When you hear the phrase “college application process,” you probably picture high schoolers scrambling to collect recommendation letters, write essays, and hit submit before deadlines. But the journey to winning scholarships begins long before high school and sometimes as early as preschool. It starts with intentionally building habits, skills, values, and experiences that will one day support a strong scholarship application.
As parents, we play a key role in shaping our children’s academic potential, mindset, and motivation. So where do we begin?
- Spark a Love of Learning
Scholarship committees often favor applicants who are curious and passionate, not just those with straight A’s. Children who develop a love of learning early are more likely to pursue meaningful experiences, honors, and achievements.
You can help by asking open-ended questions and celebrating thinking and effort, not just correct answers. Expose your child to a variety of experiences and model a love of learning yourself by reading, exploring, and staying curious.
- Build Strong Character
Scholarship programs often look for students who demonstrate resilience, integrity, and perseverance. These traits help students succeed in college and contribute to their communities, and they must be nurtured over time.
Support your child’s character development by assigning age-appropriate responsibilities and encouraging them to finish what they start. Talk about values like honesty and kindness, and model them in your own actions. Let your child experience failure and guide them through it. Learning to course-correct instead of giving up is a life skill with lasting impact.
- Help Them Discover Their Passion
Starting clubs or volunteer work in high school can be too late to show meaningful involvement. Long-term participation demonstrates commitment and provides time for leadership growth. Scholarship reviewers often prefer students who show deep, sustained involvement in a few activities rather than brief participation in many.
Encourage your child to try a range of activities and pay attention to what excites them. Once they find something they enjoy, support their continued involvement, whether it’s in community service, faith-based programs, or extracurricular clubs.
- Prioritize Writing and Communication
Essays, interviews, and personal statements are a central part of many scholarship applications. Strong communication skills, especially writing, often set applicants apart.
Encourage writing at home by supporting journaling, thank you notes, and storytelling. Read books with rich language and help your child express opinions clearly and respectfully. These small habits build confidence and skill over time.
- Foster a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset, the belief that abilities can be developed through effort, is one of the most valuable attitudes a child can have. It helps them persist through challenges and learn from mistakes.
You can encourage this mindset by praising effort instead of talent. Say, “You worked really hard on that,” instead of, “You’re so smart.” Share your own failures and what you’ve learned from them, and teach your child to say, “I can’t do it…yet,” to reinforce the idea that learning is a process.
- Teach Financial Awareness
Even young children can begin to understand the basics of money, saving, and value. By middle school, introduce the cost of college and the role scholarships play, without creating anxiety. When students understand why scholarships matter, they’re more likely to pursue them seriously.
Use everyday experiences to teach earning, saving, and budgeting. If your family is saving for college, involve your child in simple, age-appropriate conversations about your goals.
- Encourage Leadership
Leadership isn’t limited to holding a title. It includes taking initiative, solving problems, and inspiring others. Many scholarships ask for evidence of leadership, which can be cultivated from a young age.
Support your child in planning small initiatives, like a food drive or a neighborhood cleanup. Ask questions that help them reflect on their influence: “How did you help someone today?” or “What difference did that make?”
- Make Service a Habit
Community service is a cornerstone of many scholarship applications. Reviewers look for heartfelt, consistent service that aligns with a student’s values. Children who grow up viewing service as a regular part of life are more likely to continue that mindset.
Volunteer as a family and explore different organizations together. Once your child finds a cause that matters to them, encourage deeper involvement and support their ideas for leading their own projects. Remind them that service can also happen in everyday life by mentoring a friend, helping a neighbor, or caring for others.
- Help Them Find Their Story
Scholarships aren’t just awarded to students who “check every box.” Reviewers are drawn to compelling, authentic stories. Children should grow up understanding who they are, what they value, and how they want to contribute to the world.
You can help by having conversations that go beyond surface-level experiences. Ask reflective questions like, “What did you learn from that?” or “Why does that matter to you?” These discussions help children connect their experiences to a larger sense of purpose.
Alison Bogle is a writer living in Austin with her husband and three children. A former fourth grade teacher, she now enjoys writing about children and education. You can also catch her talking about articles from Austin Family magazine each Thursday morning on FOX 7 Austin.
