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In this video, you will list the components you will need to complete for each scholarship application on your spreadsheet. Planning ahead can help ensure that you meet application deadlines.

It can also help you begin to organize your ideas to complete more challenging tasks, such as writing an essay.

You will: Add a column labeled “Application Preparation” to your spreadsheet, Confirm scholarship requirements on the organizations’ websites, Take notes on the steps you need to prepare each application, and Change the color of duplicate steps.

To begin, open the spreadsheet you created.

Add a new column to your spreadsheet.

Give the column a header titled “Application Preparation." Review the application requirements described for different scholarships in the “How to Apply” column of your spreadsheet. Open the website for one of the organizations you listed in your spreadsheet and find the scholarship information.

Take brief notes in your spreadsheet about the steps you will need to take to complete or acquire any documents, such as financial aid forms, transcripts, or recommendations.

And list essay topics or questions so you can begin brainstorming ideas.

Widen the width of the column to make the text easier to read.

Repeat these steps for each of the scholarships you listed in your spreadsheet. You may have listed the same steps in some of the cells.

For example, you may need to request transcripts for two of the applications.

To remind you not to repeat these steps, change the color of the text.

Now, it’s your turn: Add a column labeled “Application Preparation” to your spreadsheet, Confirm scholarship requirements on the organizations’ websites, Take notes on the steps you need to prepare each application, And change the color of duplicate steps.

In this video, you will send an email to request more information about a scholarship. This email will likely be your first communication with the organization offering the scholarship, so you want to make sure it is professional, clear, and free of errors.

You will: Identify a scholarship you’d like to learn more about, Open Gmail and create a new email, Enter the organization’s email address and a subject, Write a body and closing, And check your email for errors and send it.

To begin, open the spreadsheet you created and review the details you listed about different scholarships. Identify a scholarship that really interests you and that you think you are uniquely qualified for.

Before contacting the organization with any questions, review the scholarship information posted on the organization’s website.

Now open Gmail and create a new email.

Enter a subject that contains the name of the scholarship.

Type a greeting into your email. The greeting is the way the recipient is addressed.

If the contact person’s name was listed on the website, address your greeting to that person. For example, write “Dear Mr. Chen” or “Dear Ms. Martinez.” If you do not know the recipient of the email, write “Dear Sir or Madam,” or “To whom it may concern.” Now write the body of your email. The body is the main part of your message.

Your body should be clear, brief, and tailored to your audience.

State who you are, and be specific about the information you are requesting and any questions you may have.

Take the time to word your email carefully and concisely.

After the body of the email comes the “closing,” where you will end and sign your email.

Professional emails are often closed with “Best,” “Sincerely,” or “Thanks,” followed by your full name.

Reread your email to check for errors. In professional emails, it’s important to use complete sentences and proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Finally, enter the email address for the organization that is listed on your spreadsheet.

Then send the email. Now, it’s your turn: Identify a scholarship you’d like to learn more about, Open Gmail and create a new email, Enter the organization’s email address and a subject, Write a body and closing, And check your email for errors.

In this video, you will start planning an application essay. Many scholarship applications require students to complete an essay.

This essay can be an opportunity to show the scholarship organization what is unique about you and why you deserve the scholarship they are offering.

You will: Open and name a new document, Type the essay requirements into your document, Research the topic and take notes or list your ideas, Include information about your interests and accomplishments, And format your notes.

To begin, open the spreadsheet you created and review the details of the scholarships you listed.

Find a scholarship that requires you to write an essay as part of the application process.

Open the website you listed for that organization in your spreadsheet.

Find a description of the essay requirements or topic.

To begin brainstorming ideas for your essay, go to Google Drive and open a new document.

Give your document a title related to the scholarship.

Type “Essay Topic” and “Notes” into your document and bold them.

Type the description of the essay requirements or topic from the organization’s website into the document and format it, if necessary.

Now, begin planning your essay. You may be asked to discuss your own experiences or perspective about an issue.

You may also need to do some research about your topic.

If your topic requires research, be sure to use at least two legitimate sources, such as well-known news publications or university websites.

Take notes on your ideas and research in your document. Write your notes in your own words and keep them simple, so they will be easier to understand when you are writing your essay.

Make sure your notes support your essay topic.

Include notes about how the topic relates to you, your interests, experiences, skills, accomplishments, and career goals.

Once you are done taking notes, use bullets to format them. Use these notes to begin structuring and writing your essay.

Now, it’s your turn: Open and name a new document, Type the essay requirements into your document, Research the topic and take notes or list your ideas, Include information about your interests and accomplishments, And format your notes.