Your August Scholarship Checklist: What to Finalize Before Launch

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August is go-time for scholarship providers. Whether you’re launching in September or later this fall, this is your final window to get everything dialed in before applications open.

From backend systems to reviewer prep to social media rollouts, a few key steps now can save you major headaches later.

Here’s your August checklist to launch smoothly and confidently.

1. Test Your Application System from Start to Finish

Before your program goes live, run through your application like a student would. That means:

Creating a test applicant account

Completing every field and upload

Submitting the application

Confirming automated messages or confirmations work properly

Don’t forget to test from both desktop and mobile. If something is confusing or broken, students won’t ask questions, they’ll just abandon the application.

Pro tip:

Ask a team member who wasn’t involved in building the program to test it. They’ll catch things your team might overlook.

2. Finalize Rubrics and Train Your Review Team

A strong rubric is your reviewers’ best friend, and yours too. It helps eliminate subjectivity, streamline scoring, and ensure students are evaluated fairly.

Before launch:

Finalize your rubric language and scoring scale

Decide how to handle tie-breakers or partial applications

Schedule a training session or provide a reviewer guide

Reviewing often happens weeks after launch, but now is the time to prep your team so they’re confident and consistent later.

Avoid scrambling in October by getting your promotional plan in place now:

Draft and schedule email announcements

Create visuals or reels for Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok

Prep social copy tailored to students, parents, and counselors

Stagger your communications to build momentum: think early announcements, mid-cycle reminders, and a final push before the deadline.

Bonus tip:

Include evergreen posts about common questions or eligibility, these can drive engagement throughout the cycle.

4. Avoid These Last-Minute Mistakes

Even experienced teams hit snags. Here are a few common missteps to watch for:

Broken links in application buttons or confirmation emails

Vague eligibility criteria that confuse students or counselors

Forgetting to include the deadline on social posts and emails

Opening your application before your team is ready to field questions

Slow down now so you can move faster later, a quick audit in August can prevent emergency fixes in September.

Final Thought: August Is Your Launch Pad

Once your scholarship opens, your focus shifts to promotion, applicant support, and reviewer coordination. This month is your last chance to tighten the bolts and set yourself up for a successful season.

Even a few hours of prep this week can save you days of troubleshooting later.

Need help streamlining your scholarship launch?

Kaleidoscope makes it easy to build, test, and promote your scholarship, all in one place.

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