Pupil Story: Phuong Tran Nguyen

By Scholarship America

Meet Phuong Tran Nguyen

Rising up in a Minneapolis suburb, PT cherished college and regarded ahead to going each single day. However as she obtained older and have become a teen her relationship with college modified. It grew to become far more difficult, juggling her actions, extracurriculars, pursuits, buddies, research, work and school functions.

However schooling was all the time a precedence for PT. “I acknowledge that [education] is such a pivotal piece to upward and intergenerational mobility for households that appear to be mine,” she mentioned. She selected to attend the College of North Dakota for her undergraduate diploma and earned 1000’s of {dollars} in scholarship awards that helped her pay for her schooling there.

Watch the video and/or learn on to be taught PT’s particular suggestions for getting by way of the scholarship software course of.

Why You Ought to Apply to Scholarships

Larger schooling can oftentimes be a lot pricier than you suppose. The charges add up between tuition, room and board, and so many different hidden prices. That’s why making use of to scholarships is a good alternative for college students who might actually use further monetary assist. Right here’s how PT had the concept to use for scholarships:

“I obtained the concept of making use of to scholarships after I was looking at FAFSA and our college’s monetary help account. I noticed that there have been plenty of tuition {dollars} that we simply couldn’t cowl out of pocket and that’s the place the concept stemmed from. If we are able to’t afford it out of pocket, let’s give it our greatest shot to use for scholarships.”

– Phuong Tran Nguyen

Pupil Tip: School is dear. It by no means hurts to attempt to earn scholarships.

When to Apply to Scholarships

Don’t put these scholarship functions off. Learn the age and graduating class necessities for every alternative after which get to work ASAP. Right here’s what PT says about getting these scholarship functions out the door:

“I like to recommend that college students ought to apply as quickly as they’re eligible. Ensure you learn the factors on the web sites or on the portals of the scholarships you’re making use of to. Some have age restrictions and a few have relying in your particular undergraduate class, like freshman, sophomore, junior senior – you’re eligible for various issues. So all the time be sure you learn for these issues and apply as quickly as you possibly can.”

– Phuong Tran Nguyen

Pupil Tip: Apply as quickly as you’re eligible.

Overcoming Failures

PT is aware of the sensation of being rejected for scholarships. However she additionally is aware of the sensation of receiving many others. Right here’s her recommendation on reframe disappointing information:

“I imagine that the toughest half about making use of to scholarships is to not internalize a rejection as a failure or private failure. And plenty of college students wrestle with this as a result of they spend plenty of effort and time they usually inform their entire life story for a committee which may have rejected that story. What you could perceive is it’s not a rejection, it’s a redirection. You might not have been the perfect match candidate for that scholarship and that’s okay. You will see a possibility that’s a greater match for you and also you’re going to be a lot happier with the subsequent alternative that comes up.”

– Phuong Tran Nguyen

Pupil Tip: Scholarship rejections will not be private failures. Consider a rejection as only a redirection.

Prioritizing Time Administration

What’s the easiest way to maintain observe of all of your scholarship software to-dos and deadlines? Is it utilizing a spreadsheet of some type? Fancy challenge administration software program? An old-school planner? PT went old-school along with her time administration technique:

“I used a planner and a calendar to maintain observe of my deadlines and what alternatives I had open. Know that you could squeeze time in to use for scholarships. Generally it’d simply be on a Friday night time and that’s not what individuals wish to hear, however that’s how I used to be in a position to do it. Generally I’d do it on the breaks that I’d get off from college. I’d carve in time to do these items. So it’s attainable, it simply takes a bit little bit of self-discipline to determine the place and when it really works greatest in your schedule. However you’ll determine it out so long as you craft a plan that works for you.”

– Phuong Tran Nguyen