How to Win Scholarships (Even Without a Perfect GPA): Strategy for Fall 2025
September 25th - 5pm PT
Paying for college is tough, but scholarships make it possible. This webinar will show you how to find the right opportunities, build stronger applications, and stand out with essays, recommendations, and extracurriculars, even without perfect grades.
What to Expect
Join our webinar to get clear strategies for finding and winning scholarships, even without perfect grades. You’ll see how to target the right opportunities, strengthen your applications, and highlight your unique strengths through essays, recommendations, and extracurriculars. We’ll cover the mistakes that keep students from getting funded, show you how to stand out, and give you the tools to build a winning plan. Plus, take part in a live Q&A session with our experts.
Learn How to Compete for Scholarships That Matter
Expertise, guidance, discovery
& success
Expertise
Learn directly from experts who understand how scholarships are awarded and what reviewers look for in successful applications.
Guidance
Get clear, practical strategies to identify the right opportunities, strengthen your essays and recommendations, and highlight your strengths.
Find out how to stand out without relying on perfect grades by showcasing your unique achievements, involvement, and personal story.
Discovery
Walk away with a step-by-step plan to approach scholarship applications with confidence and maximize your chances of funding for college.
Success
about our speaker
Brennan Bowen is a college admissions counselor with over a decade of experience in selective admissions and international education. He has reviewed thousands of applications as a former admissions representative for the University of California, Berkeley, and an external reader for Stanford. Brennan founded the college counseling department at an international school in Shanghai and has helped students gain admission to top universities worldwide. In the U.S., he supported first-gen students through iMentor. With a B.A. in Linguistics, fluency in Mandarin and Spanish, and a background in ESL, Brennan empowers students to craft authentic, strategic applications that reflect their unique voice and potential.
Meet Brennan
Register for our FREE webinar today!
What You Will Learn
How Scholarships Are Really Awarded
Get an insider view of how committees review applications and what separates winners from the rest.
Learn where to look for scholarships that match your profile and goals, from national awards to local options.
Understand how to present essays, recommendations, and extracurriculars in ways that highlight your unique strengths.
See how to showcase leadership, initiative, and impact so your grades aren’t the only factor that counts.
Learn the errors that cause strong applicants to miss out on funding, and how to sidestep them.
Bring your questions and get direct advice to sharpen your strategy for fall 2025.
What Does Empowerly Offer?
OUR FEATURES
Empowerly Score®
Our proprietary calculator is backed by data from thousands of Empowerly student experiences to construct a highly accurate applicant profile for you, giving you a competitive advantage. Identify areas of improvement and strengths to highlight for an in-depth look at your current college application readiness.
1:1 college counseling
Based on your goals and preferences, you’ll be matched with one of our top-rated counselors who is dedicated to ensuring your academic standing and extracurriculars align with your long-term passions and goals. And when it’s time to officially start applying, your counselor will be there for comprehensive 1:1 support through every essay, application review, interview, and more to ensure you’re on track to reach your goals.
Advice & planning
Whether your college prep journey begins in middle school or senior year of high school, Empowerly’s holistic approach ensures you’re right where you need to be. From interest discovery to summer programming, to AP course selection, our research team and robust community of resources and expert advice are ready when you need them.
Essay editing
On average, students write at least 20 essays when applying to colleges, including common app essays, supplemental essays, and those for scholarships or special programs. Our experienced essay editors can review your essays within 24 hours, ensuring each one highlights your strengths and unique story.
Admissions Committee Review (AdCom)
With Empowerly, you can submit your completed application to our review committee before actually applying. Our committee members consist of former admissions officers with direct experience at top schools who know the dos and don’ts for the schools you want to get into. You’ll receive detailed, constructive feedback that gives you enough time to perfect your application before you hit submit.
SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS
In addition to our standard features, we offer specialized programs unique to your interests and specific needs:
GOALS academic support
Our GOALS program empowers neurodivergent students with skills for success at top schools and beyond.
Our test prep program helps students achieve top results, with expert tutors guiding them to success.
Test prep
Our passion project program helps students turn ideas into impactful projects for their college applications.
Passion projects
AI Scholar Program
Our AI Scholar program helps students create impactful projects using AI and machine learning.
Our Research Scholar Program pairs students with PhD mentors on impactful independent research projects.
Research Scholar Program
Startup internships offer real-world experience, helping students explore careers and boost college applications.
Startup internships
Want to learn more about Empowerly? Check out what parents and students are saying about us!
2024 Top Schools Data
Admission rates at top U.S. universities are fiercely competitive. For example, Stanford University and MIT have acceptance rates of approximately 4%, and Caltech is even more selective with an admit rate around 3.9%.
Highly Competitive
Top Non-Ivy Colleges
Popular and highly competitive non-Ivy institutions include Stanford University, MIT, Duke University, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt University,
and Rice University.
Top U.S. Colleges:
Applicants and Admit Rates
Navigating admissions at U.S. universities like Stanford, MIT, and Johns Hopkins is incredibly challenging, with acceptance rates as low as 3%. You don’t have to do it alone—our expert team is here to guide you through every step of the process.
Seeking Personalized Guidance?
Skip the Webinar
Want to skip the webinar and get your child’s readiness for elite university applications reviewed by an expert? Book a consultation today!
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Contact Info
Location & Hours
MON-FRI/ 7AM - 8PM
2261 Market St #4555
San Francisco, CA 94114
