There is a popular misconception that no one actually reads your scholarship essay– Wrong!
Your essay is the key to your scholarship application. It is an opportunity to demonstrate to the scholarship committee that you are a well-rounded individual, that you are more than your GPA, and that you are a strong writer. It gives you a chance to talk about your experiences and qualifications in greater detail than what appears on your resume or transcripts.
Writing a scholarship essay can be very difficult. Your essay will need to speak directly to the goals of that organization, as well as the objectives of that award. You cannot submit the same essay for different applications; it is not a one-size-fits-all. Most essays will need to be tweaked or completely rewritten to show the reader that you are deserving of the award beyond any of the other participants who also applied.
Here are some tips to help you write a better scholarship essay so that your application does not end as that – application. But to get you the money to fund your international education.
1: Read the Essay Prompt Thoroughly
Many schools and other organizations that give out scholarships will give you a “prompt” or a question that the essay is supposed to address. Read the prompt carefully and try to “read between the lines.” For example, the prompt you are to answer might be, “Describe a book that made a lasting impression on you and your life and why?” Ask yourself, “Are they really interested in my literary preferences or is there something more to this question?” More than likely, they want to get a better idea of who you are – not only the types of books you like but also what motivates you and what sorts of stories or topics interest you. They may also be interested in getting a sense of how promising a student you are based on the type of book you choose and what you have to say about it.
Always keep in mind that any scholarship essay question should demonstrate your interests, background, and most importantly, highlight the experiences you’ve had that fit with the goals and mission of the funding organization. If you’re not clear about the prompt or have questions, feel free to contact the funding organization and ask for clarification.
2: Make a List of Important Points and Keywords
It is important that you make sure to include important and relevant information about your experiences and background that makes you an ideal candidate for the scholarship award. You could first research the organization or school to which you’re applying and try to find their mission statement on their website. Make sure to include those buzzwords from the mission statement in your essay. Scholarship committees are not only looking for good students, they are often looking for a person that fits their organizational goals. You should gather your other application materials such as transcripts and resumes so you can review your qualifications as well as make note of what is missing in these materials that needs to be included in the essay.
Your list of important points to make might also include:
- Any academic awards or other honors you’ve won.
- Any AP or college-level courses you took in high school.
- Any outside courses, internships, or other academic experiences that won’t necessarily appear on your transcript.
- How your experience and the mission of the funding organization match.
- What you plan to major in during college and how you think that major will be useful to your future career goals.
- Any special training or knowledge you have, or a project you completed in school or as an extracurricular activity.
- An example of how you overcame a challenge.
- Your financial circumstances that make it necessary for you to finance your studies through scholarship money.
3: Write an Outline or a Rough Draft
Not everyone likes to make an outline before they begin writing, but it can be very helpful. You can start with your list of important points to begin writing the outline. For many, telling a story is the easiest and most effective way to write a scholarship essay. You can tell the story of how you found your favorite book, and how it has changed and inspired you. Start with large headings in your outline that describe the basic storyline.
4: Write a Strong Statement that Summarizes Your Points
Include one strong thesis statement that summarizes all the major points you will make in your essay. It is often easy to start writing with this simple statement. Your essay doesn’t have to begin or end with the thesis statement, but it should appear somewhere in order to tie all the individual sections together. For example, your thesis statement might be, “You will find that various experiences from both my academic career and my personal life align very well with your organization’s mission: shaping community leaders who are working towards a more just and sustainable world.” Starting with this sentence can help you organize your thoughts and main points, and provide you with a direction for your essay. When you’ve finished your essay, be sure to reflect back on your thesis statement.
5: Fill in the Missing Parts
Now that you have a thesis statement, an outline, and a list of important points to include, you can begin to fill in the missing parts of your story. The first sentence is particularly important: it should capture the attention of the reader, and motivate him or her to continue reading. You could start your story by painting a vivid picture of an experience about which you will be talking in the essay.
6: Rewrite, Revise, Rewrite
A good writer rewrites and revises his or her work many, many times. After getting a first draft on paper, take a day or two away from the essay and then come back to it with fresh eyes. This helps t have a new view of your essay and make necessary corrections. Make appropriate edits for content, and pay attention to proper spelling and grammar. If need be, you might want to write an entirely new draft and then integrate the best of both into a final draft. Writing a new draft can inspire you to think of new ideas or a better way to tell your story.
Important tips:
- Make sure it sounds like your voice. You want the scholarship committee to feel like they are getting to know you. If you don’t sound authentic, the committee will know. It is better to be yourself than to say what you think the committee wants to hear. PS: Never copy your essay online.
- Strike a balance between modesty and arrogance. You should be proud of your accomplishments, but you don’t want to sound arrogant. Don’t exaggerate a story; instead, be clear about what you did and the impact it had.
- Check to make sure you are answering the prompt and fulfilling all other requirements of the essay as directed by the committee, such as font preference and word count limits.
- Don’t just list your accomplishments; describe them in detail and tell the reader how you felt during these experiences.
- A scholarship essay is not a dissertation. You don’t need to impress the committee with big words, especially if you’re not completely clear if you’re using them correctly. Simplicity and clarity should be the goals.
- Make sure your essay will be read from the beginning to the end. Committee members won’t dedicate much time to reading the essay, so you need to make sure they are given the motivation to read the entire thing. If you are telling a story, don’t reveal the end of the story until the end.
- Check to make sure the buzzwords from the mission statement appear. It is easy to forget the scholarship committee’s goals as you write. Return to their mission statement and look for spots to place keywords from the statement. However, be sure that you’re not copying the mission statement word-for-word.
7: Have someone else read your essay
You could give your essay to a teacher or college admissions counselor who is familiar with scholarship essays and the college admission process. If such a person is not available, anyone with good reading and writing skills can help make your essay better. Having one or two editors go over your draft is very important for any essay you write. After having the editors look over your draft, it is time again to revise and rewrite.
8: Refine the Final Draft
Once you feel satisfied with the draft, review it one more time and pay particular attention to structure, spelling, grammar, and whether you fulfilled all the required points dictated by the committee. If you are over the required word count, you will need to make edits so that you are within the limit. If you are significantly under the word count, consider adding a supporting paragraph.
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