Fastweb Scholarship Winner Shares Tips for Success

This summer, we launched our $1,000 Scholarship Success Sweepstakes; and now, we have a winner: Congratulations to Therese Loise Dy on her big win! The Fastweb sweepstakes was open to both high school and college students. Applicants simply had to fill out a form as well as answer a multiple-choice question about their summer scholarship goals. Of course, there was no wrong answer, but it was fun to see how Fastweb members incorporated the scholarship search into their summer plans. Maybe you didn’t win any awards, but we hope that you found that applying to scholarships can be quick and easy, especially when it comes to Fastweb’s sweepstakes. Now, enough about us. We reached out to Therese, our $1,000 Sweepstakes winner, to get her advice on succeeding in her application process. As a first-year graduate student at Rutgers University, here is what she had to say:

1. Why did you apply for this scholarship? I frequently use Fastweb to look for scholarships to apply for. When I saw they had their own that let you apply for one entry a day, I knew that this was something I wanted to keep consistent with! Fastweb Tip: If you find a quick and easy scholarship to apply for, do the work and take the time to get these applications done. Additionally, logging onto Fastweb each day will ensure that you’re up-to-date on any new awards that you’ve been matched to, so you never miss an opportunity.
2. How did you stay motivated to apply for the Scholarship Success Sweepstakes? Applying for as many scholarships as I could became even more important once I graduated because I knew that it wasn't yet the end for my educational path. Graduate school is much more expensive and I had far less options available for financial help than I had in undergrad. I knew that I had to be vigilant and proactive in applying for scholarships to help ease the financial burden so I could fully focus more on my education. Fastweb Tip: Every dollar won is one less dollar you’ll have to borrow – and eventually pay back. Also, continue the scholarship search past the senior year of high school. So many students stop searching for awards after high school graduation, but there are thousands of opportunities for college, graduate, and professional students!
3. What scholarship advice do you have for other students and Fastweb members? Figure out what scholarships you want to apply for in advance! I found that the process of preparing and applying for opportunities was much less intimidating when I already knew what specific scholarship I was tailoring my resume and essay for. I recommend applying to at least four scholarships per month, one for each week. Four may not seem like a lot, but that is four more than you would have had compared to if you started searching closer to the end of the month and applied last minute!
   Fastweb Tip: Treat applying for scholarships like a part-time job. Commit a few hours each week to applying to awards of all amounts. The more you apply to, the better your chances of actually winning one.
4. Why should students use Fastweb? It is important to look for reputable sites for something as crucial to your success. Rather than relying on a general search engine, Fastweb is solely used to help direct students to scholarships they would have never found if it wasn't on the first page of Google. It was thanks to Fastweb that applying for scholarships didn't seem so intimidating because they made it so easy to find ones that fit me! Fastweb Tip: Using Fastweb’s Scholarship Matches allows you to view and apply for opportunities for which you already qualify. We take so much work out of the actual scholarship search process. Remember to update your profile frequently with a change in GPA or new extracurricular activities to get the best matches possible.

Are you ready for it? We’ll be announcing a new Fastweb sponsored scholarship sweepstakes soon! Look for this new fall scholarship opportunity in your newsletter and scholarship email notifications as well as on our social media platforms. If you’re not following us now, you should be! Follow us today on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Subscribe to newsletters and email notifications too.