How the effort score works
Version 1, October 2026
The effort score is a number from 3 to 100 that says how much work it takes to apply for a scholarship. Higher means less work. A scholarship you can apply to with a form would score near 100. One that asks for a long essay, letters, a video and a project scores low. It exists because most scholarship lists show a name and an amount and leave you to find out about the essay, the letters and the video after you have started.
How it is calculated
Every score starts at 100. For each thing the sponsor's own application page asks for, points come off. The score is what is left, never lower than 3. Each scholarship's page shows its own list, so you can see exactly where its score came from. The point values are editorial estimates of how much effort each thing takes, set by hand. They are not measured hours.
| What the application asks for | Points taken off |
|---|---|
| Essay | 7 points plus 0.052 per word, up to 52. A 250-word essay costs 20, 500 words 33, 750 words 46. Each extra essay counts 20% less than the one before it, and all essays together are capped at 68. |
| Recommendation letters | 9 for the first, 7 for each additional one (1 more point if the sponsor doesn't say how many). |
| Short written answers | 6 |
| Video | 14 (16 if it's an audition or performance) |
| Portfolio or work samples | 15 |
| Project or proposal | 17 to 24: a paper or abstract 17, a policy proposal or business plan 21, a research report 24, otherwise 20. |
| Interview | 10 (14 if it's in person or at a convention) |
| Someone has to nominate you | 28, because you can't just decide to apply |
| Financial information | 5 (8 if it needs tax returns or an income form) |
| Resume or activities list | 4 |
| SAT or ACT scores | 4 (1 if they're optional) |
| Transcript | 3 (4 if it must be official or sealed) |
| Minimum GPA, or proof of enrollment | 2 each |
| A membership you have to join first | 4 |
| Small extras (a photo, a form) | 1.5 each, capped at 10 in total. Service hours 5, attending an event 6, a fee 3, a fitness or medical exam 10. |
If a sponsor doesn't say how long its essay is, the score assumes a typical length for that kind of application: about 300 words for a short essay, 750 for a long one, and 400 otherwise.
The four bands
The word next to each score groups it, so you can tell at a glance which way it points.
| Band | Score | What it usually looks like | Scholarships now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick | 80 and up | A form, or one short essay (a 250-word essay on its own scores 80). | 124 |
| Moderate | 60 to 79 | About one 500-word essay on its own, which scores 67. | 137 |
| Substantial | 40 to 59 | A 500-word essay, one recommendation letter and a transcript, which scores 55. | 149 |
| Major project | Under 40 | A long essay with letters and a video, a research project, or a nomination. | 87 |
Four real examples
Niche $2,000 No Essay Scholarship
- Start at100
- Create a free Niche account and complete the entry survey during the month's entry period−1.5
- Effort score99
VFW Voice of Democracy Scholarship
- Start at100
- An essay the sponsor's page doesn't describe (typical length for this kind of application)−22.6
- Video: Audio recording on the annual theme (grades 9 to 12)−14
- Enter through your local VFW Post by October 31−1.5
- Effort score62
PayrollOrg Money Matters Scholarship
- Start at100
- Essay (about 1,000 words): Why understanding your paycheck matters and how it helps you build a stronger financial future−52
- Video: A 1 to 2 minute video−14
- Signed Money Matters media release form (entries without it are not considered)−1.5
- Effort score33
Regeneron Science Talent Search
- Start at100
- Essay: Application essays and short answers−46
- 4 recommendation letters: Up to two project recommendations and up to two educator recommendations−30
- Project or proposal: 20-page report on your original, independent research−24
- Transcript: High school report−3
- Entered through an online application with research done individually−1.5
- The lowest a score can go is 3+7.5
- Effort score3
Points are shown to one decimal where they aren't whole numbers, so each list adds up to the score.
What the score does not measure
- Your chances of winning. Some of the quickest applications are random drawings or have thousands of applicants, and some of the hardest have few. Low effort does not mean good odds.
- How much the award is worth. The amount, the number of awards and the deadline are not part of the score.
- How hard an essay is to write. Only its length counts, not the topic or how well you write.
- How long it really takes you. The point values are estimates, so two people can spend very different amounts of time on the same application.
When a score may be off
The score comes from what the sponsor publishes. When a sponsor only posts part of its application, the scholarship's page says the list may be missing items and that the score may be higher than the real work. When we couldn't find the requirements at all, the page says "No effort score yet" instead of guessing. Requirements also change from year to year, so check the sponsor's page before you apply.
Sponsors cannot pay for a score or ask for it to be changed. A score only changes when the sponsor's own requirements change or a mistake is found.
If you think a score is wrong
Use the "Report an error" link on that scholarship's page, or the contact page. I read every report and check it against the sponsor's page. If the score is wrong I fix it and note it. The way the score is worked out is described here and on Editorial Standards, and changes to the formula are listed in the changelog.