Education is a costly business nowadays and with rising costs comes competition for scholarship places and Scholarships for left-handed people are no exception. You might not have been aware that you can obtain a scholarship simply for being born left-handed but scholarships like these are available, although competition is intense. Left-handed people are defined as those whose left hand dominates over their right, in other words, those who lead left hand first. Left hander’s are also called Southpaws and were persecuted in the Middle Ages for being witches. Many were hanged, thank Goodness times have changed! Left hander’s used to be corrected, taught to write right handed, but many found this awkward and difficult and were left behind as a result. It used to be thought left handed pupils were less intelligent, but it was soon discovered this was due to forcing them to read and write right-handed. Left-handed people tend to be more artistically minded, often translating this gift into academic language abilities and they are often successful at academic scholarships. Indeed, now it is recognised that left hander’s are amongst our finest minds with examples including Reagan, Clinton and Einstein to name but a few! Some have claimed left-handed people are more empathetic and emotionally mature, which could contribute to scholarship success although there is little empirical evidence to back up these claims. Left-handed scholarships come in a variety of styles and types, with each expecting different submissions and offered different standards of acceptance. Here are a few examples;

Examples of Left Handed Scholarships

1. Juniata college in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania: this college offers pupils who are left-handed the chance at a scholarship. Students must have been studying at the college for a year, but a win could cement further education. This is an incredibly easy scholarship for the right candidate, but again a word of warning, competition will be fierce.
2. Other scholarships particularly attractive to left handed people include martial arts scholarships, artistic scholarships requesting entries in the form of paintings, essays and writings such as poetry work, and expressive arts scholarships. Left-handed people excel in all of these areas. That is not to say you shouldn’t follow your talents, if you are a keen mathematician then looking for mathematic scholarships makes sense.

There are several problems or hurdles that left-handed students entering scholarships have to face. The main of these being that competition is so fierce due to the sought after nature of scholarship places. This means you really do have to present yourself to the best of your ability. Follow these tips to ensure you give yourself the best chance at a free left-handed education;

• Best foot forward; make sure you look neat and clean and extremely well presented, look your best. Above all however, dress for comfort. If you aren’t comfortable in a suit then don’t wear one, wear smart pinstripe trousers and a shirt instead. Do not turn up in jeans or looking like you haven’t made the effort, scholarship places are few and far between and your first impression counts, so make it a good one.
• Be organised: bring what the college has asked you to bring, be on time, research your subject areas and scholarship options and keep an up to date curriculum vitae to hand detailing your accomplishments to date. If you don’t have one your schools record of achievement will suffice. This will show administrators you are responsible and dedicated, and that you are ready for further education. Colleges understandably want t be sure the best student is getting the best chance, and so are impressed by organised and dedicated people.
• Be friendly: if in doubt, smile! It can be nerve wracking being interviewed and assessed for scholarships but try to be friendly. It can be tempting to shrink away when comforted but this is not a winning stratagem for a scholarship student, neither should you grab the lime light rather present yourself in a friendly yet professional manner. There is lots of specific advice online. Think about how you speak, your body language and eye contact and make sure you present a positive and attractive personality. It is easier than it sounds and practice makes perfect, learning to be like-able is a life skill.
• Finally, keep your spirits up. Competition for left-handed scholarships is extremely tight, because scholarships offer easy entry to free education you are bound to be rejected more than once. Keep applying and don’t give up hope, there is likely to be the perfect education place out there somewhere, you’ve simply got to find it!

Left hander’s need to be aware the places are limited and promote themselves to their full abilities. This might include building an online profile showcasing specific skills or talents, becoming a member of the school debate team, investing in learning a new language or simply polishing your grammar skills. The calibre of entrant is high, with many seeking coveted places at top colleges and learning institutes, but success is possible, and maybe even probable with the full amount of preparation, talent and winning personality. Scholarships for left-handed people can be hard to come by but are well worth searching after, give yourself the best start by preparing fully in advance and watch your journey in free education take off to a great start.