If you are a high school senior thinking about engineering, applying for a UMPPF scholarship could be one of the best things you do this year. We offer full- and partial-tuition scholarships to first-year engineering students at the University of Maine, along with guidance, community, and a direct line to co-ops and careers.
Applying for the first time can feel intimidating, but it does not need to be. Here is exactly what to expect, so you can walk through it with confidence.
First, gather everything before you start
Here is the one piece of advice that will save you the most stress: the application is a single-session form. If you leave it idle too long, it can time out, and you could lose your work. So the smart move is to collect everything first, then sit down and fill it out in one go.
Here is what to have ready:
- Your high school transcript, including at least through grade 11
- Your contact information, and a parent or guardian’s email too
- Your academic information, including your GPA and your SAT scores if you have them (SAT is optional)
- A list of your academic honors, school activities, and any jobs you have held
- Your letter to the Scholarship Committee (more on that next)
- A parent or guardian ready to provide an electronic signature
Once all of that is in one place, the form itself goes quickly.
The letter is the heart of it
The one piece that takes real thought is your letter to the Scholarship Committee. This is your chance to be a person on the page rather than a transcript, so it is worth slowing down for. The letter asks you to cover three things.
- How you became familiar with the pulp and paper industry. There is no single right answer here. Maybe a family member works in the field. Maybe you took a class, went to an event, or found your way to a program like Consider Engineering. Maybe you were simply curious and started reading. Whatever your path in, tell it honestly. The committee is not looking for an expert. They are looking for a genuine connection.
- Why you are interested in engineering and the paper industry. This is where you connect the field to you. What pulls you toward engineering? Solving problems, building things, understanding how the world works? Be specific. A real detail about what excites you says far more than a sentence that could have been written by anyone.
- Anything else that supports your application. Use this space. It is your opening to share context about your goals, your circumstances, or what a scholarship would make possible for you. If there is something that helps the committee understand who you are, this is where it goes.
A few quick tips for the whole letter: specific beats generic every time, honesty lands better than trying to sound impressive, and a clear, heartfelt letter does more than a long one. Read it over before you submit, or have someone you trust read it for you.
Hitting submit
Once you send your application, you should see a confirmation message on your screen and receive a confirmation email. If you do not get both, do not assume it went through. Reach out to McKenna Goulette, our student recruitment specialist, to make sure.
Do not wait on the deadline
Applications are due Dec. 31. The holidays have a way of speeding up, and this is not the thing you want to be finishing at 11:59 on New Year’s Eve.
When you are ready, you can get started here.
You have got this. We are rooting for you.
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