Scholarship teams often outgrow spreadsheets once applications, reviewer notes, eligibility rules, and award communications begin moving in different directions. SmarterSelect is one of the platforms built to bring that process into a single online workflow, especially for schools, foundations, associations, and nonprofits managing scholarships, grants, fellowships, or awards.

TLDR: SmarterSelect is a scholarship and application management platform focused on configurable forms, reviewer workflows, applicant communication, and reporting. It is best suited for organizations that need a simpler way to collect and score applications without building a custom system. For example, a foundation receiving 700 scholarship applications per year could reduce manual email follow-ups by using automated status updates, eligibility questions, and reviewer assignments. Pricing is not usually listed publicly, so organizations should compare quotes with alternatives such as Submittable, AwardSpring, SurveyMonkey Apply, and Blackbaud Award Management.

What Is SmarterSelect?

SmarterSelect is an online application management system designed to help organizations collect, review, score, and manage scholarship or grant applications. Instead of relying on email attachments, shared folders, and spreadsheet tracking, administrators can create digital forms, assign reviewers, monitor applicant progress, and export data for reporting.

The platform is often used by organizations that run recurring application cycles. This includes community foundations, universities, school districts, professional associations, nonprofits, and corporate giving programs. Its main value is that it centralizes the application lifecycle, from submission to decision-making.

Key SmarterSelect Features

SmarterSelect includes many of the core tools expected from modern scholarship management software. While exact functionality may vary depending on the plan or configuration, its most important features generally include the following:

• Custom online applications: Administrators can build forms with questions, file uploads, instructions, and required fields.
• Eligibility screening: Application logic can help filter candidates based on criteria such as GPA, location, field of study, income level, or membership status.
• Reviewer management: Organizations can assign applications to internal or external reviewers and collect scores in one place.
• Scoring rubrics: Structured evaluation forms help reviewers score candidates consistently.
• Applicant communication: Teams can send status updates, reminders, and decision notifications from within the platform.
• Document collection: Applicants can upload transcripts, recommendation letters, essays, financial documents, or other supporting materials.
• Reporting and exports: Administrators can export application data for board review, audits, compliance, or institutional records.
• Multi-program management: Organizations running several scholarships or awards can manage multiple forms and review processes.

SmarterSelect User Experience

SmarterSelect is generally positioned as a practical and accessible option rather than an overly complex enterprise system. Its appeal lies in helping nontechnical administrators create and manage application workflows without needing a developer for every change.

For applicants, the experience typically involves creating an account, completing an online form, uploading documents, and submitting before the deadline. For reviewers, the process usually includes logging in, reviewing assigned applications, scoring them against criteria, and submitting comments.

For administrators, the central dashboard is the most important part of the system. It allows teams to see how many applications are in progress, how many have been submitted, which reviewers have completed evaluations, and where bottlenecks may exist.

SmarterSelect Pricing

SmarterSelect pricing is not typically displayed publicly in a simple fixed-price table. Like many scholarship management platforms, pricing may depend on factors such as the number of programs, application volume, users, reviewers, support requirements, and advanced features.

Organizations should expect to request a quote or schedule a demo to receive accurate pricing. This can be a drawback for teams that prefer transparent, self-service pricing. However, quote-based pricing can also be useful when an organization needs a plan tailored to its application volume and workflow complexity.

When evaluating cost, scholarship administrators should consider more than the annual subscription fee. Important pricing questions include:

• Are there limits on the number of applications or programs?
• Are reviewer accounts included or billed separately?
• Is onboarding or implementation included?
• Does the platform charge for support, training, or data migration?
• Are renewals, archives, or reporting tools included?

A small nonprofit managing one scholarship may need a very different package from a university department handling 50 funds and thousands of applicants. Because of that, comparing total cost of ownership is more useful than comparing only the base subscription price.

Pros and Cons of SmarterSelect

Pros

• Purpose-built for applications: It supports scholarship, grant, award, and fellowship workflows better than generic form tools.
• Centralized review process: Scores, comments, files, and application details can be kept in one system.
• Configurable forms: Teams can adjust applications for different programs and eligibility requirements.
• Reduced manual tracking: Automated workflows can reduce the need for spreadsheets and email chains.

Cons

• Pricing transparency may be limited: Organizations usually need to request a quote.
• May require setup time: Complex programs with multiple rules and reviewers may need careful configuration.
• Not always ideal for very large enterprise needs: Institutions with deep integrations or advanced fund management requirements may prefer a larger enterprise platform.

Best SmarterSelect Alternatives

SmarterSelect is not the only option in the scholarship management market. The best alternative depends on budget, application volume, internal technical skills, and whether the organization needs simple form collection or a full enterprise scholarship ecosystem.

1. Submittable

Submittable is a popular platform for grants, scholarships, awards, publishing submissions, and social impact programs. It offers strong workflow tools, review management, communication features, and reporting. It is often a good choice for organizations that manage multiple submission-based programs beyond scholarships.

2. AwardSpring

AwardSpring is designed specifically for scholarship management. It is commonly used by colleges, universities, and foundations that need matching, donor reporting, reviewer workflows, and scholarship administration. It may be a stronger fit for organizations that need deeper scholarship-specific automation.

3. SurveyMonkey Apply

SurveyMonkey Apply supports applications, grants, scholarships, and awards. It is known for configurable workflows and broad use across different industries. Organizations already familiar with survey-style tools may find it approachable, though pricing and features should be reviewed carefully.

4. Blackbaud Award Management

Blackbaud Award Management is often used by higher education institutions and organizations already within the Blackbaud ecosystem. It can be a strong option for universities that need donor fund management, student matching, and integration with advancement or financial systems.

5. OpenWater

OpenWater is commonly used for awards, abstract submissions, scholarships, and review programs. It offers flexible judging workflows and event-related submission tools, making it suitable for associations and organizations that run competitions as well as scholarships.

6. Good Grants

Good Grants focuses on grant, scholarship, and awards management with a clean interface and structured review process. It can be a good alternative for smaller teams that want a modern submission and evaluation platform.

Who Should Consider SmarterSelect?

SmarterSelect is a strong candidate for organizations that need to replace manual application tracking with a dedicated online system. It is especially relevant for teams that collect essays, transcripts, recommendations, financial documents, and reviewer scores every year.

It may be a good fit for:

• Small to mid-sized foundations managing annual scholarship cycles
• Schools or districts collecting student award applications
• Nonprofits administering grants or fellowships
• Associations running member awards or professional development funds
• Organizations that need reviewer scoring without building custom software

However, teams that require advanced integrations, complex fund accounting, or highly customized enterprise workflows should compare SmarterSelect with larger platforms before committing.

Final Verdict

SmarterSelect is a practical scholarship management solution for organizations that want to simplify application collection, review, scoring, and communication. Its biggest strengths are its purpose-built workflows, configurable forms, reviewer tools, and ability to reduce manual administration.

The main limitation is pricing visibility. Since costs are generally quote-based, organizations should request a demo, define their program requirements, and compare at least two or three alternatives. For many scholarship providers, SmarterSelect can be a strong middle-ground option: more structured than basic forms and spreadsheets, but potentially less complex than large enterprise systems.

FAQ

What is SmarterSelect used for?

SmarterSelect is used to manage online applications for scholarships, grants, awards, fellowships, and similar programs. It helps organizations collect submissions, assign reviewers, score applications, and communicate with applicants.

Is SmarterSelect only for scholarships?

No. While it is commonly used for scholarship management, it can also support grants, awards, recognition programs, and other application-based processes.

Does SmarterSelect publish pricing?

SmarterSelect pricing is generally not presented as a simple public pricing table. Organizations usually need to request a quote based on their application volume, number of programs, users, and required features.

What are the best SmarterSelect alternatives?

Common alternatives include Submittable, AwardSpring, SurveyMonkey Apply, Blackbaud Award Management, OpenWater, Good Grants, and other application management platforms.

Is SmarterSelect good for small nonprofits?

It can be a good option for small nonprofits if the cost fits the budget and the organization needs structured application and review workflows. Very small programs with only a few applicants may find simpler form tools sufficient.

What should an organization ask during a SmarterSelect demo?

It should ask about pricing, application limits, reviewer access, onboarding, support, reporting, data exports, integrations, renewal costs, and how easily forms can be changed between application cycles.