The Cheese Numero Seis: Scholarship Junkie
Won: 18 Scholarships. Amounts: upwards of $70,000.
It is what we call a scholarship junkie. A scholarship die-hard, one who knows how to get it done and drop it like its hot.
And I found the original. Sam Lim, founder of Scholarship Junkies. Hero super power is winning scholarships. After chasing him down on the University of Washington campus he agreed to spill the beans and let y’all in on all of his secrets.
Keep reading for our interview, or what one might rightfully call, the owner’s manual on how to dominate the college cha-ching.
Q: Tell me briefly about your background and life before University of Washington?
A: I was born in Singapore, and I moved to the US—to Portland, OR—when I was six weeks old. Growing up in Portland, my parents always emphasized education as being very important. Outside of my academics, all I wanted to do was play basketball, and I had dreams of playing in the NBA. However, in third grade, I sprained my ankle playing basketball, and within a few months, my ability to walk, to stand, to simply move became increasingly difficult. I was diagnosed with a movement disorder, called dystonia, a neurological movement disorder, caused by a genetic mutation and triggered by my sprained ankle.
I had to use crutches by fifth grade, and by sixth grade, I was in a wheelchair. I went from being athletic and active to being in a wheelchair with 45 degree scoliosis. At that time, I had a doctor who told, “Sam, if you keep sitting in a chair, you’re going to look like a chair.” That night, my dad said to me, “You have to start thinking about your future. You have to think about life after middle school, high school, college because your mom and I won’t always be around to take care of you. Set some goals for yourself—set a goal to simply walk at your high school graduation and to walk without crutches, walk without a cane, and without a wheelchair.” So that was the goal I had as I went through the rest of my schooling—really pushing myself. It was a difficult time, especially with having to be in a wheelchair and not be able to run around with your friends in P.E. or be able to play basketball, something I always wanted to be able to do.
But it taught me a lot about challenges and really pushing myself to achieve my best. Over those six years while I had that wheelchair I still continued to stay active in school, did my best with my academics, but also took on leadership opportunities and seeing where I could make a difference. Over those six years it took a lot of physical therapy, doctors’ appointments, and up to that time, three surgeries, including a brain surgery before my senior year that allowed me to get out of the wheelchair.
So all those things combined brought me to University of Washington and my college experience. When I wrote my college personal statement it really was my life story, what I had experienced and how I approach life because of it.
Q: You have become something of a scholarship junkie. How many scholarships did you apply for in high school and what got you started on the scholarship kick?
A: Well, I have an older sister and I got to see what she was doing in terms of preparing for college—she was two years older. My first real encounter with scholarships was in 8th grade when I signed up for FastWeb, but I didn’t start applying until my sophomore year. By the end of high school I had applied for over 75—did pretty well and was awarded 18.
Really what it was was feeling like I had a story to tell. My life, the experiences that I had had and the opportunities I want to pursue, I felt like I could tell my story and what I had done. I felt a sense of personal obligation when it came to financing my education, to find a way to get to college without forcing my parents to take out more loans. My parents had already taken out some loans for my older sister and I remember many of the conversations that they had about finding the money to pay for her education and to make ends meet. With all of my medical bills and day-to-day expenses I had a very strong sense of obligation.
So senior year after the brain surgery, I applied for over 60 scholarships my senior year. I was also very influenced by one of my teachers who took me aside at the beginning of the year. He basically said, “What colleges are you looking at? Have you thought about the costs? When I look at you, I see tremendous potential in you. You are a young man that has leadership, that has academics, who has a story to tell, and a background that can be very advantageous to you. My sister applied for a ton of scholarships and did very well. When I see you, I see even greater potential, so go out and apply for as many as you can.”
That, for me, helped reaffirm my desire to go out and apply for all the scholarships I did.
Q: You really felt like you had a good story to tell, what makes for a good scholarship essay and for those who don’t recognize a story or theme in their background that they want to highlight, what advice do you give those students?
A: I think there are a couple of things. The first is, never underestimate your story. Something I have always seen as my personal philosophy is to never underestimate my story or my ability to impact others.
The second thing is that, in terms of the essay, you have to answer the question. It doesn’t matter what your story is or what you have done, you have to answer the question. I have seen many examples of students who have sent me essays where they haven’t answered the question, they have written a beautiful essay, but the answer to the essay question is not there. That’s important.
The third piece is that not only is it about our personal stories, where we are from and what has influenced us, but it also about what we are doing and why. What have we done with our time? It is not merely about SAT scores or GPAs. Many times I have students ask me to help them find a scholarship for a high SAT score, ‘no essays please because I don’t like writing essays.’ Well, it’s a difficult process if that is all you are looking for because the essay really is your chance to tell your story—not just about your life but what you are doing and what you are passionate about.
One good way to look at it is to not just think of scholarships as money, but as an investment. It is a financial investment from the scholarship organization in your ability to succeed and embody their core values. What is it that they are looking for in their students? It is the students’ job to figure out how they fit into that framework. How do I make myself the best stock available for this scholarship?
So, it comes down to what things we are doing with our time, what leadership opportunities, what are the activities we are interested in and how do we show our devotion to the essay?
The last thing I would say to make the essay really strong is to use examples to explain why, because it is one thing to just say stuff but another to show stuff. Show, don’t tell. Show me that you changed, instead of just saying it. Show me that you are a leader, not just say it.
Those things are important in order to paint a vivid picture of who you are, so that when judges look at two essays, they cannot switch them and say that there is no difference between these. Instead they should be able to say that this student is extremely unique and they have painted us a grand picture of who they are and why they do the things they do—not just one aspect but the whole picture.
Q: Back when you were in high school how much time did you dedicate to scholarships? How long is the average application?
A: I must have spent… when I say the full amount of time it tends to scare people, because in that last year I think I spent at least 300-400 hours. Some scholarships I spent 10 hours on over a couple days, revising it, sending it to my teachers and my peers to say, “help me look at this, tell me what you think.” I really wanted to make it the best essay possible. Those hours, it didn’t feel like I was doing a job, it felt fun in a way because I knew there could be a potential great payback in the end. It was really just working towards a goal.
My Mom would always tell me, rather than getting the job at Target like I wanted to during my senior year, she would say, your first job is to be a student. Your second job is to apply for scholarships. If you spend 3 hours applying for a $1,000 scholarship and win, that is like earning $333.33 per hour vs. the $9.50 per hour you could make at Target.
In terms of tips, each week I had a goal and I would check in with my counselors. I had the goal that I would complete 2-3 scholarships by the week’s end, then over the weekend I would finish another 3. I had a filing system with two folders; one with opportunities that were coming up and one with copies of applications that I had already submitted. I would make copies of the applications because it was very helpful to go back to these and read the essays that I could look at and morph for another scholarship. By the end of the year, I had about three full folders of applications I had already submitted.
The other big thing is just keeping in touch with your counselors. I went into my counselors’ office every day at lunch. My friends told me I should take a tent and campout because I was there so much. But this is an area where I found great scholarships. I had a rule of thumb: everything local I was going to apply for and everything national I was going to apply for all of the ones that really fit me—the ones for which I felt I could make a strong, competitive application.
In going and checking with my counselors, they got to know me and my dedication and they could also find scholarships opportunities that came in the mail and they would think of me because it might have been about leadership or community service and think, “Sam might be interested in this.”
So going after it with everything you have got, whether it is Google, or checking in with counselors, or checking in with your community library, or even where you are working, there are a lot of scholarships out there.
Hi,
Good article . It would inspire a lot of people
Those are some really inspirational things to say to anyone who is looking for college money. I myself am in that position, and now that I’m a sophomore in high school, I’ve only just started to really look at what scholarships I think I have a chance at getting. Thanks for the scholarship tips!
This really makes me want to work harder on getting scholarships. I have applied for a few, but now I now I can do way more then expected. Thank you.
Wow!
More people should know about this! Spread the info!
~Aspire to do hard things~
You have to put his story into perspective. He had a very heart rentching story. Yes, he worked hard, yes he was a decent student, yes he put the hours in applying and I salute that. But what if he had not had the story to tell and was an average studuent with decent grades. Would he have been awarded all those scholarships, I would think not.
I totally respect him for all he has had to endure and he is well deserving of the awards he has been honored. But in regards to the atricle giving insight on how to be successful with the scholarship hunt, this article gives me nothing more than what I am finding. The nonminority, good student from the middle class has difficulty finding success in being awarded a scholarship. Unless it is a blind drawing and even then the sure law of large numbers is against you.
I agree with you %100.
OMG!!…I am so addicted to applying for scholarships too!!!….but I only started since December and have 20 done. You applied for 75, and only got 18.Now i’m reallllly scared!!!…I hope all the hrs I put in2 it will pay off at the end tOO!!
@middle class student: I totally agree with this. In applying for scholarships, I have come to realize that if you have had a fairly easy life, and have fairly good grades, the life story of a student is everything. I compeltely agree that we must put in the man hours to reap the benefits, but I would never find the time to work three hours a day on scholarship without including the weekend. I am taking extremely difficult classes and that amount of time devoted to nothing but scholarships would be unrealtistc for a student taking AP classes for example. It seems as though the way our lives have progressed are held to accountable. For example, many essays ask to write of a personal challenge or obstacle you have overcome. I will be completely honest in saying that my life has been a blessed one, and I hav not really had to overcome any noteworthy challenges. So I can’t help but wonder, does the fact that my life has been easy mean that I am not worthy of going to college and getting scholarships even if my grades have been fantastic up to this point?
I think I agree with middle class student. This piece does make me want to fill out more applications for scholarships, however, just because i fill them out does not mean I will get any of them. I am only an average student. Sure I make straight A’s but so do hundreds of other students. I dont think I really have anything that sets me apart form other students. I know Sam did and he deserved everything that he got. He put in the hours and was determined to win. I just dont think if I were applying for a scholarship and so was someone like Sam that I would have any chance of getting it.
I kind of agree with you on that but you have to find out what is unique about “you”.No everyone is not going to have a heart wrenching story like that.But finding out what makes you special.I understand I am an average student with middle class family and average grades and average ACT score and havent went through anything that painful.BUT that doesent mean I dont have a story that can be less as good as his. Dont let that be an excuse for failure.And be thankful you havent went through anything like that because you dont know what he had to endure to get where he is at.KEEP STRIVING AND DONT GIVE UP.
I agree with “middle class student.” Though David overcame a lot in his life and was succesful in school and community service, not everyone has such an inspiring life story to tell. His determination to walk and overcome his challenges truly show that he is a remarkable character. I would not agree that this article is very helpful in overall scholarship searching. Most people don’t have such extenuating circumstances (health or otherwise) that can result in such an inspriring life story.
I know personally, I have done extremely well academically and my test scores are high. This will help in my search for scholarships, but there are a lot of people who have performed well in high school. On the other hand, I’m a middle-class Caucasian. I live in an area inhabited predominantly by other middle-class Caucasians. My story is not uncommonly inspiring; I have not been faced with many struggles in my life and therefore haven’t had any chance to overcome any.
The article stresses the importance of the essay, which I agree to be true. I’m sure David’s essays were about his life story, and the inspiring nature of his story probably helped a lot in winning those scholarships.
That was a really informational and inspirational article, and the story really got my attention. It’s a really good article to show people because it will make them actually want to work for scholarships, and work hard for what they want. I know I really want to try harder for scholarships now, and that they really are important, no matter what the size is, and I think he has a really good story to tell
~Sarah~
Inspiring. Nice to read about. A very very substantial article. For all the hard work he put into his scholarships, it’s a really good thing he was awarded with 18; well deserved in my opinion.
I don’t think that you have to have a heart wrenching story to win a bunch of scholarships. It is like Sam said that you have to not only show what has happened into your life, but it is also really important what your are doing in your life RIGHT NOW! When you are doing great things right now, and are being active in leadership opportunities, service projects, etc. That shows in your essay’s, and it a big factor in being able to win scholarships.
I agree that I am a pretty average student, and I am not the best at writing, but stories like Sam’s inspire me to do better with what I have, and what I can continue to do. I want to work even harder at writing better essay’s and being more prepared for dead lines.
Thanks Sam for your great tips, and inspiring story!
@Kimberly: Kimberly, do not underestimate your struggles. Tell how you work through your AP classes, or something you may think is small or not important. The perceived gravity of the subject matter is not what is important, what is important is the way you word you story, how you truly flesh out the story as well as the emotions you incorporate in it.
Great article! Hopefully it will get people to try and see what kind of story they have. Surely, no matter who you are, you have a life story. Without a story- who are you?
I’m definitely going to get started on scholarship work. Here goes nothing!
WOW!!!!!! thats awesome!!!!! id LOVE to get that manying scholorships ugh ugh your lucky omg!!!!1
i’m a sophmore too…i should apply to some right now
Wow, I am so impressed by this article, being in a similar situation, yet different in the fact that I have a father who is fully able to afford college, yet refuses to, and because of a terrible divorce, isn’t required to, and a mother who struggles to make ends meat. I have applied to over 15 schools, in the hopes that one will provide me with enough Aid to be able to go there, in addittion It makes me nervous that this gentleman was so on-top of the game, applying to scholarships as a sophmore as I am a senior, and just begun. I have applied to about 8 now, and this really gives me the inspiration to reach for the stars and continue appllying to as many as I can. It makes me feel like my dream of getting a colegiate educational with little to no money is possible and If I just keep working as hard as I can it may be able to come true
I’m so glad that I found this article! I’m a junior in high school and now that I only have three semesters left college and its expense is really scarying me: (… This article has really motivated me to apply more and to start keeping track of everything in my life that can conrtibute to my future…..Thanks for sharing!
Great article! Keep it up! All that time spent on those essays must be really worth it.
@middle class student: I’m sad to hear that you have no interesting things about you, that you won’t get any scholarships, even if you apply and that you think your life is completely and utterly “average”. I cry at the fact that there is NOTHING interesting or special about your life that you can share with colleges. Really, I feel bad. It sucks that you’re not unique in SOME way. With that attitude, you’ll never get anywhere.
I’m really impressed with your story. I hated filing for scholarships, even though I knew I needed them. With today’s economy, getting scholarship money is important now more than ever. My comment above is for the writer named “Middle Class Student”, not you. I hope that you continue your success in all areas of your life. You will do great things.
This is really thought-provoking. However, I agree with opinions on this forum about how the article itself doesn’t really help me in my search for scholarships. I’m a senior and only now starting to apply for scholarships, and it is SO not realistic for me to visit my counselor every day, as my life is eaten up by work and extracurricular activities. The article just kind of made me more stressed out. Whatever, though–I’m just going to give a positive spin and hope that my story, no matter how ordinary, will suffice in an essay.