STAR SCHOLARSHIP | STAR
TIPS, TRICKS AND HINTS for Finding and Guiding Your STAR Applicant
by Jayme Resnik, Chair, P.E.O. STAR Scholarship Board of Trustees
Information to have on this list:
TIP: Start looking for your P.E.O. STAR Scholarship applicant today, yes today! Spring is here and what a great time to begin searching for your STAR recipient for the coming fall. TRICK: Contact your local school counseling office. Ask to post information regarding characteristics of the ideal STAR Scholarship applicant. Don’t forget to add the requirements. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and plan to attend an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the United States or Canada. Place a deadline as to when you want to be contacted and how they can reach you. TIP: Set up your committee interviews in the summer so that you have plenty of time to choose that perfect candidate prior to the STAR application window of August 15-October 15 . If you already have your STAR applicant chosen and are wondering “now what?” Prepare her for the application process. TIP: Make sure you understand the application process prior to helping your applicant by going to the P.E.O. International member website and click on Projects; STAR Scholarship and research the materials there. TRICK: Have your applicant make a list that will help her gather all the information needed when filling out her application in the fall, this will be a real time saver for your busy young applicant.
References: List people that she could ask to be her two recommenders? HINT: Be sure the recommenders she chooses know her well but are NOT a family member. (Remind your applicant that her references are busy people too, so give them plenty of time to provide their reference.) HINT: The student’s application dashboard is a place where she can monitor to make sure that her references have submitted their references. Have her check it often as she may have to reach out to a reference to remind them of her application deadline. TIP: The applicant essay could be considered an interview or conversation with the trustees. This is an opportunity for the student to make an impression. The STAR Scholarship is highly competitive, and this is the student’s opportunity to stand out and be recognized. HINT: When two students are equally matched in other areas, the quality of the essay could be what determines whether a student goes from STAR applicant to STAR recipient! TIP: Grammar mistakes and spelling mistakes can make or break the application. Offer to review her essay to ensure she is presenting herself in the best possible light. Take note that all STAR Scholarship deadlines are midnight Eastern Standard Time Zone. TIP: Add these dates to your calendar.
Extra-curricular activities: Be sure to discuss her involvement in extra- curricular activities both inside and outside of school. (This will also give you a better understanding of her for when you are writing your chapter recommendation.) Remember, the student’s activity in extra-curriculars should be sustained for at least two years during her time in high school. Leadership: Leadership can be found in a variety of areas of your student’s life. Examples of leadership include: team captain, club officer, section lead in band, community service organizer and babysitter. Community Service: Applicants should include all volunteer hours for each year while in high school in their community service activities. Examples of community service include: working with the elderly, animals and/or nonprofit organizations. Does she look after an aging grandparent, help with a parent battling a disease, provide after school childcare for a younger sibling? These are all examples of community service—all are nonpaying activities of service to others.
We hope that these hints, tips and tricks will assist you in finding a STAR candidate and a STAR recipient!
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March–April 2022 | THE P.E.O. RECORD
WWW.PEOINTERNATIONAL.ORG
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