Academic Excellence

Scholarship Application Checklist: 5 Things To Do To Get Started

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We’re halfway through summer and there is no better time than now to begin your scholarship search. Still, getting started could be intimidating, especially if you don’t have a clear scope of what you need to do and when to do it. To help you with the process, here are five things you need to do right now.

1. Create a list of scholarship opportunities. 

Before you embark on any plan, you need to have a clear goal and course of action in mind.

Read more about SMART goals on 5 Tips on Setting Goals to Find Scholarships now live in the ScholarPrep Nation app!

Before you start your first application, have a clear goal in mind for the number of scholarship dollars you would like to receive, but also the organizations that are granting them. Get started by searching online, talking to your counselor, and talking to friends and family to see if they belong to special interest groups that may have a scholarship program. 

Once you have your list, it’s time to go!

2. Choose your school and area of study

Not only will making a decision on your school options and area of study help guide your pathway, but it will also help you to fill out your scholarship application, and can even help you identify opportunities that are related to your college and major. 

3. Start asking for letters of recommendation

Don’t wait until you’re applying for a scholarship to try to get a good letter of recommendation. Now is a good time to reach out to a trusted teacher, boss, volunteer coordinator or another person in a position of authority who is familiar with you, your work ethic, and achievements. By starting early, you give yourself a chance to find the right person and to have your letters of recommendation ready to go when you’re ready to start the scholarship application process.

4. Get several copies of your transcripts

Depending on the process of your particular school or district, obtaining a copy of your transcripts could take some time. To get a few copies of your transcripts to include in all of your scholarship packages, go to your registrar, counselor, or another responsible party to request your transcripts early. 

5. Start reviewing other scholarship requirements

Each scholarship application is different. Whereas is it common to see a request for a cover letter, essay, and financial information, you may be required to provide other information for consideration. We’ve seen requests for entrance exam scores, interviews with scholarship committee members, and proof of belonging to a specific protected class. By having a grasp of what each application requires, you give yourself enough time to prepare that information.

This scholarship application checklist can help you to start early on finding funding for your higher education. Of course, applying for scholarships is only one part of your college entry process. To prepare yourself mentally and academically for your college journey, please join ScholarPrep Nation where we’ve brought together a village of people and resources that will help you along the way.

The Village Method Launches Afrocentric College-Access App That Provides Culturally Affirming Educational Resource for 8-12th Graders

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Wednesday, July 1, 2020 – Bay area nonprofit, The Village Method, known for its cultural and educational youth enrichment programs has launched ScholarPrep Nation (SPN), a national college-access network to serve a primary audience of 8-12th graders.

SPN provides students with a virtual “village” of peers, parents, educational consultants, counselors, school administrators, and college recruiters. The platform grants students access to courses, monthly presentations from educational consultants, and access to regularly programmed interactive summits. The platform allows all subscribers to create profiles, participate in forum discussions, and interact with other members through private messaging. The content and engagement opportunities within the platform provide the relationships and information that students need for a successful college experience.

SPN stands apart from other college-access resources by providing a relational and Afrocentric environment that affirms students. Additionally, it confronts the problems of children getting lost during their academic journey, parents who are ill-equipped to help their children, overworked counselors, and Black youth suffering because of inadequacies of the public educational system. With SPN, these very preventable and solvable issues are met, to the success of students’ futures.

Hear from Mahea and Mark Gaskins, the founders of The Village Method and ScholarPrep Nation about the platform and how it will support the needs of the young people needing this unique learning environment!

To subscribe to the platform and access it’s educational content and community, visit scholarprepnation.org.

#UnlockingExcellence

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What happens when a child believes in his or herself and becomes a visionary? Their goals, combined with a positive self-identity, become a compass for their future and a barometer for their expectations in life. A child that is pursuing his or her dream needs a community to pave the way with love, encouragement, support and resources.

As Frederick Douglass has told us:

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

Strong children lead to even stronger families and communities that thrive. Schools aim for each and every student to succeed. Service providers seek to deliver this with their resources. Families want this for their children. In Southern Alameda County (Union City, Hayward, Fremont, Newark) it is widely known and seemingly accepted by some, that students of African descent perform academically at the bottom compared to their counterparts.

At the same time, they are represented at the top of the disciplinary distribution. While graduation rates are over 80% in some districts,we’ve learned that students are not eligible to apply to a 4-year college due to not completing the required courses in high school. Of all the resources and service providers available in this rich area, youth and families of African descent still travel outside of their immediate community or never receive the support they need.

So, whose problem is this? Who do we hold accountable? The children, their parents, or the community? In less than two years, The Village Method (TVM) has impacted the lives of over 200 youth and families. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for the children and families allowing us into their lives. We never would have imagined the amount of learning required to develop a program that is responsive and adapts to the unique needs of our community. We are humbled and thankful to all those who have supported our vision of services.

As we press forward, TVM is narrowing its focus to the effect of implementing a greater degree of academic rigor and guidance into our programming. The theme for our 2016-17 academic school year is

#UnlockingExcellence

…and it represents a chapter in our larger vision: “From the Bottom to the Top”. With this initiative, we intend to increase the number of our students represented in the upper 25th percentile of academic performance. Students and their families are excited! The school district is on board! TVM is staffing up for the challenge! To be successful, it will take the efforts and collaboration of the entire village as we rally for support. Incentive programs, celebrations of success, establishing partnerships, financial support, and plain old sweat-equity will all contribute to our collective success.

Are You Ready?

Dehumanizing Black Children and Innocence

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All children should be considered innocent. And, studies have shown that up until a certain age, most children are, in fact, considered innocent. The problem arises, however, when certain children, children of a specific race, are thought of as less innocent than their age-mates of different races. This situation is seen most profoundly in the difference in perceptions of White and Black children. Unfortunately, this idea that Black children are less innocent than White children continues to plague African Americans [Read more…] about Dehumanizing Black Children and Innocence

A Lack of College Readiness

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With the steady rise of racial tensions throughout the country, it’s becoming increasingly important for African-Americans to educate themselves on the issues surrounding these tensions. One of the most overlooked and pivotal issue that African-Americans need to be aware of is the discrepancies in the treatment and thoroughness of the educational experience

[Read more…] about A Lack of College Readiness