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How to write a scholarship essay
Life is tough and with increasing tuition costs, many students rely on financial aid to continue college. One of those financial aids is the scholarships that you can apply for if you can demonstrate strong academic strength and be involved in your community.
However, your test scores, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work are not enough to ensure you get into your desired scholarship program. You must also write a great scholarship essay to wow the scholarship committee and get into your chosen college.
Steps to scholarship essay writing
How to write a scholarship essay? Here are some steps to follow:
1. Plan ahead
When it comes to scholarship applications, it’s important to plan ahead of time and never procrastinate. You want to have plenty of time to write your essay and then review and edit it.
2. Organize your thoughts
Before you start writing your scholarship essay, be sure to organize your thoughts. Think about the things you’ll be writing about, such as who you are and what your career goals are. Also, think about why you need the scholarship and how it can help you have a better life.
3. Know your target audience
When writing a typical essay, it’s always important to know your target audience. It’s the same with scholarship essays and in this case, your audience is the scholarship committee. You need to know their needs and expectations so you may write your scholarship essay according to them.
Take the time to research what their ideal applicant is. With the ideas you’ve organized before, your job is to adapt them to the committee’s vision without sacrificing yours. Perhaps it’s a great idea to read the scholarship essays of previous winners to get a better sense of what the scholarship committee looks for.
Here is a simple scholarship essay outline to help in your essay writing:
1. Introduction
In the introduction, state your full name and the name of the scholarship program you’re applying for. You may also state what quarter you are in at your high school. Be sure to start your scholarship essay in a way that effectively grabs the attention of your reader.
2. Educational and career goals
In this part of the scholarship essay writing, identify your major and explain why you chose that major. What do you plan to do when you get your degree? What career have you chosen? Consider writing only one career goal so you have enough word count to elaborate and talk about other things.
3. Brief background
In your scholarship essay, you should also talk about who you are, talking about your family members, what you do in your free time, your aspirations, and the things important to you. Insert some details about your hobbies, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work—anything that makes you stand out.
Of course, don’t forget your academic accomplishments. Mention your GPA, the courses you’ve taken, particularly the AP ones, organizations you are a member of, your part-time jobs, and more. All these will help the scholarship committee get a better sense of who you are and if you are deserving.
4. Why do you need the scholarship?
The next part of the scholarship essay is all about answering the question, “Why do you need a scholarship?” and “How will it make a difference in your life?” Elaborate how a scholarship will help you continue your school and achieve higher education for a better future.
5. Conclusion
The last part is of course the conclusion, a sentence or two to wrap up your scholarship essay. Don’t forget to thank the committee for the scholarship opportunities you’ve been given.
Common scholarship tips for essays
-Make sure to stick to the essay prompt you chose and answer what’s asked of you concisely and honestly.
-Learn more about the scholarship provider for inspiration, including the previous winners to know what to highlight in your essay.
-Brainstorm—create an outline, a road map, a list, etc. that can help you organize your thoughts before essay writing.
-Follow tried and tested writing format–intro, body, and a strong conclusion.
-Keep it specific, concise, and detailed with short sentences and simple, direct language.
-Make sure to follow the word limit, so if it says 300 words, stick to less than 300 words. Don’t go over the word limit or you will be disqualified.
Need help with scholarship essay?
Hire expertScholarship essay writing do’s and don’ts
When writing scholarship essays, here are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind:
Do’s
- Meaningful advice someone told you before
- Be specific in describing how the scholarship can help you
- Convey a positive message
- Use analogies, similes, and metaphors to tell your message
- Write in active voice
Don’ts
- Overuse famous quotes
- Describe things in a grandiose way
- Try to cover an entire subject
- Be cynic in your message in the essay
- Be overly idealistic
Scholarship essay examples and prompts
Here we have some short scholarship essay samples and prompts to guide you:
Example 1: Tell us about yourself
Growing up in a community where education is not deemed important is my biggest challenge in life. As someone who has always loved to learn, being told I don’t need to go to college is the worst thing that anyone could ever tell me. However, it’s not the end of the world for I am determined to change my fate and my situation.
Example 2: Goals I want to achieve in 10 years
My name is Adrienne Hadley, a freshman engineering student at Dartmouth College. My dream has always been to be a civil engineer, brought on by my love for design and architecture. Towering skyscrapers and bridges that connect places have always fascinated me, and I can’t wait for how I can play a vital role in shaping our world as a civil engineer. This scholarship would be the first step to making that dream come true.
Example 3: How will this scholarship help you?
My parents never had the chance to continue their education beyond elementary. They never had the chance to reach their full potential, do what they love, and make a difference in the world. As a child, it was the hardest thing for me to see them struggle and not be able to do anything. My dream is to change my life and that of my parents, and a scholarship that allows me to continue my education is the first step to that.
Example 4: What is something that left a big impact on your life?
I was 11 when my sister was born and I fell in love for the first time. I fell in love with this tiny bundle of dark hair and pale skin, the sister I always wanted being the sole daughter in a family of five. At 11 years old, I’ve seen the struggles my mother faces every day as a woman and when I look at my sister’s face, I know she’ll face the same unless I break that cycle. I will break that cycle beginning with this scholarship.
Writing can be daunting, but this guide on how to write a scholarship essay can be a great help. Stick to our advice and ideally, you’ll be able to craft a great scholarship essay that will show how deserving you are for the opportunity to study in your dream school.
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