Use Spring Break to Find, Win College Scholarships

Spring break allows students to enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation -- but it's also a great opportunity to find and win scholarships to fund a college education.

Take advantage of these tips that will not only get your scholarship search and application process started, but will also leave time for enjoying spring break plans.

-- Ask for letters of recommendation before the break: Your counselors and teachers like to enjoy their spring breaks, too. If you plan to ask for a letter of recommendation from them, make sure to do it before the break so they can plan accordingly. Some teachers and counselors may even use the break to get the letters done, so asking for one beforehand can ensure your recommender is able to write a thoughtful letter that strengthens your scholarship application.

Make sure to give recommenders about three weeks. Provide them with any necessary information and follow specific procedures they may have for writing you a letter.

-- Apply to scholarships with spring deadlines: One key to tackling the scholarship search and application process is staying on top of deadlines. Spring break is a great time to knock out a few applications to scholarships with deadlines in March and April.

Focus on applying to scholarships with quickly approaching deadlines to limit your spring break list to a manageable amount of scholarships.

The Intertech Foundation STEM Scholarship, which offers $2,500 to current college students or high school students pursuing or planning to pursue studies in computer science, has a deadline of March 15, for example.

The Ayn Rand "The Fountainhead" essay contest awards prizes ranging from $50 to $10,000 and has a deadline of April 29 . These are just a few scholarships that will close this spring; apply to as many as you are eligible for.

-- Take note of scholarships with deadlines in the future: Because different scholarships have deadlines every month of the year, make a list of scholarships you'll apply for later on. You can also take note of what materials are necessary, such as letters of recommendation, essays and transcripts.

Make a spreadsheet or create a document that keeps all of these in order. Consider organizing the list by deadline, or develop your own way to prioritize your scholarships list. For example, you may want to organize by award amount, level of effort required or amount of competition.

When you have the time and the deadlines are approaching, revisit this list having already done your research to make the application process as smooth as possible.

Get [a plan together to prioritize scholarship applications.]

-- Participate in resume-building spring break activities: One way to consider spending your spring break includes looking for "alternative" spring break programs from your school or organizations in your community. Alternative spring breaks can give you the chance to travel throughout the country -- or even, sometimes, internationally -- to make a difference in a community of need.

Trips range from cleaning up national parks to helping out relief efforts in areas affected by natural disasters to tutoring students in under-resourced schools. These programs can be fun while also doing a good deed and giving you knowledge and new skills that can be the subject of scholarship or admissions essays.

Learn more reasons why [teens should volunteer over spring break.]

Other options can include searching for volunteer opportunities in your community or taking a trip with friends or family. Using your time to explore different experiences or give back within your own community can be valuable as well as a good base for scholarship applications that want you to display leadership and civic engagement.

Spring break is a great opportunity to enjoy time away from classes, but dedicating a portion of it to your scholarship search and application process can have big rewards.

Liz Chereskin is the content manager for College Greenlight, a leading college and scholarship resource for first-generation and underrepresented students. College Greenlight helps students find colleges that match them and scholarships to fund their education and is a service of Cappex.com.