Grade 11 is a critical year to build a solid foundation for winning scholarships in grade 12.  Grade 11 marks and activities are considered in most scholarship applications, by both universities and by external funders.  The best way to ensure you are setting a solid foundation for admission and scholarships in grade 11 is to take a thoughtful and strategic approach to where you focus your attention and how you spend your time.  In this 75 minute personalized strategy session, we’ll cover the best strategies for you to prepare for success with scholarships.    He ..read more

At this critical time of the grade 12 year, I know students and parents have a lot of questions about scholarships. Some of these questions might be: •     What kinds of scholarships should I be looking for/applying for? •     What kind of information should I be highlighting on my applications? •     How do I make my activities sound the best they can possibly sound? •     What are the most important things to include in my essays? •     I'm busy. What's the best way to manage my time with scholarships and applications for admission? If you'd like to discuss your specific situation with me ..read more

Grade 12 is your best opportunity to win scholarships! There will never be another time in your life with more opportunities. However, for many Canadian students searching for post-secondary scholarships, it can seem overwhelming. Here are a few strategies to help simplify the process. When Should I Look for Scholarships? Unfortunately, there is no one time when all scholarships are available. All scholarships are different and Canadian scholarships have deadlines in every month of the year. While most scholarships have deadlines between December and May, some are due before and after then. S ..read more

It can be difficult for young people to see the big picture. They don’t have the life experience and perspective of adults. This is where parents can help their child understand opportunity cost. Opportunity cost: When you say "yes" to one thing, you're saying "no" to something else. There are only 24 hours in a day. Some teens want to do ALL THE THINGS, and that’s actually something I love about them. But on the negative side, being unfocused can result in unmet goals. Some students spend too much time on activities that don’t move the needle, and not enough time on things that do. Allow me ..read more

Grade 12 is busy! It’s also the best time in your life to win scholarships! From August 2023 to February 2024, I will be working with grade 12 students on scholarship preparation. Here are 3 ways you can work with me and access my services: 1. Grade 12 Scholarship Prep Program $999.00 Over the years I have helped students win hundreds of thousands of dollars. This Fall, I will be working with select grade 12 students on a one-to-one basis. Who is it for? This package is a good fit for motivated students who have solid grades, a variety of extracurricular activities including volunteer work, a ..read more

I recently delivered a Scholarship Essay Writing Workshop at a school for the blind and visually impaired. When reviewing the essays, I was amazed by the rich and meaningful experiences the students have had. However, like many students I work with, they had very little experience with self-reflection. They needed some external insight into how much their lived experiences matter, how they have overcome challenges, and how it can help shape their future. Self-reflection is such an important skill for young people to develop. When teens learn to reflect on their experiences and think about the ..read more

Find out more about Janet in this interview with GoSolo. What's your business, and who are your customers? I help Canadian high school students find and win scholarships for university. I offer small group workshops and one-to-one consulting. I work with grade 10 and 11 students to help them prepare for scholarships the smart way. And I work with grade 12 students to help them find scholarships and write their best applications. My customers are students and families from all over Canada. I also offer popular scholarship information sessions to schools and organizations. Tell us about yoursel ..read more

The Scholarship Circle is a new, value packed support for my Grade 12 Scholarship Prep Program clients. What is the Scholarship Circle? The Scholarship Circle is a monthly email I send to clients who purchase the Grade 12 Scholarship Prep Program. The Scholarship Circle emails are full of valuable information, including a list of current and upcoming scholarships. So, in addition to the personalized advice and support of working with me one-to-one, you’ll receive a regular source of additional information to help you be more successful in your scholarship journey. Grade 12 Scholarship Prep cl ..read more

One of the best ways to find scholarships is for both students and parents to think of your affiliations, or connections. In other words, what am I connected to, and would any of my connections offer a scholarship? Here are a few examples to get you started: Your job – many employers offer scholarships. Some might be for direct employees and others might be for extended family members, so check for employers of the student, parent, grandparent, uncles, aunts, etc. Employer scholarships are one of your best bets because they have a restricted, and therefore smaller, applicant pool. Your union ..read more

There is a very good reason why I say, “Scholarships beget scholarships.” When I was the coordinator of a national undergraduate and graduate level scholarship program, I had the opportunity to watch professors choose candidates for the awards. The winners were almost always students who had won previous awards. In fact, there was a section on the application, aptly called “previous awards and achievements”, which specifically requested this information. In this section, students could list their university entrance scholarships, in-course awards, research papers, or other credentials. The pu ..read more