Imagine someone wants to give away money to help pay for college, and publicly extends their offer to many people. The only step needed to get the money is to ask for it. Asking for the money happens as a written request – usually consisting of some forms requesting basic personal contact information and a short autobiography in a few paragraphs. Then, the person giving away the money can best determine who will receive the money. Basically, this describes the scholarship process. Now, no one logically turns down an offer of money, especially from someone willingly giving it away. Yet, every year many students do reject scholarship money by simply not applying.
By January of the senior year, students’ motivation is being tested. After the effort and mental energy to apply to college has been expended, even the mere thought of crafting another essay for a scholarship application can provoke resistance. Many times, the resistance shows in letting the due date pass without applying, despite repeated pleas, demands and requests by parents to finish the applications. Finding the incentive to complete the applications will be different for each student, and may require some trial and error.
