Merit Scholarship Application Support
This package is designed for students applying to merit scholarships, honors programs, scholars programs, or competitive university-based awards who want to present a stronger, more strategic case for selection. Merit scholarship applications are different from standard college applications. They often ask students to go beyond “why this school” or “tell us about yourself” and show evidence of academic excellence, leadership, initiative, service, intellectual curiosity, character, and future impact. The strongest scholarship applications make it clear not only why the student is qualified, but why they are worth investing in. In this package, we will identify the student’s most compelling scholarship positioning, evaluate the requirements and selection criteria for each award, develop essay topics, refine responses, strengthen leadership and impact examples, and ensure the full application presents a clear and memorable case. This package may support university merit scholarships, honors college applications, full-tuition or full-ride scholarship programs, leadership scholarships, service scholarships, academic awards, research-focused programs, or other competitive funding opportunities.
What's included
- A merit scholarship strategy that clarifies the student’s strongest qualifications, leadership themes, academic strengths, service record, and future potential
- Essay brainstorming, outlining, editing, and refinement for scholarship, honors program, scholars program, leadership, service, or academic award applications
- Positioning support to help the student communicate not just what they have achieved, but why their accomplishments show initiative, character, impact, and future promise
- Final application polish to ensure scholarship materials are cohesive, persuasive, typo-free, within word count, and aligned with the selection criteria for each award
Meet your expert
Becky S.
I’m Becky Song, a Wharton MBA, former Wharton admissions fellow, professional admissions and career coach, and Founder & Executive Director of Ivy Journey (theivyjourney.com). Over the past 15+ years, I’ve helped hundreds of applicants and professionals earn admission to top MBA, master’s, and college programs, as well as land offers across consulting, strategy, and business roles. My clients have been admitted to top MBA programs (e.g., HBS, Stanford GSB, Wharton, MIT Sloan, Columbia, Kellogg, Booth, LBS, Insead, etc.) and top Ivy undergrad & grad programs. I’ve also coached 500+ candidates through career transitions, resumes, interviews, consulting recruiting, and personal positioning. What makes my coaching different is the combination of admissions judgment, career strategy, and narrative positioning. I help clients understand what schools and employers are really evaluating, then translate their background into a clear, differentiated story that feels authentic and compelling. I’m especially strong with MBA applicants, college applicants, master’s candidates, international applicants, first-generation applicants, consulting candidates, and professionals making major career pivots. Personally, I’ve navigated several pivots myself: actuary, nonprofit leader, strategy consultant, Wharton MBA, admissions fellow, founder, and career coach. If you want a coach who can help you think strategically, sharpen your story, and move through a competitive process with more clarity and confidence, I’d love to work with you!