The Mary Lou Marks Smith Scholarship

To increase your chances of getting a scholarship, apply early, follow all application instructions, and write a great scholarship essay (if applicable)! For more help, ask a Mos advisor!

If you haven't heard back within a few weeks, reach out to the scholarship organization! Some scholarship organizations email all the applicants to let them know if they were selected or not, while others only contact the winners—it usually depends on the number of applicants. It never hurts to follow up.

To prioritize your scholarship applications, think about which scholarships you have the best chance of getting (the most specific ones, with more than one winner), the ones due the soonest, and the ones that are awarding the most money.

Tip: We recommend you make a schedule for yourself to follow to stay organized and on track throughout the scholarship application season! You can always ask a Mos advisor for help.

Each scholarship has a set of requirements: specific factors that determine whether or not you're eligible to apply. You can visit the scholarship site to find this information, or fill out the Mos quiz to be automatically matched with scholarships you qualify for! FYI: the more information you share with Mos, the better scholarship matches Mos will make!

A letter of recommendation (letter of rec) is a letter written by someone in your life who can speak to your achievements, positive traits, and potential. It's basically a summary of why you're great and deserve the scholarship or funding you're applying for! Typically, students ask teachers, mentors, coaches, or employers (never family or friends). FYI: You have to ask someone to write a letter of rec for you.

Yes! You can use the same letter for multiple scholarships. Make sure the letter meets each scholarship's requirements, and isn't too specific to one scholarship. Tip: You might have to ask your recommender to change the wording for different applications.

Yes! But make sure to read each scholarship application's essay guidelines and requirements, and personalize your essay to each scholarship you apply to. Using the same essay for multiple applications can be a time-saver, but changing just a sentence or two can make a difference!