Writing an interesting piece for your essay writing scholarships applications will not come naturally because the prompts do not ask for any particular style of writing. It is up to the applicant to tie in the focus points into their essay.
The scholarship essay is without a doubt the most demanding component of any scholarship application. You do not need to be an expert writer to put down a compelling piece. Actually, with scholarship essay writing services available, the key to your education is closer than you think. The secret to getting your essay noticed is to make it outstanding. Here are 5 tips that will make your scholarship essay stand out
While it is important to project yourself in a manner that makes the scholarship panel see you for whom you are, scholarship applicants must familiarize themselves with the awarding agent as well. What is their core business? What are their inclinations? Think of the impact your essay about an incident where you exercised LGBTQ intolerance at the workplace would have on a scholarship board of pro-LGBTQ.
A scholarship essay is as diverse as a cover letter when you are applying for a job. Admission experts have deemed it acceptable for scholarship applicants to use a single essay several times provided it is customized for each application. If your essay is in line with the core mission of the awarding institution and aligns with the prompt, use it.
Be specific and make it personal
You might be a helpful person but just stating that you have impacted the lives of other people will not get your scholarship essay noticed. Your reader will be pleased to read a story that portrays this trait. Tell it in a way that demonstrates obstacles, your struggles to exercise your passion and eventually how you succeeded. It is also a good idea to mention an express change of mindset brought about by some of your personal experiences.
Essay scholarships advocate for personal representation in essay contents but without being heavily opinionated. It is best to know your reader beforehand and based on their ideologies
Everyone loves story time. Think of the many times you have sat in front of your TV screen glued to a movie or program because you are curious as to what happens next. Your scholarship essay will stand out if you structure it in a way that makes the reader want to know more. Start the essay with a catchy phrase that states a shocking fact or declares finality. Your reader will naturally want to know why you arrive at what you stated or how your perspective in life is after what you have been through.
Debt.org notes on scholarships for students: “Each year, an estimated $46 billion in grants and scholarship money is awarded by the U.S. Department of Education and the nation’s colleges and universities. In addition, about $3.3 billion in gift aid is awarded by private sources, including individuals, foundations, corporations, churches, nonprofit groups, civic societies, veterans groups, professional groups, service clubs, unions, chambers of commerce, associations and many other organizations.”
Additionally, keep an eye out for grammatical mistakes, such as missing or too many commas, misspellings, or other typos. If you notice repetitive words, utilize a thesaurus to find acceptable replacements. Once you’ve gone through your essay, you can submit it as is, or you can follow the optional next step.
Once you’ve completed your first draft, you should take a break from writing. Go outside and take a walk, or spend some time cleaning — anything to help you get your mind off the essay so that you can return later with fresh eyes. If you find it hard not to think about the essay, wait a day (or even a few days) before coming back to reread it.
The scholarship essay varies depending on the requests of the organization granting the essay. It may require a specific word count, or be based on a prompt. Whatever the requirements are, it is essential to follow the guidelines presented in order to qualify for the scholarship. Preparing your essay is like writing a resume for financial aid, and depending on which scholarship you’re applying for, the competition may be anywhere from minimal to fierce. It’s important to write an essay that can stand out amongst the crowd of applicants.
What Is a Scholarship Essay?
Brainstorming is an important step to ensure your idea fits with the prompt and properly expresses what you are trying to communicate through your essay. You also want to make sure that you express what is meaningful and relevant about yourself that can help your essay stand out from all the others.
When you originally brainstormed your essay topic, you should have been able to narrow down your topic to just a few key points that you could communicate and cover in detail. As you fully flesh out your essay, you should ensure that you stay focused on these core ideas. Try not to ramble or get side tracked. Every sentence in your essay should be related in some way to one of your core ideas. If it’s not, delete it or rewrite the sentence so that it does relate.
Additionally, outlines can help you properly format your scholarship essay. Here are some essential tips for your scholarship essay format:
New York University College of Arts and Science $39,500 Scholarship by Ana
“If you can’t live off of it, it is useless.” My parents were talking about ice skating: my passion. I started skating as a ten-year-old in Spain, admiring how difficulty and grace intertwine to create beautiful programs, but no one imagined I would still be on the ice seven years and one country later. Even more unimaginable was the thought that ice skating might become one of the most useful parts of my life.I was born in Mexico to two Spanish speakersPro Tip: Write a great college essay and re-use it when writing scholarship essays for similar prompts.
Prompt: Please explain how your experience volunteering and participating in community service has shaped your perspective on humanity. Elaborate on how these experiences have influenced your future ambitions and career choice.
Scholarship Essay Example #3
Millennium Gates Last Dollar Scholarship and $3,500 in Outside Scholarship Essay Examples by Famyrah Lafortune
Prompt: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela. Describe a change you would like to make in the world. Tell us about how you would plan to make that change, and what obstacles you might encounter along the way. * (No more than 400 words)
The three things that are important to me are my family, being successful, and leaving a legacy. As a result of my past, I keep these three crucial things at the forefront of my mind every day to help myself be successful.Above all, my family is the most important thing in my life. The meaning of family may differ for everyone, but for me, my family is life. I almost died in the 2010 Haitian earthquake, as Jacmel was one of the worst damaged areas, had it not been for my grandmother and my mom. Later, if it was not for my uncle, my mom would not have been able to come to America to give me a better life. Without my family, I wouldn’t be here. I am forever indebted to their sacrifices, and I am so grateful that I have their eternal love and support.Success is also very important to me. I hope to accomplish many things in my life, but most importantly, I would like to make my family proud so that they know that all of their sacrifices were worth it. Success to me is having a career that I love and allows me to help my family members financially. I hope to no longer experience hardships such as homelessness, poverty, and economic difficulties, as I had in my young life.Ultimately, however, I would like to grow into someone who is loved and remembered by people who aren’t my immediate family members and my friends. I do not wish to be glorified, but I want to be more than a nonentity in this big, vast world. I hope that if I can inspire the change that I want to make, I can leave a legacy that continues to influence and shape the landscape that follows me. After coming to the epiphany that if I died today, nothing would change except for the lives of those extremely close to me, I find myself unwilling to be just another Jane Doe. I want to leave a part of myself behind, whether it is a building or a popular hashtag, that is meaningful and permanent once I die.
Here’s an essay that describes a failure (which I’ve highlighted in bold below so you won’t miss it) that was written using the resources above:
Being the school “tampon fairy” (restocking school bathrooms with tampons and condoms)
Heads-up: this prompt won’t always be phrased precisely like this, but the mini guide I’m about to share will work for most any sports-related prompt.
Approach #2: Explain your financial situation in detail, then end with 1-3 sentences saying how you’ll use the scholarship money. (We’ll call this the “Financial Details” approach.)
The “How have you contributed to your community/community service?” Essay
Shadowing OB/GYN at a nearby hospital and seeing woman receive postpartum exam
Then she focused on one smaller theme/value per paragraph (culture for first paragraph, finding connections among the dissimilar for the second paragraph, etc.).
Use the Great College Essay Test to see how your essay might be improved, then revise as needed until your essay is solid.
Why am I sending you to those links instead of spelling it out here? Because there isn’t, as far as I can tell, a short and simple way to describe to you how to express your uniqueness . besides the process that I’ve spent the past 15 years developing and have summarized in neat, bite-sized chunks at the links above. (And if you’re not sure which guide I mean, it’s this one.) Plus, if I’d listed all that content here it would’ve made this blog post like 2-3 times as long and it’s already pretty long.
Instead, what if you started off your essay with something like this:
Next, we’ll look at a specific example of how you can open up your essay. Let’s say you are applying for the Questbridge scholarship program. One of the essays that you will be asked is:
No matter what type of essay you are writing, you will want to ensure that the very first line grabs the attention of the reader. One of the biggest mistakes that students make when starting their essay is simply restating the prompt. This is bland and boring.
Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut.
Scholarship essay introduction example
Alternatively, you can choose to start your essay by placing the reader right in your shoes and show them something from your life. Appeal to the senses and show the reader what you see, hear, smell, or taste. These specific details will help your essay come to life and make it even more memorable.
“I have grown up in a rural context and this has formed my aspirations and allowed me to accomplish academic success…”
Makes a big difference, right? As a reader, you are probably wondering: why does this person have chickens outside their bedroom window? Why did they name this particular chicken Henry?
You might be tempted to rephrase the question and start your essay with something like:
