Some of the most common reasons strong candidates lose out have nothing to do with their qualifications.

• Missing the deadline — the single most avoidable mistake, and rarely forgiven.
• Incomplete applications — a missing document can disqualify an otherwise excellent applicant.
• Reused, generic essays — committees can tell when an essay was not written for their specific scholarship.
• Ignoring word limits — going significantly over or under signals you did not read the instructions carefully.
• Poor proofreading — small errors add up and distract from a strong application.

Before you submit anything, read the requirements one final time, and ask someone else to read your essay with fresh eyes.