Washington CPA Foundation scholarship applications for the 2022-2023 academic year are now open! New this year, scholarship awards for master’s and PhD candidates are increasing from $8,000 to $10,000. Also, for the first time, associate level scholarships are available for students who will be freshmen or sophomores during the 2022-2023 academic year. Learn more about these scholarships and start your applications here.

As you begin working on your application, keep these tips in mind to help you stand out:

1. RÉSUMÉ: Make sure your résumé is up to date and comprehensive. Résumés should include your work and volunteer experience but can also include other ways you’re involved in the community. This might be extracurricular activities such as clubs and student groups, membership in professional organizations, sports/athletics or other commitments within your community. Remember to proofread your résumé to catch grammatical or typographical errors and check for any issues with formatting. Try changing the font size or reading from the bottom up to get a different view of your résumé. Finally, ask someone to look over your résumé and provide feedback on how it might be improved.
2. ESSAYS: Take your time with the essays on your application. Think carefully about what you want to say and how you want to say it, while keeping in mind that you have a limited amount of space for your answers. Essays should be concise and focus on answering the question being asked. Remember that the essays are your opportunity to share with the scholarship application reviewers your passion for accounting and your commitment to becoming a CPA. Have specific goals in mind for your academic and professional careers and elaborate on them. Let the reviewers know how this scholarship will help you achieve those goals. You will also have an opportunity to provide more details about yourself such as your background and interests, so don’t pass that up. This may be a chance to explain special circumstances, like the reason for a blip in the grades on your transcript or a challenge facing you or your family, or you can mention some of your accounting role models. Again, proofread what you have written and have someone else review it before submitting your application.
3. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Start early and thoughtfully select a recommender. When requesting letters of recommendation, remember that it takes time for the recommender to write and submit a letter like this. It can take up to a month, so ask for letters well in advance of the application deadline. Also, make sure you’re requesting a letter from someone you are confident will provide a positive recommendation. Work on building relationships with your professors, supervisors, volunteer coordinators, coaches or other community leaders who can speak knowledgeably regarding your accomplishments, passions, and goals. You can help the recommender with this by providing them with a letter of intent and a copy of your résumé. Since the application requires letters of recommendation to be submitted on letterhead and to confirm you’ve received a strong recommendation, ask for a copy of the letter either before or after it has been submitted.