Homework and stress are rarely reduced inside the classroom.Meanwhile,outside the classroom,the pressure is on to find scholarships for college. According to Braintrack,a higher education database with worldwide reach,more than 3 billion US dollars (18 billion yuan) in private scholarships are awarded to college students annually.Average awards range from $2,000 to $3,000. The scholarship application process is similar to the college application process: forms to be completed,test scores and transcripts to be sent,essays to be written and often interviews to be prepared for. A few great places to start looking for scholarships are: www.fastweb. com,www.Finaid. org and www.collegexpress.com.Check out the annual scholarship guidebooks Scholarships,Grants & Prizes by Peterson's and the Ultimate Scholarship Book: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships,Grants and Prizes by Gen Tanabe and Kelly Tanabe. Be selective.Thoroughly research the qualifications required by each of the scholarships.Don't waste your time applying for those that are need      based if you can't produce the appropriate documents. Research past recipients  .Check out the websites of the organizations sponsoring the scholarships.Many post the biographies of past recipients.You don't need to have cured cancer,but if you don't think your resume   measures up to the past winners',you might be better served by moving onto the next scholarship on your list.Prepare for the interview. You'll want to dazzle them with your personality,but above all you'll want to be prepareD. Find someone you trust to conduct a similar interview with you - someone who will be honest with you and provide valuable suggestions. Let your personality shine through in your essays.The essays are the best way for students to share who they are,where they've come from,what they've overcome and so on.Tell your story in an interesting and persuasive  way.And if you do have an interview,send a thank      you note afterward. By Lee Bierer If you want to learn about past recipients of a scholarship,you can use   _  .
www.collegexpress.com the annual scholarship guidebooks published by Peterson's the websites of the organizations sponsoring the scholarships The Ultimate Scholarship Book: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships,Grants and Prizes