plans and personality. References will also reinforce any and all claims you've made about yourself in the application/essay/interview. Your references are a crucial part of presenting yourself as the ultimate, well-rounded candidate for the scholarship at hand.
To exert the highest possible degree of control over the process, it is important that you choose the right referrers, prime them and extend your deepest and sincerest gratitude after the deed is done.
Rounding Up References
Cover your bases. Contact a teacher who you worked closely with, or in whose classes you excelled — he or she will attest to your intelligence, work ethic and personality. Then try past bosses from your part-time jobs or internships. Even if the work is completely unrelated to the scholarship you're applying for, they will be able to attest to your professionalism, loyalty, drive and temperament. If you've performed charity work, get a supervisor — he or she will attest to your virtue and sense of decency. This is important, as a person who spent three years in a soup kitchen is less likely to embarrass the scholarship board with prolonged criminal jags or other forms of unseemly behavior.
After deciding on the best referrers, ask permission. If they agree, brief your refs on the nature of the scholarships you're applying for, what qualities you would like stressed, or any helpful anecdotes you would like the scholarship board to know about.
You'll want to round up about five referrers, and be prepared to provide two or three references for each application if you're applying for multiple scholarships (the stable of five helps you avoid inundating each referrer with more requests for written references).
Some foundations will allow you to send hardcopies of your references along with your application (which means you get to read them before they go out), and some require the referrer to send the reference out him/herself. Check with the instructions included in your application materials before proceeding. Also, you may want to offer your referrers the option of handing their references over to you, or sending them in themselves. Help them go about it in the manner in which they are most comfortable. Be accommodating.
Finally, send a sincere thank-you note. Don't let your referrer's efforts go unappreciated
Rounding Up References
0 comments
Post a Comment