Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited his old school, Harrow School, on October 29, 1941. He wanted to hear the old songs that he enjoyed while attending the school. The School, however, wanted to hear Churchill speak. He reluctantly approached the podium and said "Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up." Then he quietly sat down.

He gave what has to be the best advice ever for the young person who is applying for a scholarship. Try, try, and try some more. Never give up. Applying for scholarships is difficult, time consuming, and very tedious. All scholarship applicants will face stiff competition. But, it's true, the profits are worthwhile. By writing and rewriting applications, one will begin to recognize the certain methods to be used on the application process, and the practice greatly increases the chances of scoring a scholarship. No one is saying that scholarships are impossible. They aren't. They do require practice and commitment to acquire one. With this in mind, review a few practical words of wisdom.

Follow up:

1. Apply only to those scholarships that you are qualified to submit. Make a list of the properties that your goal is trying to reach. Are you knowledgeable about the subject? Does the scholarship match your strengths? There's do need to waste time on an off-target scholarship. Work on the ones in which you are qualified. If the scholarship fits your skills, then spend your time perfect the application for it instead of chasing every rainbow you see.

2. Don't wait. Too often one waits for the "perfect" scholarship - the one that fits all of one's goals. Find those scholarships that meet individual needs and will work toward the intended goal. Apply for that goal.

3. Avoid scams. As a newly graduated student, one becomes the target for many unscrupulous individuals who want to show the "easy" way to obtain a scholarship. Keep in mind: If you have to pay an "application fee" or an "advance loan payment," you're looking at a scam. Back off and run. Over $100 million is lost yearly to scholarship scams.

4. Do the work early. Don't wait until the night before the application is due to fill out the information. Always aim for a two week window before due date. So many glitches can occur. The postal service is great but does have its mishaps. Snow storms delay flights, and the postman or UPS driver may be bitten by the dog two doors away from your intended destination. Think. By applying early, you aren't rushed. You have time to think.

5. Follow instructions carefully. All scholarships are not equal. They don't all have the same requirements and none are filled exactly alike.

6. Proofread the application. You read it. Ask three others to read it. Put it away. Read it again.

7. Neatness. Yes, neatness does count. If the scholarship sponsor can't read it, he's not going to even consider it.

8. Proof read it again! Check for misspelled words, blanks, missing pages. Be absolutely sure that every thing is where it should be and in the order that it should be.

9. Certified mail. If the application is sent by certified mail, you are certain that the sponsor received it. It isn't lost. It's in the sponsor's hands.

10. Start another application. When you get the first one right, lucky you. They will get easier to write. Don't stop with one. Never, never stop. It's good advice.