Below are a few helpful tips and tricks for submitting your scholarship application.
Your Cover Letter
The cover letter is a chance to introduce yourself to the scholarship committee and share with them what makes you stand out. Your cover letter should not be the same as you might draft for a job application, it should be tailored for this scholarship. An ideal length would be 1-2 pages.
- Introduce yourself. This can include your name and where you are from, or can follow your cultural protocols, it is up to you!
- Talk about your community engagement, for example, volunteering at community events, coaching sports, tutoring, shovelling snow, organizing a food drive, etc.
- Talk about your schooling, any clubs you are involved in, research, what you hope to use your education for in the future, etc.
- Include how you will pay-it-forward. Paying-it-forward is not about a financial contribution but how you will use your skills to help others in some way. Examples of paying-it-forward include tutoring, a presentation on Shannen’s Dream, coaching, starting a club at your school, starting or continuing to advocate for equity in some way, etc. A well thought out plan to pay-it-forward will strengthen your application.
Letters of Recommendation
Your application requires two letters of recommendation, with one focusing on education and one focused on community involvement.
Education Letter of Recommendation
It is important to have someone who knows you well (like a TA) rather than someone with a specific academic title or position. This letter should show a personal connection and should be specific to the scholarship. Ideally 1 page in length, discussing how they know you, your academic involvement, achievements (ex: grades, dedication to your area of study, athletic contributions, involvement in school clubs and activities, etc.), and why they think you would be the right person for the scholarship.
Community Letter of Recommendation
Similarly to the other letter of recommendation, it is important that it shows a personal connection and is specific to the scholarship. This could be written by someone you have volunteered or worked with/for, an Elder who knows you well, etc. It is best to avoid immediate family (i.e. mother, father, sister). The community letter of recommendation should be 1 page in length, discussing how they know you, your community involvement, and why they think you would be the right person for the scholarship.
Additional Information: Evaluation Form
To provide more information about the scholarship application process and help you know what to prioritize in your application, we have uploaded the scholarship evaluation form. We hope this gives you a better idea of what the scholarship committee is looking for in a strong application.