In the case where you know you won’t be able to finish scoring your applications, please contact the Scholarships Plus team immediately at volunteer@thepef.org so we can get them reassigned.

If you recognize a student’s name during the application review, it could pose a conflict of interest. Please reach out to our team for reassignment of that student’s application. You can contact the Scholarships Plus team via email at volunteer@thepef.org to inform them of the conflict and continue to score the other student applications assigned to you.

Internet Explorer does not always allow reviewers to see transcripts, letters, and nominations. Please try another browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. If the issue persists or the document is incorrect, score them as if the document was not submitted and email volunteer@thepef.org. If possible, Scholarships Plus personnel will attempt to retrieve the document and update the score on the student application.

No, students are not required to provide documentation as part of their financial need letter. Some scholarships require separate documentation from students, such as FAFSA documentation and pay stubs, but that will be listed as a separate requirement from the financial need letter. We have listed examples of “great’ financial need letters on this page. In general, you are looking for students who describe their family’s income sources, how much the family struggles with basic expenses, what other circumstances their family faces (such as the number of dependents at home and the number of dependents currently enrolled in college), etc. that provide you with insight into the family’s ability to pay for college.

Each scholarship opportunity varies depending on donor preference. Some donors put a cap on how many scholarships they are willing to award at the beginning of the process, and some wait to decide how many they will award based on the number and quality of applications. Since the purpose in scoring scholarship applications is to help narrow the applications down, please don’t give top scores to more than 10% of the number of your bundle (No more than 4 top scores for a bundle of 40, no more than 3 for a bundle of 30, etc.)

Artificial Intelligence tools such as Chat GPT are increasingly available for free. After this scholarship cycle, PEF will work with educators, students, and donors to determine whether we want to utilize AI-detection software platforms and whether using AI should affect a student’s score. Some educators let students utilize AI tools as a “starting point” for their work, and some educators prohibit them entirely. This is a complicated conversation happening in educational institutions throughout the nation. In the meantime, as you review student applications, look for essays that indicate the student has spent time thinking about the essay question. AI-generated essays tend to be more repetitive and use surface-level thinking instead of diving into topics.

Kaleidoscope has improved their security to protect people’s information. So some of the passwords you use with other emails may not work for this program. CLICK HERE for some helpful tips to create a password that will work on Kaleidoscope.

CLICK HERE for some easy step by step instructions on how to use Kaleidoscope. Please email volunteer@thepef.org for any questions.

Make sure that you click “Submit” in order to submit a scholarship. Simply clicking “Save” will not submit the scholarship. You must click “Submit” or it won’t be in the system to count.

You can always go in and change scores if you realize you scored too high or too low.

All students applying have some level of financial need. Ask yourself: Did the student clearly explain their situation? Did they help you understand their reality? Did they explain how this scholarship would help? We don’t choose the circumstances we’re born into. Score students on how well they articulate their situation, their efforts, and their needs.

Not all students have access to clubs or extracurriculars. Some must work part-time jobs or care for siblings, parents, or grandparents. A strong resume shows engagement within their life circumstances, reflects effort, responsibility, and initiative, and paints a picture of a student making the most of their opportunities.

Look for the cumulative GPA, not just one semester. The scorecard will tell you if the weighted or unweighted GPA is needed. If both are listed and the scholarship you’re scoring doesn’t specify if it’s weighted or unweighted, use the higher cumulative GPA. If both the weighted and unweighted GPA aren’t on the transcript, and only one cumulative GPA is listed, use what’s provided.

This is where you should use your heart. Yes—some students may use AI. That’s a reality. What matters most is this question: Did their response make you feel something—and did they answer the question asked? Reward students who stay on topic. Look for thoughtfulness and reflection. Grammar doesn’t need to be perfect. Strong essays create a person-to-person connection. Top scores should go to students who clearly understood the prompt and gave meaningful, focused responses.

Look for depth and authenticity. Top scores go to letters that: Feel personal, Reveal new insights about the student, and Clearly come from someone who truly knows them. Just like a job reference, students are responsible for choosing someone who can speak meaningfully about who they are so they should be finding someone who can write an effective letter.