When it comes to procrastination, nobody said it better than Mark Twain: “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” And no one turned procrastination around better than Mozart, who wrote the overture to “Don Giovanni” the night before it debuted.
It’s understandable that some students — even diligent ones — may wait until the last minute to apply for scholarships. But with the holidays approaching, it’s easy to get sidetracked and miss scholarship deadlines.
[Get a plan together to prioritize scholarship applications.]
Here are six scholarships you should apply for before ringing in 2017.
The Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Awards Program is one of the most lucrative opportunities still available in 2016. This scholarship is open to women who are enrolled in or have been accepted to undergraduate degree programs or vocational or skills training programs and who provide the primary financial support for their families. Applicants must also reside in one of the organization’s member countries, including the U . S . , Canada, Japan and Mexico.
Applicants must first apply at the local club level, where awards vary, by writing a 750 or fewer word essay on why they are deserving. Club winners then compete regionally for additional awards. Each of the 28 regions awards a $5,000 scholarship to its first-place contestant, and most also give additional $3,000 awards.
Finally, the 28 first-place essays compete for three $10,000 awards. Apply by Dec. 15 for consideration.
The Foreclosure.com Scholarship Program also has the quickly approaching Dec. 15 deadline. Although time is running short to apply, the payoff for recipients is great — the top prize is $5,000, and the four next-best entries receive $1,000 apiece.
The scholarship is open only to currently enrolled college students. Essays must be between 800 and 2,000 words.
The essay prompt asks students to detail measures they would put in place to prevent another housing crisis or whether they believe another collapse is inevitable. Interested students should visit the foreclosure.com website for the full rules and essay prompt.
Engineering undergrads looking for additional college funding can apply for the American Society for Nondestructive Testing Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship. With a Dec. 15 deadline, this program awards up to three $3,000 scholarships each year to students specializing in the nondestructive testing and evaluation field.
[Find a STEM scholarship for each type of college student.]
In addition to the application, students enrolled in U.S. colleges with recognized engineering programs must submit three letters of recommendation signed by three faculty members as well as an original essay describing how they envision NDT/NDE playing a role in their career.
S cholarship opportunities are also available for current and prospective law school students. A California-based personal-injury law practice will award the $3,000 Reeves Law Group Scholarship to a student who best shows his or her desire and goal to use the legal system to improve or fix problems in society. Applicants are urged to cite deeds they have performed to achieve that goal.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens who are either students at an accredited U.S. law school or undergraduates who have applied to or will apply to law school. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is Dec. 15.
[Consider these law school scholarships.]
Another California-based law firm offers the $1,500 Farzad Family Law Scholarship with a Dec. 15 application deadline. The merit-based scholarship is open to all U.S. college or law students admitted to or attending accredited universities.
To apply, applicants must write a three-part essay, first rewriting a specific child custody law, then defending why their draft is better than the original and finally writing the opposition to their draft. Each part has a designated word count.
One more end-of-the-year scholarship students can consider is the Tenshon Design Scholarship. The deadline to apply for the $1,500 spring semester award is Dec. 15.
The Phoenix-based shade sail and shade canopy manufacturer offers its award to currently enrolled college students interested in architecture, design and engineering. To apply , applicants must study Tenshon’s standard-sized shade sails and create a unique design they feel will stand out. Applicants must use 3-D modeling software SketchUp to create and submit their designs.
The clock is ticking to apply for these 2016 scholarships, so take charge now before the year and your chance at these scholarships end.
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Apply for These Scholarships Before the End of the Year originally appeared on usnews.com
