When it comes to filling out scholarship (and college) application forms, one of the biggest hassles could be having to rewrite your personal information, academic background, and extracurricular activities over and over again. Thanks to technology, there are ways to organize this information so you can easily access it every time you fill out an application form, whether automatically with an online application form or manually with a Word Document saved on your computer.

 

Among the various ways you could keep your scholarship portfolio organized, here are some of the top ideas for any prospective Scholarship Junkie:

 

Keep track of all high school records

 

Every time you receive an honor or award (even if it’s second or third place in a contest or student of the month) or volunteer a certain number of hours, record it in a Word Document or in another digital format you can easily recall. Scholarships tend to focus on your activities completed between 9th and 12th grade (if you’re in high school) or your undergraduate years (if you’re in college), so the earlier you begin keeping track of your activities, volunteer hours, and leadership positions held, the easier it will be for you to fill out your scholarship applications, particularly when you’re a busy senior in high school or balancing your packed schedule as a college student.

 

Save a copy of your submitted scholarship application

 

If you submit a paper application, be sure to either scan or photocopy your application so you have a copy of it for yourself. If you submit an online application, make sure to save a PDF of each page so you have a PDF of the entire submitted application. Not only can keeping a copy of your submitted application be helpful for you as you apply for additional scholarships, but you can also pass along your acquired wisdom to younger siblings or friends.

 

Create a system for tracking your scholarship opportunities

 

Before scholarships began turning mostly to online applications, paper applications were the way to go. Many a Scholarship Junkie would keep their scholarship opportunities/applications organized in two main folders:

 

1.  Scholarships with upcoming deadlines

2.  Completed scholarship applications. You could still do this with a folder (or two) on your computer for organizing your applications.

 

Make a spreadsheet with all your scholarship deadlines

 

With dozens of scholarships featuring varying deadlines, the best thing you can do for yourself is ensure that you don’t miss any deadlines. Some Scholarship Junkies have created Excel spreadsheets with dates and deadlines; others have kept an online calendar with deadlines and reminders. Free website resources like www.fastweb.com even include a calendar in your personal profile to keep track of upcoming deadlines.

 

Scholarship Junkies are always on the lookout for more scholarship opportunities, so if you use these ideas listed above or develop ones of your own, you can stay organized and make sure to meet every scholarship deadline. If you’ve got any other ideas for how to stay organized with your scholarships, feel free to submit them by sending us an email at secrets@scholarshipjunkies.com.