A large majority of students miss 100% of the scholarship opportunities that they find because not only do they not complete their applications, sometimes they fail to update them after the initial completion. Your PTK Scholarship Application is a very dynamic document and can be kept current until the deadline date of December 1, 2023. As you gain more experience and grow your leadership, you can always log in to your application to edit or add to your entries. Keep your app updated and relevant by following the best practices outlined below.
- Complete the Fall Programs tab, which became available July 2023. This tab of your application contains:
- the significant endeavor essay – easily the most heavily weighted portion of the scholarship application – judges are seeking initiative, creativity, and originality. Our Support Library holds several articles to help you with this tab, including this short clip.
- an upload slot for your most recent college transcript (current through July 31, 2023)
- an upload slot for a letter of recommendation that speaks to the content of your essay (click for advice on letters of recommendation or view a short video clip).
- You may also want to update:
- your GPA (on the Eligibility Quiz tab)
- any new leadership positions you have accepted within PTK or another campus organization (Action tab, PTK tab)
- any new volunteer experiences you have had since you last added to your scholarship application (Action tab)
- your career and/or educational goals if these have changed (Applicant Info tab – bio and career goal questions, major field of study); if your major has changed, be sure to update the Eligibility Quiz, too
- Be sure you have accurately entered the cumulative number of college hours you have completed on the milestone dates in Question #1 of the Eligibility Quiz. This question is not asking you how many credit hours you took each term, rather the total amount of credit hours you had completed or will complete by EACH DATE – this number should always increase. Your transcript will reflect how many credit hours you have attempted and completed for each term, and most transcripts will give you a cumulative total, along with your overall GPA.
- Scholarship judges have shared time and time again the importance of proofreading and editing scholarship applications. They have eagle eyes and can spot a carefully created, curated, and completed application from miles away – and trust us – they LOVE to read these kinds of applications! Consider holding a proofing party, whether in person or virtually. Having multiple sets of eyes on your application can strengthen your entries, help you spot grammatical errors, and help you create cohesive content. Hosting a proofing party can inspire not only you but your peers as well.
- Get your chapter advisor, writing lab coach, or English professor involved as well! Don’t hesitate to ask for a constructive critique of your application once you have proofed it thoroughly. If you are asking for the opportunity to represent your college campus in a national scholarship competition, be sure your application reflects in the most positive way on your educational institution.
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