Your outline should read like a barebones argument for why you deserve this scholarship and how your idea relates to the prompt given. Once you start writing the essay in full, you can fill in more of the details needed to explain your point, or to describe yourself and your situation.
Scholarships on the other hand are often awarded based on merit. They may require that students meet (and sustain) a specific GPA in school, or that students with athletic excellence join the college’s sports team. Most scholarships will have rules that recipients are required to follow in order to continue to qualify for that scholarship. Many scholarships are funded by colleges, private organizations or donors, and some state or local programs.
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.
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.
Take a Break
Your scholarship essay is going to be your primary (and sometimes sole) form of communication with the organization granting the scholarship. That’s why it’s so important to communicate directly and clearly through your essay in order to attract their attention and garner their support. Here are some additional tips to help you better communicate your intentions through your scholarship essay:
One of the best ways to start constructing and organizing an essay is to create a comprehensive outline. They serve as an essential tool to help you avoid structural mistakes, repetition, and to help you cover all your bases and ideas without rambling.
- Your outline should have a logical order that flows from:
- Introduction that ends with a thesis or idea
- Explanation that supports and proves your thesis
- Conclusion that reiterates your argument and thesis
- Properly format your article by following instructions, or (as a general rule) write using:
- 12 point font
- Times New Roman, Arial, Courier, Helvetica, or Georgia font (whatever is standard on your preferred writing system, nothing too stylized)
- Double spaced
- 1 inch to 1 ½ inch margins
- If there is no required word or page count, as a general rule, aim for ¾ to 1 full page in length.
- Be sure to include your name and the name of the scholarship you are applying for near the top of the page (either as a header or simply above the optional title).
But how can you take advantage of this $49.3 billion dollar (and growing) pool of grants and scholarships? Scholarships require either proof of academic excellence or that students meet a financial threshold, as well as completion of an application and, usually, a scholarship essay. Just as some colleges and universities require an entrance essay to apply, many scholarships also require an essay along with the application.
In general, spending time away from your work can help you clear your mind. When you do come back, you may be more likely to notice mistakes or see gaps which require elaboration. For any essay you write, this is always a helpful tip.
One of the best ways to start constructing and organizing an essay is to create a comprehensive outline. They serve as an essential tool to help you avoid structural mistakes, repetition, and to help you cover all your bases and ideas without rambling.
Through your writing you should also be revealing some of your motivations pertaining to why you’re going to school and why you’re seeking out this scholarship. Discuss how you will become an effective student in the coming years, and how you’ll make good use of the money you may be awarded. You may have more freedom to write about yourself in detail for some scholarship prompts, and less of the same freedom for others. Use your discretion.
Grant vs Scholarship
Your outline should read like a barebones argument for why you deserve this scholarship and how your idea relates to the prompt given. Once you start writing the essay in full, you can fill in more of the details needed to explain your point, or to describe yourself and your situation.
Additionally, outlines can help you properly format your scholarship essay. Here are some essential tips for your scholarship essay format:
Both grants and scholarships may require an accompanying essay with the application, although there are some rare cases of scholarships and grants that don’t require essays and are easier to obtain. Be cautious of fraudulent scholarships or online scams associated with “easy to obtain scholarships”, as they are becoming increasingly common online.
You’ll get your high quality plagiarism-free paper according to your deadline! No Bullshit!!
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.
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.
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
Published by Boni on February 1, 2021 February 1, 2021
A general account of events is easy to forget but when you talk about your own experiences, the message is much more impactful. Linking the content of the essay to your own life gives it a feeling of authenticity that compels the reader to empathize with the writer. Just imagine sitting in a panel reading through thousands of essays – wouldn’t you be drawn from your boredom by that one essay that reveals the vulnerability of an individual? It is even better when the essay is personal in a way that insinuates that the applicant has reconciled with their past life experiences – the more dramatic, the better.
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.
For the thousands of college level applicants who lack a sustainable source of funding for their studies, scholarships remain their best option. Well, knowing that a scholarship is on offer is one thing and actually landing it is another. Honestly, applying for a scholarship can be a daunting experience
I live in the suburb of Los Angeles, California, known to its residents as the bubble. It has the perfect weather, location, and schools. As amazing as it sounds, however, growing up in La Cañada Flintridge has its drawbacks: the community pressures adolescents to achieve success through mainly academic means. While this approach isn’t necessarily wrong, it can be difficult, particularly in my high school, to thrive in a creative and imaginative way.Sophomore year, my friends and I began to wonder, What if the teenagers of La Cañada had greater opportunities to express themselves. To pursue their creativity. To follow their dreams.That’s when we decided to start the Catalyzing Creativity Club. Founded two years ago, the Catalyzing Creativity Club (C3, for short), provides students in our community the opportunity to pursue their passion and aspirations outside the classroom. Some of our opportunities include: a yearly music festival for our community’s young aspiring musicians that showcases local talent to the masses and scoutsLike the authors in the essays above, you might begin with a question that you will explore for the rest of the essay. This question keeps us engaged.
Here’s a great example of a student who wrote a personal statement that shows their uniqueness:
This essay also follows pretty closely the Feelings and Needs structure. The main need this author identified was freedom, and she highlights this theme in the beginning (when she describes feeling trapped), middle (when she describes exploring Europe), and end (when she describes her desire to work for the liberation of herself and others).
The “Why do you want to study/pursue [X]" Essay
I believe the difference between a boring essay and a stand-out essay is this:
Elementary school: Getting my first dinosaur toy and reading dinosaur books
Achievements: Some accolades (like winning a local or state tournament) are more common than others (like being the only female on your wrestling team, for example, or playing for a national team).
The essay example for the “failure” prompt (above) would have worked great for this prompt as well, as that author had his belief—that “every life matters”—challenged.
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)
Prompt: The Fund for Education Abroad is committed to diversifying education abroad by providing funding to students who are typically under-represented in study abroad. Please describe how you and/or your plans for study abroad could be viewed as under-represented.
Why? Combining essay prompts will not only save you time, it’ll actually result in a better essay.
Change a Life Foundation Scholarship Essay Examples by Isabella Mendez-Figueroa
Scholarship Essay Example #7
Questbridge Finalist essay earning $3,000 in application waivers plus $3000 in local scholarships by Jordan Sanchez
“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 speakersPrompt: Please explain a personal hardship or catastrophic life event that you have experienced. How did you manage to overcome this obstacle? What did you learn and how did you grow from it? This answer is critical to your application as Change a Life Foundation’s vision is to assist individuals who have persevered and overcome a hardship/catastrophic life event.
New York University College of Arts and Science $39,500 Scholarship by Ana
