5 Steps to Completing Your Accounting Scholarship Application On Time

by Benjamin Warren

The deadline for Washington CPA Foundation Accounting Scholarship applications is only a month away. You have until Valentine’s Day to finish and submit your application. Last year, 67% of applicants walked away with a scholarship to fund their education, as well as validation and support from members of the CPA community who believed in their success. Check out this handy infographic for help breaking down the application process into a few manageable, weekly steps over the next month.

Three to four weeks is the standard time it takes to get letters of recommendation, so be sure to request your letters by no later than the week of January 24. You can request letters of recommendation using the scholarship application portal. Just create your account, answer the qualifying questions, and skip ahead to the Letter of Recommendation section to email the referral link to your references.

Here are some tips on how to make the ask, and what to provide your references along with your request.

If the essay questions intimidate you, try getting out of your head and into the head of your audience. Who are the scholarship reviewers? All of them are WSCPA volunteers, and while most are practicing CPAs, some reviewers might be firm administrators, accounting educators, or even former scholarship winners. The limit is 500 words, but don’t feel as if you have to use 499 words to be successful. Go for brevity, and use the amount of space you need up to the limit. Focus on building a relationship with the person reading your application. We’ve found that students who tell the story of their personal journey and showcase their passion for service tend to make the best impression on reviewers.

Make sure you take full advantage of the third essay question, “Tell us 3 things you want the review committee to know about you not listed elsewhere on your application.” Here are some ideas to get you started:

Past obstacles you’ve overcome, or current challenges you face
Future career or personal goals
Financial need
Anything in your transcripts/résumé you’d like to address? Maybe an explanation about that blip in grade point average from a bad semester or that you aren’t involved in many activities outside of school because you are a parent or need to work full-time to fund your education
Other hobbies or passions
How you’ll use your license to give back to the profession/community
Anything that sets you apart from other candidates (sell yourself!)

If you have questions about the scholarship or application process, please feel to reach out to foundation@wscpa.org. Remember, submit your application by 11:59 PST on February 14. Good luck!

Benjamin Warren is WSCPA Student Outreach and Initiatives Coordinator.. You can contact Benjamin via email