GUIDES
How to actually win a scholarship.
Short, practical guides written for Alberta high school students. No filler, no recycled advice from American sites that doesn't apply here.
01 GET INTO A LAB
Research programs for Alberta students: who pays
Which Alberta research programs pay, what marks they ask for, and the geography rule that decides which HYRS campus you apply to. Deadlines run March.
02 BEFORE MED SCHOOL
How to get medical experience in high school
Where an Alberta student can actually get clinical exposure: AHS volunteering from 15, Discovery Days, HOSA chapters, and the biology competitions.
03 BUILD SOMETHING
Computing contests and camps in Alberta
Coding contests, hackathons and camps open to Alberta high school students, nearly all free, and the ones only a teacher can register you for.
04 THE BIG ONE
Alexander Rutherford Scholarship: amounts and how to apply
Applications open August 1 with no closing deadline. What each grade pays (up to $2,500 total), the 75% five-course average you need, and how to apply.
05 SERVICE
Volunteering for Alberta high school students
Hospital placements through AHS, science centre shifts, youth councils, and the awards that pay for a volunteer record. What is open right now.
06 COMPETITIONS
Chemistry competitions in Canada: the CCC and CCO ladder
One entry point, one date. How the Canadian Chemistry Contest feeds the Olympiad, why there is no junior division, and when a teacher has to sign you up.
07 NATIONAL
Loran Award: what it pays and how to apply
Applications open September 9 and close October 15 at noon ET. What the award actually pays, the 88% average bar, and the $6,000 finalists get.
08 SENIOR YEAR
Grade 12 scholarship timeline for Alberta students
A month-by-month plan for Grade 12 students in Alberta: which scholarships open when, from Loran in the fall to local awards in the spring.
09 WRITING
How to write a scholarship essay that gets read
A practical structure for scholarship essays, what selection committees actually look for, and the mistakes that get applications skipped.
10 START EARLY
Why Grade 11 is the best time to start on scholarships
What Alberta students can do in Grade 11 to set up their scholarship applications: marks that count, activities that matter, and a simple prep list.
11 REFERENCES
How to ask for a scholarship reference letter
Who to ask for a reference letter, when to ask, and exactly what to give your teacher or counsellor so the letter is strong and on time.
12 MEDICINE HAT
Scholarships for Medicine Hat students
Every scholarship pool a Medicine Hat student can draw from: local service clubs, city and county awards, school funds, and how to work through them.
13 TRADES
Trades scholarships and RAP in Alberta
How the Registered Apprenticeship Program works in Alberta schools, the scholarships attached to it, and the money nobody else applies for.
14 STRATEGY
Local scholarships: smaller awards, much better odds
Why community scholarships in places like Medicine Hat and Lethbridge are easier to win than national awards, and where to find them.