Find out what steps to take after you’ve applied.
By: Kathryn Knight Randolph | via Fastweb
May 10, 2016
Now that you’ve postmarked your application or hit that “Send” button in your email browser, your new mentality is probably out of sight, out of mind. Though your focus should be on other scholarship applications, there are still some “to-dos” to check off of your list for this particular scholarship.
Send a follow-up email
Give your application about 7 – 10 days to reach the scholarship provider and be processed along with the other applications, then send an email asking if they received your application. Granted, you may not get a response, depending on the applicant pool, but in some cases you may. And it doesn’t hurt to ask just to give you some peace of mind. This is also good rule of thumb in that if you forget a portion of your application, you’re more likely to be able to turn it in separate from the rest of your application if you’ve personally reached out to make sure that the provider has received your application as well as all supplementary materials. This is not the time to ask if you’ve won the scholarship; that would just be premature – and tacky. It’s more of a polite formality to show your interest and that you’re on top of things.
Avoid nagging the scholarship committee
On a similar note, the most likely emails to be ignored by the scholarship committee are those asking if a final decision has been made and if so, who the winner is. For the most part, scholarship providers will only reach out to the applicant selected as the recipient and not to everyone else who has applied. If you haven’t heard anything for a month or two after the scholarship deadline, it’s safe to assume that you didn’t win the scholarship.
Ask for feedback
Once a month or two has passed, it doesn’t hurt to reach out to the scholarship provider and ask for any feedback they might have on your application. Asking for and implementing feedback helps make your future scholarship applications. Plus, you’re getting the opinions and insights of someone who knows what to look for in a scholarship application. Chances that you’ll get a response from the scholarship provider are slim, but in the event that you do get a response, it’s more than worth it to send a quick email to ask for feedback. So now that you’ve sent in your application, avoid sitting back and just relaxing. Maintain a level of interest in the scholarship until the whole process is complete – you’ll learn something along the way that will help with your future scholarship applications.
