By Dale Clifton, the Scholarship Doctor

Want to Win a Lot of Scholarship Money?
Beginning in junior high/ middle school is a
great time to start. I'm serious. A winning scholarship
effort always requires a plan. And assembling a
plan of action requires time.

After one of my talks a happy couple asked me "Why
do you think starting in the 8th grade is the
best time?" Before I could answer they said, "We
are telling our children in the fifth grade to
start working on winning scholarship contests and
any other contests that we find out about."

They Got Results! Before they left I discovered
their first child had already graduated from
college with 50% paid by scholarships only because
they got a late start; or it would have been 100%.
They weren't going to make the same mistake with
their other student. I asked them what they
thought was the hardest part of a search. Their
answer surprised me. "NOTHING! There's just a lot
to think about. We really didn't have a plan then.
Now we do. And now that we have heard your College
Scholarship Plan we're going to eliminate some
things and add others. We're glad we came to your seminar"

I met a senior, we'll call him "Jake", who was in
the top third of his class. His GPA was in the C+
B- range. I told him that many scholarships had C+
qualifications or higher. Jake was dumbfounded. He
thought all college scholarships were for the kids
with really high GPAs. Later, in a letter, I learned that Jake had won a scholarship that would enable him to go to college.

Scholarship Doctor Rule #1
Make sure that you are on the same page
with your student and regardless of GPA, if he/she
wants to attend college, it will happen. And
families can make it happen by talking about it
early, often, and openly.

Scholarship Doctor Rule #2
Start telling everyone you know about your
student's college and scholarship intentions.
Broadcast it morning, noon, and night to friends,
relatives and acquaintances. Do this not once or
twice but continuously from the 8th through 12th
grades. Serious efforts require drastic measures.

Scholarship Doctor Rule #3
Make it a goal for everyone in the family
to help your student win scholarships
and attend college.

Scholarship Doctor Rule #4
Give the student enough space and quiet time to study.

Scholarship Doctor Rule #5
Be sure to offer continuous encouragement.

And never forget: The college scholarship effort
is truly a family affair.