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In order to get the best results possible when using online scholarship search
databases, you need to follow a systematic strategy. Here are some important techniques
to remember when conducting your own Internet database search.
Explore As Many Databases As You Can
Scholarship databases are a lot like Lay’s potato chips—betcha can’t
search just one! Quite simply, there are too many scholarships out there for any
one database to be considered comprehensive. Since each database may use different
methods for gathering their scholarship information, each database in turn has
access to a different portion of the scholarship landscape—a fact you can
definitely use to your advantage.
Be Overly Precise
Remember, you are much smarter than the computer database. For this reason, if
you indicate on your database questionnaire that you are a skilled trumpet player,
your search results may include only those scholarships directly related to the
trumpet. This is because database-matching systems are not smart enough to realize
that playing the trumpet is a subcategory of both band class and music. To combat
this problem, check the band and music boxes in addition to the trumpet box.
Use the Same Questionnaire Several Times
Some databases will not allow you to select as many items as you’d like
in a given category (sometimes as few as two or three). To work around this problem,
conduct several searches in the same database and vary the information you include
each time around. If the database doesn’t allow you to vary your personal
information, you can even register under a new name with new information.
Ask to Include Every Scholarship
Some databases will ask you if you’d like to eliminate from your search
the scholarships whose dates have already passed. Although it may seem more convenient,
it is generally not a good idea to do this because application deadlines often
change, listings can be outdated, or the database may have the wrong deadline
altogether. And even if the deadline has passed, you’ll still want to know
what future awards you can begin preparing for.
Take Your Time, But Not Too Much Time
Most database questionnaires need to be completed in one sitting. If you allow
too much time to pass between entries (such as leaving your computer to answer
the phone), you may lose valuable information you’ve already entered.
Perform Generic Searches In Addition to Specific Ones
While specifying a lot of very specific information can often point you to scholarships
designed for a specialized area of interest, doing so can also cause some databases
to omit widely accessible scholarship programs—the ones for which the majority
of students are eligible to apply. So don’t forget to perform fairly generic
database searches as well (in which you specify minimal information about yourself).
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