Reusable Materials 39: Questions About Various Reusable Materials

Thursdays we discuss how reusable materials can WOW committees and save time

Michael, age 52, came to us seeking help with getting scholarships. He wanted to earn an associates degree because he could no longer hang dry wall. He worried that he would not qualify for any scholarships. He did not feel that he had done anything in his life that was worthy of receiving scholarship awards. We helped him identify 4 themes with 3 categories for each theme. We also assisted him to identify 3 home run or value statements for each category. He left feeling much more confident and hopeful.

Q: Do letters of recommendation expire, or become too old?

A: You can use letters of recommendation that have older dates on them, if you also can supply letters with new dates. In fact, we find that letters with dates spread over several years can imply a true trend of the theme. For example, letters from 3 different

• Community organizations over a four year period strengthen your claim of service
• Dance teachers mentioning recital performance over 12 years highlight dancing talent
• Coaches describing your athletic prowess in junior high, high school, and college validate your athletic ability

However, you should gather new letters each year as you act on your themes. Your age should not reduce your ability to gather new letters of recommendation. You may still gather letters from one of five sources: supervisors at work, community leaders, church leaders, school leaders or coaches, and influential people you know.

Q: How often should I update my master application?

A: We recommend you add new events, addresses, schools, jobs, championships, and recitals as you do them. You should also update your master application at least once every six months with additional value statements from your life.

Q: How much time does it take to complete a real application?

A: Copying and pasting answers from your master application into a real scholarship application typically requires 30-60 minutes including uploading or pasting essays and letters of recommendation.

Saturday we share a tip about enhancing the number of scholarships you find

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