Meticulously researched and based on hundreds of revealing interviews with scholarship judges, administrators, and past winners from coast to coast, The Scholarship Scouting Report is the first behind-the-scenes tour of the nation’s best, most accessible scholarship opportunities. In its pages readers discover valuable details on over 100 exceptional college cash programs for students of every age and interest, as well as essential strategic advice distilled from Kaplan’s in-depth analysis of thousands of winning scholarship essays, applications, and entries. Known internationally as “The Scholarship Coach,” Kaplan writes with a passion and insight that can only come from genuine experience: Only a few short years ago, Kaplan himself sidestepped a future mired in student debt by winning more than two dozen scholarships worth nearly $90,000—enough to cover virtually the entire cost of his Harvard education.

Arranged alphabetically, The Scholarship Scouting Report spotlights lucrative scholarship possibilities—ranging from $1,000 to $100,000—for high school and college students, graduate students, nontraditional students of all ages and life stages, and even kids under 14. Each featured award program chosen for the book has a proven track record, benefits students from a variety of backgrounds, and can be used at any accredited college, community college, vocational school, or university—thereby enabling school choice. Additionally, the vast majority of profiled scholarships use judging criteria beyond just grades and test scores, are available to students of all ethnicities and geographic residencies, and are awarded regardless of a student’s family finances or documented need.
For each profiled scholarship, Kaplan has already performed the exhaustive detective work, bare-knuckle research, and in-depth strategic analysis, so the reader doesn’t have to. Among other features, each individual scouting report entry includes:

• “A Closer Look” at the entire application process, with comprehensive discussions of both the official and the “hidden” judging criteria
• A special “Coach’s Analysis” section that delves into surefire application strategies and common mistakes, while providing concrete action steps that maximize an applicant’s chances of winning
• Candid and revealing quotes from scholarship judges and winners
• Sample winning entries, application excerpts, and inspiring essays, along with insightful comments and annotations from the author
• User-friendly icons that help readers easily identify scholarships suited to their strengths and interests, and quickly locate entry requirements, dollar amounts, and other key data
• Special keywords that unlock important bonus material at the author’s interactive scholarship website, ScholarshipCoach.com

In addition, The Scholarship Scouting Report is designed not only to provide useful information on specific scholarships, but also to teach students, by example, the fine art of creating a successful scholarship application package. By presenting a carefully designed series of real-world case studies that illustrates and reinforces the fundamental principles of scholarship success, Kaplan helps readers internalize these principles and leverage them into any new scholarship application they may encounter in the future.