By TamaraHave you ever applied to a scholarship and were absolutely sure you would win? Let me give you some advice; don’t count your chickens before they hatch! Sure, when I first started applying for scholarships, I was a bit cocky and secretly thought people would start throwing money my way because of my grades and obvious talent—but that’s not quite how it panned out. In fact, I applied to 25 scholarships before I ever won my first award. What was I doing wrong? As it turns out, nothing; you just have to understand that many scholarship programs are subjective, especially those that include an essay. Depending on who is reading your submission, it may sail through to the finals or end up in the rejection pile. For example, I’ve submitted the same creative writing story to five contests. I received first place once, third place twice, and did not place at all in two contests. Go figure. But what I learned was that scholarships are an odds game; the more you apply, the better your chances of winning. I also reminded myself that I’m deserving of winning a scholarship, no matter the outcome because. . . . 1. I’m persistent This truly is a quality you need to have to be successful at winning scholarships. If you apply to just a handful and give up, you’re basically saying you’re not worthy of winning. I refuse to believe that, and my persistence has paid off. 2. I’m unique Thankfully, there is only one of me. This means the chances of someone entering the exact same scholarship application as mine is highly unlikely. It’s up to me to find a way to highlight the special qualities I possess, so others see them, too. 3. I can overcome obstacles Please tell me I can’t do something because I’ll try even harder to prove you wrong! Like many other students I know, I’ve traveled a bumpy road to get to where I am today, but those obstacles gave me strength and helped me appreciate the truly important things in life. Carry your scars like badges of honor! If you possess these qualities as well, you must do one more thing in order to win a scholarship — apply! You can’t win if you don’t apply, and although you’ll probably lose more contests than you win, just opening one “congratulations” letter is so worth the effort and reward. If you believe you are truly deserving of a scholarship, here’s one you should not pass up — the Unigo Top Ten List Scholarship. Simply submit 10 reasons why you should receive $1,500 for college and you could be the lucky winner. I believe in you, so now it’s time for you to believe in you. Just be sure to submit your essay before December 31, or like this year, this scholarship will be gone. Looking for more scholarships? We have over 3 million in our Scholarship Directory, but if you need more help paying for college, check out our LoanFinder.