Scholarship Essay

How to write a Scholarship Essay

The Essay should clearly define

your present and future goals and your dedication towards

them. The Essay should give a clear

impressions of your personality and the person asking for a

scholarship; and hence you’ll want to make sure that your

scholarship essay is the best it can possibly be.

Some essays will have a specific format to follow. If so, follow the format instructions. Otherwise, a general rule book to write a

good essay should do the trick.

General Essay Format- Hamburger writing

Divide the essay into 4-5 clear paragraphs First Paragraph – An Introduction. This is an

important part of the essay considering the fact that reviewer may not even have ample time to go through the whole essay. Hence a solid start.

Second Paragraph – or Reasons why YOU are the BEST candidate.

Third Paragraph – or your FUTURE goals. Here you need to be specific about What is the highest degree you plan to achieve? How do you plan to use your education to achieve career

goals? Fourth Paragraph – or the conclusion. This part

should bring it all together and make your essay look finished and complete .

Introduction

The first sentence of your scholarship application is your

first, best and possibly only chance to capture your reader's

attention from the start.

To have the best chance at winning scholarships, you need to know

how to start your essay off right.

Put it in your own words

Avoid clichés and tired phrases

Establish a personal

connection

Say something

new

Know your audience

The following are some tips to help you craft an eye-catching introduction that gets your application the attention it deserves:

Intent and Audience

1. WHAT to talk and WHO your are talking to – should be the primary areas of focus.

2. Evaluating the reviewers of the application and closely assessing the past recipients of the scholarship should help in a big way.

3. A personal connect in the essay , like a memoir or a gripping experience , goes a long way in making a lasting impression.

Highlighting your Accomplishments

Sometimes the hardest part of writing a scholarship essay is getting comfortable with highlighting your accomplishments.

You need to BRAG , Brag and Brag some more, in order to convince the committee that you should receive the scholarship instead of the

other applicants.

Choice of words is very important. Give concrete examples that reflect your

character and your strengths.

Steps that will help you achieve that:

1. Conduct an inventory of all your accomplishments, personal strengths and future goals. This process will help you organize your thoughts and structure your essay in a chronological order. It will also help you describe your strengths in such a way that will “grab” the readers’ attention making them want to continue reading.

2. Develop a list of your volunteer activities and your leadership experience.

3. Think about a problem you have faced and write down how you were able to overcome the problem.

4. Put in writing your career goals.

Educational Objectives and Career Goals

Identify your major

Explain why you selected it

How will this degree impact your career

Why do you need a scholarship

How will it make a difference to you

Conclusion

Wrap it up with a couple of sentences.

Begin by restating what makes you the best candidate for the scholarship. Then explain how you will benefit from the scholarship and how this scholarship will help you to continue towards achieving your goals.

Finally, thank the scholarship committee for the opportunity to be considered for the scholarship.

Scholarship Essay - Do’s & Don’ts

Do’s Follow the prompt and other

instructions exactly. Be clear and concise with one central

thought . Research the organization and make

sure you understand their mission and values.

Focus on your strengths and turn in any problems or weaknesses into a success story.

Use actual, detailed examples from your own life to backup your claims and arguments as to why you should receive the scholarship.

Proofread several times before finally submitting your essay.

Don’ts Use words from a thesaurus that are

new to you. You may end up using the word incorrectly and that will make your writing awkward. Keep it simple and straightforward.

Reiterate what is already stated on your resume. Choose additional, unique stories to tell to the scholarship committee.

Write a generic essay for every application. Adapt your personal statement for each individual scholarship application.

A Valuable Takeaway

The key to writing a successful application, aside from the obvious things like grammar, structure, organization, and professionalism, is the element of being able to transfer your experiences from your life onto paper in a meaningful way to best display your value

Thank You