Scholarship applications ask for more than a form: transcripts, references, essays and sometimes a certified copy of a certificate. Each takes longer than people expect.
Work backwards from the closing date
For every opportunity, write the closing date, then subtract: a week for the final read-through, two weeks for references, a month for documents that need an office to issue them.
Keep one folder of documents
Scan results, certificates and identity documents once, name them clearly and reuse them. Half of any application is the same paperwork.
Five carefully prepared applications beat fifteen rushed ones.
Read the eligibility line twice
Check the eligibility conditions before spending an evening on an application. A strong essay for a scholarship you cannot qualify for is an evening you will not get back.