Paper Apps to Bad Raps

Let me drop some knowledge on you guys regarding paper applications. Let's start at the top...the mail. Please know how to send snail mail. What is snail mail? Back in the day, when e-mail wasn't as easily accessible, people would send letters using the U.S. Postal Services. It would generally require a stamp (or some form of postage) and an envelope. Believe it or not, some kids don't know this. Anywaaaay, it appears that some students (and parents) believe that their applications are coveted items and people are out to steal them, so simply placing their apps in an envelope won't suffice. Instead, envelopes are then wrapped up in yards of tape and stuffed into yet another envelope supplied by the post office. Although you may not want someone other than the intended party to read your essay, remember that the intended party has to actually...ya know...be able to get to your app. Don't make it hard for them to do so, it becomes very frustrating to have to break out the chainsaw to open an envelope.

And another tidbit of information for you...please keep all of the components of your application together somehow (a paper clip would be the best bet). You don't want someone to open the envelope and have papers spilling out all over the place.

Presentation is 9/10 of the work

We live in a paper-less age, the increased usage of cell phones, laptops, and computer tablets (better known as "the iPad") has created an absence of the need of paper and, subsequently, handwriting. While many scholarship applications allow (and prefer) the ease of an online process, there are enough others that still like to do it "old school" by requesting a paper application. That is where the topic of this post comes in...present your paper well!

There is nothing worse than a great application with a poor presentation. You need to show that your application is important to you, that way those reading it will appreciate it, too. Coffee/food/foreign stains, tears, sticky substances, and anything else you would be weary about having done to your phone should be kept off your app. It looks like you don't care that much about your application when it looks messy.

So, print a couple copies of the application, that way, if you mess one up, you can begin on another. And for those environmentally savvy, do a rough draft on your computer and then just copy it onto the paper printout you have. In this manner, you will have a record of what you submitted.