best ways to start a scholarship essay

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How to Start a Scholarship Essay

Last Updated: April 20, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 96,102 times.

College scholarships can be incredibly competitive and most of them have an essay component. While you may dread writing these essays, they're nothing to fear—the scholarship committee just wants to know a little more about you. With a strong introduction that hooks your reader, you're halfway there! But how do you start a scholarship essay? Here, you'll find some great ideas for how to start, along with some general writing strategies that you can carry through to the rest of your essay.

Sample Introduction and Template

Include the 3 key elements of an introduction.

• A great intro sentence could be something like, "I never thought I'd have to raise my siblings," or, "On April 7, 1997, my life completely changed."
• Your overview sentences could go on to say, "My parents struggled to look after us, so I become the only constant in my brothers' lives. I had to grow up fast, but I also learned a lot about myself in the process."
• Your thesis statement might look like this, "I realized that I have a lot to offer and I'm starting a career in social work. This scholarship will give me the financial support that I need to start my educational journey."

Open with an element of surprise.

• For example, you might write: "If you looked at my parents' mantle, overflowing with trophies and medals, you'd probably conclude that I was an athlete. But what you wouldn't know is that I was born with only one leg."

Compare yourself to the scholarship's namesake.

• For example, you might write: "Mary Lewis dedicated her life to improving her community with public vegetable gardens. Last year, I worked with fellow disabled students to create a sustainable vegetable garden at our school that was accessible to others with disabilities."

Raise a question.

• For example, you might write: "For the past 4 years, I've volunteered with my local hospice. Why would a healthy, athletic young woman want to volunteer with people who are dying? Because I, too, have faced death. I know what it's like to be told you only have a few days to live."

Set the scene dramatically.

• For example, suppose you're writing an essay about rescuing an injured dog and how that made you decide to become a veterinarian. You might write: "I could smell him before I saw him. Small and frail, he limped toward me. His fur was matted and he trembled. His large eyes were full of fear. He pleaded with me for help."

Include quotes with caution.

• For example, you might write: "Nevertheless, she persisted." I never really understood the meaning of that rallying cry until, at 14 years old, I stood in front of the principal of my school to speak on behalf of myself and other disabled students."

Use buzzwords from the essay prompt.

Include a roadmap of your essay.

• For example, you might write: "My compassion for and special connection to animals spurred me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine." Then, in your essay, you would provide an instance that demonstrated your compassion and another that demonstrated that special connection.
• Your roadmap doesn't necessarily have to be a "spoiler." For example, if the prompt is to "discuss a book or experience that made you want to be a writer," you might write: "While I'd always loved reading, I never considered writing stories myself until my 7th grade English teacher gave me a book for an extra-credit report." In your essay, you would then go on to discuss the report and name the book. [11] X Research source

Close your introduction with your thesis statement.

• For example, if the prompt is to describe what sparked your interest in veterinary medicine, your thesis might be: "My experience rehabilitating stray dogs sparked my interest in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine."

Write in your own voice.

• Focus on standing out, not writing like everyone else. Although you can look at samples of other winning scholarship essays to get ideas, make sure the words in your essay are your own.
• Your own perspective is key. For example, if you're a person of color, don't try to "whitewash" your essay. Scholarship committees like diversity, so if you try to cover up your identity, you're only hurting yourself.

Make your sentences active and concise.

• For example, you might write: "I strive to demonstrate my passion for the environment every day. In my sophomore year, I started the recycling program at my school. As president of the environmental club, I teach fellow students what they can do to help save the world we live in."

Expert Q&A

• Have friends or family read your essay—they can give you tips on how to make it stronger. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Make your introduction short and sweet. The general rule is that the introduction should be about 10% of the total word count of your essay—this usually isn't many words! Most scholarship essay introductions only have 3-4 sentences. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Typos can ruin an otherwise beautiful essay! Make sure you proofread carefully. [16] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://scholarshipowl.com/blog/apply-for-scholarships/scholarship-essay-introduction/
• ↑ https://www.owens.edu/writing/scholarship/
• ↑ https://www.nitrocollege.com/blog/how-to-start-a-scholarship-essay
• ↑ https://www.thecollegemonk.com/blog/scholarship-essay-introduction
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/ways-to-make-your-scholarship-essay-stand-out
• ↑ https://www.internationalstudent.com/essay_writing/scholarship_essaysample/
• ↑ https://online.maryville.edu/blog/how-to-write-a-scholarship-essay/
• ↑ https://www.southuniversity.edu/news-and-blogs/2013/05/8trickstowritingstandoutscholarshipessays

About This Article

To start a scholarship essay, open with an interesting story, experience, or anecdote to draw your reader in. Then, connect your opening to the broader topic or question you'll be addressing throughout your essay. If you need some inspiration for a good introduction, read the essays written by the previous winners of the scholarship you're applying for. Just make sure you use your own voice and experiences to write your essay so it comes across as authentic. To learn how to conduct research for your scholarship essay before you write it, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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• How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example

How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example

Published on October 11, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

A good scholarship essay demonstrates the scholarship organization’s values while directly addressing the prompt. If you plan ahead , you can save time by writing one essay for multiple prompts with similar questions.

Table of contents

Apply for a wide variety of scholarships, make a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, tailor your essay to the organization and the prompt, write a focused and relevant personal story, scholarship essay example, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Scholarships are a type of student financial aid that don’t require repayment. They are awarded based on various factors, including academic merit, financial need, intended major, personal background, or activities and interests.

Like college applications, scholarship applications often require students to submit their grades, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and an essay.

A scholarship essay shares your values and qualities in the context of a specific question, such as “How does technology affect your daily life?” or “Who has had the greatest impact on your life?”

Be wary of scholarship scams

While some applications may not require an essay, be wary of scholarship scams that do the following:

• Guarantee you scholarship money for a fee
• Claim scholarship information is exclusive to their company
• Ask for your bank or credit card information to hold the scholarship

Some legitimate companies do charge for releasing comprehensive scholarship lists or creating a tailored list of scholarship opportunities based on your profile.

However, you can always discover scholarship opportunities for free through your school counselor, community network, or an online search.

Many students focus on well-known, large scholarship opportunities, which are usually very competitive. To maximize your chance of success, invest time in applying for a wide variety of scholarships: national and local, as well as big and small award amounts. There are also scholarships for international students .

In addition to charitable foundation and corporate scholarships, you should consider applying for institutional scholarships at your prospective universities, which can award money based on your application’s strength, your financial situation, and your demonstrated interest in the school.

Check with your guidance counselor, local organizations, community network, or prospective schools’ financial aid offices for scholarship opportunities. It’s a good idea to start applying as early as your junior year and continue throughout your senior year.

Choose the right scholarships for you

Choose scholarships with missions and essay topics that match your background, experiences, and interests. If the scholarship topic is meaningful to you, it will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay.

Don’t shy away from applying for local scholarships with small dollar amounts. Even a few hundred dollars can help you pay for books.

Local scholarships may be more tailored to your community, background, and activities, so they’re likely more relevant to you. Fewer students apply for these scholarships, so you have less competition and a higher chance of success.

Some places to look for local scholarships include

• Civic organizations, such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club, etc.
• Your church, mosque, synagogue, or place of worship
• Community groups, such as the YMCA
• Ethnicity-based organizations
• Your local library or local small businesses
• Organizations related to your intended major
• Your city or town
• Your school district
• Unions, such as SEIU, the Teamsters, CWA, etc.
• Your employer or your parents’ employers
• Banks, credit unions, and local financial institutions

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

While researching scholarship opportunities, create a scholarship tracker spreadsheet to keep track of the following:

• Scholarship amounts
• Required application materials

You can use our free Google Sheets template to track your scholarship applications.

Scholarship application tracker template

You can also include scholarship essay prompts in your college essay tracker sheet . By grouping or color-code overlapping essay prompts, you can plan to write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can also reuse or adapt your main college essay .

Even if you’re adapting another essay, it’s important to make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, stays within the word count limit , and demonstrates the organization’s values. The scholarship committee will be able to tell if you reuse an essay that doesn’t quite respond to the prompt, so be sure to tailor it to the questions asked.

Research each organization

Before writing, research the scholarship organization’s mission and reason for awarding the scholarship. Learning more about the organization can help you select an appropriate topic and relevant story.

While you should tailor your essay to the organization’s values, maintain your authentic voice. Never use false or exaggerated stories. If the organization’s values don’t align with yours or you can’t brainstorm a relevant story for the scholarship, continue searching for other scholarship opportunities to find a more appropriate one for you.

After researching the organization, identify a specific personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies why you will be a successful student.

Choose a story with the following criteria:

• Responds to the prompt
• Demonstrates the organization’s values
• Includes an authentic story
• Focuses on you and your experience, not someone else’s

A good scholarship essay is not

• A resume of your achievements
• A lengthy opinion piece about the essay topic
• An essay featuring a negative tone that puts down others

If appropriate, you can briefly address how the scholarship money will help you achieve your educational goals. You should also end with a brief thank-you.

Take a look at the full essay example below. Hover over the underlined parts to read explanations of why they work.

Prompt: Describe how working for Chelsea’s Chicken restaurant has developed leadership skills that will help you succeed in college. Give specific examples of leadership characteristics that you have exhibited during your employment with us.

As a nervous 16-year-old, I walked into Chelsea’s Chicken for my first day of work determined to make enough money to put gas in my car and buy pizza on the weekends. My only previous job was mowing my neighbors’ lawns when they were on vacation, so I had no idea what to expect. I was a bit intimidated by my new responsibilities, especially handling money and helping disgruntled customers.

However, it didn’t take me long to learn my way around the cash register and successfully address customer complaints. One day, Roger, the store manager, asked me if I wanted to join Chelsea’s Chicken Leadership Training Initiative. He said he saw leadership potential in me because of my attitude with the customers and my enthusiasm for learning new job responsibilities. It surprised me because I had never thought of myself as a leader, but I quickly agreed, and Roger handed me a three-ring binder that was thicker than my math and science textbooks put together! He told me to take it home and read over it during the following week.

In that binder, I discovered that being a leader means taking the initiative, especially when the job is undesirable. One week later, I got to practice that idea when a little kid threw up in the bathroom and missed the toilet. It smelled terrible, but I stepped forward and told Roger that I would clean it up. My coworkers thought I was crazy, but I started to believe in my leadership potential.

That night as we closed the store, Roger pulled me aside in the parking lot and told me that he could tell that I had been studying the manual. He wanted to give me more responsibility, along with a dollar-per-hour pay raise. I was surprised because I had been working there for only a couple of months, but his encouragement helped me make a connection: good leadership helps other people, and it often is rewarded. I was determined to experience more of both.

Within a month, I was ready to take the Team Leader exam, which mattered because I would receive a promotion and a much bigger raise if I passed. But, when I got to work, two of the scheduled team members had called in sick. We were noticeably short-handed, and our customers weren’t happy about it.

I walked back to the lockers, put on my vest and hat, and took my place behind an open register. Customers immediately moved into my line to place their orders. Roger looked at me with surprise and asked, “Did you forget that you’re testing tonight?” I responded, “No, sir—but what’s the use of taking a leadership test if you aren’t going to lead in real life?” Roger smiled at me and nodded.

He stayed late that night after we closed so that I could leave early and still take the test. I noticed that Roger was always staying late, helping employees learn new skills. His example taught me that leaders take the initiative to develop other leaders. He gave me a clear picture of what shared leadership looks like, making room for others to grow and excel. When I asked him where he learned to do that, he said, “From the same leadership manual I gave you!”

Chelsea’s Chicken has offered me so much more than a paycheck. Because of Roger’s example, I have learned to take the initiative to care for my family and friends, such as being the first to do the dishes without my mom asking or volunteering to pick up my friend for our SAT prep course. Now, as I prepare to enter college, I have confidence in my leadership ability. I know I’m signing up for a challenging major—Biology, Pre-Med—yet I also know that Chelsea’s Chicken has helped me to develop the perseverance required to complete my studies successfully.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

A scholarship essay requires you to demonstrate your values and qualities while answering the prompt’s specific question.

After researching the scholarship organization, identify a personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies how you will be a successful student.

Invest time in applying for various scholarships , especially local ones with small dollar amounts, which are likely easier to win and more reflective of your background and interests. It will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.

You can find scholarships through your school counselor, community network, or an internet search.

You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year. Continue applying throughout your senior year.

Yes, but make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, respects the word count , and demonstrates the organization’s values.

If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one scholarship essay for multiple prompts with similar questions. In a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, you can group or color-code overlapping essay prompts; then, write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can even reuse or adapt your main college essay .

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Courault, K. (2023, May 31). How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example. Scribbr. Retrieved August 19, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/college-essay/scholarship-essay/

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How To Write A Winning Scholarship Essay (with example)

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Scholarship essays are an inevitable part of most scholarship applications. Sadly, many qualified students see an essay requirement, think, “I’m not a good writer,” and decide not to apply. Don’t fall into that trap! Learn how to write a winning scholarship essay today!

As a former writing instructor, I know firsthand that anyone can write a winning scholarship essay if they devote the time and effort. Follow the steps below to write an excellent scholarship essay and dramatically increase your chances of winning scholarships!

Take your time

For most people, it’s not possible to write a stellar essay ten minutes before the application deadline. We recommend giving yourself a few hours to write the first draft of your scholarship essay. Ask a friend to read it over or just take some time away, then take another hour to proofread your essay, ideally the next day.

Apply to these scholarships due soon

“Gutsy Graduate Student” Essay Scholarship

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“Scholar Dollars” Essay Scholarship for Black Students

“Making Waves” Scholarship for Women

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“Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship

Start with structure.

Remember, the reader is not in your head. A solid essay structure is needed to convey your ideas effectively. Before you begin writing:

Create an outline to map out your idea

Clear topic sentences

Plan for multiple paragraphs, with each paragraph headed by a clear topic sentence for that paragraph’s main point

Transition!

Use a transitional sentence or phrase at the end of each paragraph to connect one idea to the next

Answer the prompt

Nothing will set you back like not responding to the prompt provided. It screams “this person didn’t bother to fully read the directions,” or worse, “this person doesn’t care about what we are asking.”

Read the prompt, and then read it again. This is where giving yourself plenty of time to write comes in handy. Rather than immediately starting to write:

• Let the prompt sit with you awhile so that you come up with the best response
• Think of the prompt as a question to be answered
• Consider your audience while being your authentic self

Related:  How to answer scholarship essay questions about your career goals

Start with a hook

Your writing teachers were not joking about the importance of the introductory hook. There are a number of ways to hook the reader, including:

• Using startling statistics
• Opening with a moving sentence
• Making a strong statement

For an example of an engaging hook, say you are writing an essay about social media distraction. Perhaps you could open with:

It might sound odd, but I love my flip phone. In fact, I feel nothing but disdain for that moment stealing villain, the iPhone .

See how you’re already interested in reading on? Effective writing is all about telling an engaging story, and a strong hook is the first step!

Go Deeper: How to start a scholarship essay (with examples)

Don’t forget formatting

Be mindful of any required formatting. This might include a word count or page limit. The application may also specify single or double sentence spacing, using certain fonts, or using a certain format, such as MLA or APA.

Related: What’s the best scholarship essay format?

Show, don’t tell

Finally, no matter what, do your best to tell an engaging story! If given the opportunity, focus on a specific challenge you’ve faced or goal you’ve achieved. As you tell your story, the qualities that make you a great scholarship applicant–your drive, your passion, and your personality–will shine through!

In conclusion?

Speaking of conclusions, don’t end your scholarship application essay with “in conclusion,” which sounds robotic on the page. Instead, think about why what you wrote matters, and remind the reader of just that.

An effective way to bring cohesion to your essay is to refer back to your hook in the closing. For example, if you used that flip phone introduction, your closing might say:

So while some people have 100s of pictures of “experiences” that they were not truly present for, I have lifelong memories stored in my own mind, no extra cloud space required.

Notice how that ending wows? It wraps up your “story” and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of who you are as a person.

Key Takeaways

• Having to write an essay may feel intimidating, but we promise that you are more than capable of completing this step of your application
• Give yourself plenty of time to sit with the essay prompts and then draft your response
• Once you’ve written your essay, ask friends or family to read your work 
• Most importantly remember to take time to read all the directions about the essay and answer the questions that they are asking you

Final thoughts

For more in-depth instructions on how to conclude your scholarship essay, you can consult our guide on how to end scholarship essays . If you are looking for additional scholarship opportunities, check out our list of top writing & essay scholarships .    

Remember, writing scholarship essays is an opportunity to show who you are in a way that test scores and rankings never can. Don’t miss out on winning scholarship awards that you qualify for. Happy writing, all, and don’t forget to apply for all the scholarships you qualify for!

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Frequently asked questions about how to write a winning scholarship essay

How do you write a hook for a scholarship essay, what should i write for a scholarship essay, how do i make my college essay stand out, scholarships360 recommended.

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay

• Post date January 20, 2021

Set Yourself Up for Success

When you’re competing against thousands of scholarship applicants, your personal statement for a scholarship can make or break your chances of winning. While filling out your application is pretty straightforward, your essay is what will make you stand out.

The problem is, without knowing where to start, most students will head over to Google and search for things like:

• scholarship essay examples
• sample scholarship essays
• personal statement for scholarship examples
• scholarship essay examples financial need
• scholarship letter sample
• scholarship letter examples

With thousands of students using the same examples as references, your essays will start to look and sound alike, making it harder to make an impression. However, with a properly constructed and thoughtful essay, you can separate yourself from the student body of college hopefuls, giving you a great chance at securing the resources necessary for higher education.

That said, you’re probably wondering how to write a scholarship essay that’s capable of winning awards and accolades? We’re here to help you apply by sharing our must-know scholarship essay tips that will ensure you the best shot at winning.

The Question

The key to how to write a scholarship essay that’s going to stand out falls to the questions you address. When going through scholarship essay questions, you might come across a bunch of different questions specific to what the scholarship committee is looking for from their future winner. However, the underlying question for almost every scholarship essay is the same, regardless of how it’s worded. Most essays will ask, “Why do you deserve to win?” or some iteration of that using different wording. They might ask to “describe your extracurricular passions” or “describe a time when you had to take on a leadership role,” but believe it or not, all these seemingly different questions are looking to hear why you deserve the scholarship money.

How you choose to answer is up to you, but you must address this underlying question and tie it back to your answer to the overarching essay question. On another note, if you haven’t already figured this out, the answer should never be “because I need money.”

6 Steps to Writing an Award-Winning Scholarship Essay

First and foremost, before we provide our tips on how to write a scholarship essay, you need to know the purpose of the scholarships you are applying to and use this as your guide when writing a scholarship essay. Keep in mind that when writing about why you deserve to win, the answer you choose, along with examples that you use, should show how you fulfill the scholarship’s mission. Knowing this, here are our six steps to writing an award winning scholarship essay:

Step 1 — The Right Topic & Approach

Generally, you will come across two types of essay questions: the first will ask you to write about a specific topic, and the second will give you a broad topic to write about. With the first type, you need to create your own topic, and in the latter, you don’t need to think about a topic as it is provided for you. However, you will need to develop an appropriate approach to answer both types of questions.

Finding a Topic

When you’re presented with a broad essay question, you can choose your own topic. As such, you’ll need to generate ideas and start brainstorming. Begin by thinking about significant events in your life, people who have influenced you, learning experiences from your time at school, goals, and future ambitions, where you hope you’ll be in the next five or ten years etc. Don’t get too critical while you’re brainstorming; just let your creativity flow. Once you’ve created a list of topics, start to eliminate the ones that don’t help you answer why you deserve to win and narrow down your topics to the one you feel will best suit the question.

Developing a Unique Approach

Whether you had to come up with your own topic or one was provided to you, you will need to figure out how you will approach it. For any given topic, there are probably a hundred ways you could tackle the subject. You’re going to have to narrow down your topic by choosing to share a small part of the larger story that best answers the question.

Once you’ve narrowed down your topic, it’s time to consider what approach will convince the scholarship committee that you deserve to win the money above other applicants. Keep in mind, simply retelling the story won’t tell the reader how this experience reveals the qualities they are looking for. Get creative and dig deeper by asking yourself: How has this experience changed your life? Why did you do what you did? What is the lesson that came out of this experience? What aspect of this topic is most important to making my point? From there, you need to decide on the focus of your essay since you will be speaking to a small sliver of time.

Finding the right approach is just as important as finding the right topic. This is especially true if you answer a question that provides a specific topic. With every scholarship applicant writing about the same topic, you need to be sure that your approach persuasively shows the judges why you deserve to win more than anyone else.

Step 2 — Be Original

Now that you know what you’re going to write about and how you’re going to approach your topic, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to convey your message. Keep in mind that scholarship committees will read hundreds, if not thousands, of essays that will often be on the same or a similar topic. This is why it is essential to make sure your writing is original and engaging.

To do this, you’ll need to share a moment in your life that will help you convey your point. By doing this, you’re reducing your chances of having an essay that sounds like everyone else’s since your experiences are unique to you. Essays that share a unique moment from your life tend to be a lot more interesting and leave a lasting impression while giving the scholarship committee a better picture of who you are.

You don’t have to look far to find originality. Everyone has experiences that are unique to us. Even the most common experiences can be made original, depending on how you illustrate and tell the story, so don’t write off a topic just because it sounds ordinary. Take the time to think about how you can write about it in a way that is different from others, and you may surprise yourself at how original it could be.

Step 3 — Go with Your Flow

We all know the most challenging part of writing is getting started. Don’t overthink it; just start writing what is going through your head. The first few sentences aren’t going to be the best, but get your thoughts onto paper and worry about the rest later. You can always go back and revise it to sound better, but it’s easier to do once you have all your thoughts down.

While everyone has their own writing style, the most important thing to focus on when writing is winning over a scholarship committee. You need to think about who will read your essay, so you might want to do additional research. Your goal is to write an essay that appeals to your audience. This should guide not only your selection of topics but also your word choice, language, and tone.

The key is to be yourself. While you want to present yourself in a way that attracts the attention of the scholarship committee, you don’t want to portray yourself as someone you are not. It’s fine to present selected highlights from your life that fit with the award, but it’s not ethical to exaggerate or even outright lie about an experience to win an award. Don’t go crazy trying to mold yourself into a person you think the scholarship committee wants to read about.

Be true to yourself and write about what has happened to you personally or how you have been affected by something directly in your life. Given that most essays will have a character or word limit, keep your essay tight and focused. Lastly, don’t forget to make your point!

Step 4 — Stand Out From Start to Finish

Everyone knows that the hardest part of an essay is the introduction and conclusion. While this may be true, it’s also the two most important parts of your essay. Your introduction gives the reader their first impression of you, while the conclusion should leave a lasting impact. Spend extra time on your introduction and conclusion to ensure these two parts deliver the message you want.

The goal of your introduction is to captivate the reader’s attention. Considering posing a new question — questions often grab the reader’s attention because it will make them stop to think about how they would answer the question and are curious to see how you will answer or present a solution to the question in your essay.

As you introduce the topic, don’t forget the power of description. If you can create a vivid image for the reader, they’ll be more inclined to continue reading. Paint a picture for the reader with senses and words so they can envision themselves there.

The purpose of your conclusion is to thoughtfully bring your essay to an end. The conclusion is the second most powerful statement in your essay because this is what the scholarship committee will remember. With the hopes that the scholarship committee has thoroughly read your essay, avoid summarizing your essay in the conclusion. While it’s okay to include one sentence rehashing what you’ve already said, you want to do more than just restate your point. You have one final opportunity to make a lasting impression, so add a parting thought. This can be one last observation or idea that ties into the main point you’re trying to make. The worst thing you could do is tack on a meaningless conclusion filled with fluff, so be sure every sentence has a purpose. Lastly, never start your paragraph with “in conclusion,” and never end your essay with the words “The End.”

Step 5 — Get Some Extra Eyes On It

Despite how well you think you write, you’re not infallible, so it’s important to get someone else to proofread and edit your work. Whether it’s friends, roommates, family members, teachers, or advisors, ask someone other than yourself to look over your work. One of the key benefits of having someone else read your work is that they will find errors that eluded you, and they will be able to identify spots in your essay that seem unclear from an outsider’s perspective.

Make sure your reviewers know what to look for. Ask them if your ideas are clear, if you have answered the question appropriately, and if your essay is interesting. While you may disagree with some of their feedback and suggestions, take them seriously, and consider what they are telling you. The more input you get from others, the more times you’ll find yourself revising it to be better.

Your main goal is to produce an essay with clear points and supporting examples that logically flow together to prove your overall point. You also want to make sure that your essay has no spelling and grammar errors. The best way to do this is to have someone else read your work. If you don’t have someone you can ask or are limited due to time, then do it yourself. But, do it ever so carefully.

Step 6 — Repurpose Your Essays!

Keep in mind you’ll be applying to more than one scholarship, and since most scholarship committees usually ask very broad questions, you should repurpose your essays. Doing this could save you a tremendous amount of time. If you choose to reuse your essay, make sure you go through all the steps of figuring out who your audience is and what the topic is. If your existing essay can effectively answer another topic, be sure to tailor it for every scholarship application. However, be mindful of when a repurposed essay doesn’t fit the question. It’s better to take your time to write an appropriate essay than to submit one that doesn’t make sense for a specific scholarship.

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• Writing Tips

​How to Write a Scholarship Essay (With Examples)

6-minute read

• 22nd August 2022

Writing a scholarship essay can seem like a daunting task. For many students , higher education isn’t possible without financial aid, and scholarships are especially valuable because the money awarded doesn’t have to be paid back.

Even though the stakes are high, there are a few manageable steps you can take to ensure you write a great essay to submit with your scholarship applications. We have a few top tips to help you get started, along with writing examples to demonstrate some key points. Check out our guide below to learn more.

A scholarship essay is a great opportunity to present yourself and your accomplishments in an impactful way. It is, therefore, essential to be aware of each scholarship deadline so you can allow sufficient time for the writing process, which typically includes the following:

·   Read the essay prompt and brainstorm ideas.

·   Create an outline covering the key points you want to address.

·   Write a draft and seek feedback from trusted teachers, family, or friends.

·   Make any necessary revisions and proofread before submitting your final draft.

Scholarship review committees will be able to tell if you rushed through your essay, so give yourself the best chance of winning an award by staying organized and on schedule!

Who and What?

Researching the scholarship provider and diligently reviewing the essay prompts can help you write an essay that makes you stand out as a top candidate.

1. Who are you writing to?

Learn more about the organization offering the scholarship and why the scholarship fund was created.

For instance, a scholarship may honor its organization’s founder, and the founder’s qualities (e.g., integrity, good citizenship, and leadership) might be the same values guiding the scholarship program as a way to continue the founder’s legacy.

If you identify with any of the same qualities, you can incorporate those keywords into your essay to demonstrate your shared values. Remember to remain authentic, though!

2. What are you writing about?

You must read the essay prompt carefully to identify precisely what you need to accomplish with your essay.

Some prompts ask about your career goals and how you plan to achieve them or your achievements and the challenges you overcame to reach them.

You’ll write about common topics across multiple scholarship applications – some may even be similar to your college admission essay – so you can repurpose your essays as long as you’re diligent about tailoring each one to its prompt.

Your application will likely require other items such as transcripts and test scores, but the essay is your chance to offer something entirely unique. Write about key experiences that highlight who you are and what you’ve accomplished, or you could mention something you’re passionate about.

Remember to follow any specific instructions regarding length and formatting, and be sure to answer all questions listed in the prompt. It can hurt your chances if you’re unable to show the committee that you’re detail-oriented and can follow directions.

Structuring Your Essay

Your essay should follow a standard format that includes a clear beginning, middle, and end. Typically, you should:

·   Establish your main idea in the introduction.

·   Include a separate body paragraph for each key point that supports your main idea.

·   Draw it all together and revisit your main idea in the conclusion.

Scholarship committees read thousands of essays each year. And often, there are hundreds of applicants for an award that can only go to a select few candidates. Writing a powerful introduction and conclusion gives you a chance to make a lasting impression.

1. Introduction

Write an introduction that hooks the reader and encourages them to stay engaged till the end of your essay. Don’t be afraid to add personal, tangible details and an anecdote .

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For example, if you’re writing about your career goals, demonstrate why you’ve chosen that career:

It was the biggest game of the season, and the stands were packed despite the bitter cold. My heart was beating louder than all of the cheers, and I was filled with the anticipation that one more run into the end zone would give us the championship. Everything went silent during that run when the tackle shattered both my leg and my dreams.

My world has always revolved around being an athlete – until one day it couldn’t. I spent many frustrating months rehabilitating, but I got through it because of my dedicated physical therapist, who helped me recover both physically and mentally after a devastating loss. And it was that profound experience that led me to pursue a career in the exercise sciences.

2. Conclusion

The conclusion is the last thing your reader will see, so it’s another opportunity for you to make your essay memorable.

Rather than summarizing with a general statement such as “this is why you should award me a scholarship,” perhaps explain what the financial assistance will help you achieve:

My parents never had the opportunity to go to college, and neither did their parents. I watched them work hard every day just to make ends meet, and I often questioned whether I could achieve anything more. Nevertheless, I spent four years working as hard as I saw my parents work, and I beat the odds by getting accepted to college. A scholarship could be invaluable for me, as it would allow me to attend and be successful without having to worry about finances.

Persuasive Writing

While you don’t want your scholarship essay to be overly informal, you’re certainly allowed to add some creativity and personal details to help persuade your readers.

One of the best ways to do so is by writing with the modes of persuasion ; that is, ethos, pathos, and logos.

Demonstrate your credibility. Use your real-life experiences and interesting details to establish, for example, how you’ve contributed to your community:

I saw how much bullying was impacting so many students at my school, so I founded my high school’s first anti-bullying club and organized campaigns to bring attention to the harm that people can cause one another.

Evoke an emotional response. The “show, don’t tell ” writing technique, which involves using descriptive words when discussing actions and emotions, can be especially useful here:

During one of our first awareness assemblies, the theater was completely silent as I read aloud anonymous stories from students about the scars bullying had left on their lives. Tears were stinging in my eyes as I described the struggles my classmates were facing, but I persevered to give a voice to those who didn’t have one.

Convey your point with reason and facts. Use statistics to demonstrate what you’ve accomplished:

In the first year alone, our club improved students’ feelings of safety and acceptance at our school by 53%.

Proofreading and Editing

Don’t forget the importance of proofreading your essay, as spelling and grammar mistakes can leave a bad impression on your reader. Our expert editors can help ensure your writing is clear, concise, and error-free. Give yourself a better chance at impressing scholarship committees by submitting a free trial document today!

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Daily Writing Tips

How to write an essay for a scholarship: a step-by-step guide.

Crafting an essay for a scholarship is your chance to show why you’re a worthy investment. It’s not just another essay; it’s a personal narrative that embodies your aspirations and showcases your potential.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll lead you through each part of the scholarship essay process: understanding the prompt, outlining your thoughts, engaging introductions, strong body paragraphs, impactful conclusions, and essential revisions. Plus, we’ll touch on those final checks before you hit submit.

Ready to turn your educational dreams into a compelling story? Let’s begin the journey of writing an essay that might just change the course of your future.

What Is a Scholarship Essay and Why Is It Important?

A scholarship essay is a written piece you submit as part of your college or university scholarship application. It’s your opportunity to demonstrate to the scholarship committee why you are the best candidate for the award.

The scholarship essay is important because it allows the committee to get to know you beyond your grades and test scores. It lets you share your personal story, accomplishments, and future plans.

What Are Scholarship Essay Prompts Asking For?

Scholarship essay prompts typically ask you to discuss your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community service, leadership roles, or any challenges you’ve overcome. The prompt will guide you in showcasing your unique qualifications. For example, a prompt might ask you to describe a time when you demonstrated leadership or to explain how a particular experience has shaped your academic and career goals.

How Can You Plan Your Scholarship Essay Effectively?

Effective planning is the key to writing a strong scholarship essay. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Read the prompt carefully: Start by thoroughly reviewing to understand the requirements and instructions of the essay prompt. Make sure you know exactly what the prompt is asking you to do.

2. Brainstorm experiences and accomplishments: Reflect on your academic, extracurricular, and personal experiences that might help explain the prompt. Think about your achievements, the challenges you’ve overcome, and how you’ve made a difference in your community.

3. Develop a thesis or central theme: Based on your brainstorming, determine a thesis or central theme that will help focus your essay. This statement should explain the main point you want the scholarship committee to understand.

4. Create an outline: Organize your essay by making an outline. Include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This will help you write a structured and coherent essay.

5. Do additional research: Depending on the prompt, you may need to research relevant information to support your essay. For example, if the prompt asks you to discuss a social issue, you may need to research facts and statistics to support your points.

6. Allow time for writing and revising: Don’t wait until the last minute to write your essay. Give yourself enough time to write a draft, get feedback, and make revisions . Rushing through the process can result in a weaker essay.

How Do You Create a Compelling Introduction for Your Scholarship Essay?

The introduction is the first thing the scholarship committee will read, so making a strong impression is important. Here are the steps to create a compelling introduction:

1. Hook the reader: Start your introduction with a captivating hook , such as a quote, anecdote, or intriguing statement. This will immediately engage the reader and make them want to continue reading.

2. Provide context: Offer relevant background information to give the reader context about who you are and your experiences. This could include details about your academic background, extracurricular activities, or personal interests.

3. State your central thesis : Clearly articulate your essay’s main point or argument, aligning it with the scholarship prompt. This thesis statement should be a concise and clear statement of the key idea you will explore in your essay.

4. Outline your approach: Give the reader a sense of how you will develop your essay’s central theme throughout the body paragraphs. This can be a brief overview of the main points you will cover.

5. Express your passion: Convey your enthusiasm, motivation, and personal investment in the topic and your pursuit of the scholarship. This will help the committee understand why this scholarship is important to you.

6. Keep it concise: Aim for 3-5 engaging sentences that introduce your essay in a manner that is easy to understand and compelling. The introduction should be long enough to capture the reader’s attention but not so long that it becomes overwhelming.

What Makes a Strong Body for Your Scholarship Essay?

The body of your scholarship essay is where you will expand on your central theme and provide evidence to support your points. Provide specific examples and evidence from your experiences to support your arguments. This could include details about your academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, community service, or personal challenges you’ve overcome.

Use the body paragraphs to showcase your unique qualities and how they make you a strong candidate for the scholarship. This could include your leadership skills, problem-solving abilities, creativity, or dedication to your studies. Keep your essay logically organized and focused on the main point you want to make, with each paragraph building on the previous one and contributing to the overall argument you’re making.

Vary your sentence structure to keep your writing engaging and easy to read. Alternate between shorter and longer sentences, and help guide the reader through your essay. Back up your claims and arguments with relevant facts, statistics, or expert opinions to strengthen the credibility of your essay.

How Should You Conclude Your Scholarship Essay?

The conclusion of your scholarship essay is your final opportunity to make an impression on the committee. In the conclusion, restate your thesis or central theme in a clear and understandable way. This will remind the reader of the main point you’ve been focused on throughout your essay.

Briefly summarize the key points and arguments you made in the body of your essay. This will help reinforce your main ideas and leave a lasting impression on the reader. Explain why the scholarship is important to you and how it will help you achieve your academic and career goals. Demonstrate your passion and commitment to making the most of the scholarship opportunity.

Conclude your essay with a strong, memorable statement that leaves the reader with a positive impression of you as a candidate. This could be a call to action, an inspirational quote, or a final reflection on the significance of the scholarship.

How Can You Revise Your Scholarship Essay for Maximum Impact?

After you’ve written your first draft, it’s important to revise and edit your essay so it’s as strong as it can be. Carefully read through your essay to catch any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Even small mistakes can ruin the overall quality of your essay.

Ask someone you trust, such as a teacher, mentor, or family member, to review your essay and provide feedback. They may be able to locate areas for improvement or offer a fresh perspective. Ask them to review your essay’s organization to ensure your introduction, body, and conclusion flow logically. Don’t be afraid to rearrange or add/remove paragraphs to strengthen the overall structure.

Examine your essay’s central arguments and claims. Are they supported with sufficient evidence and examples? Look for ways to develop your points further. Review your writing style and make adjustments to improve clarity, concision, and engagement. This could involve varying sentence structure, eliminating unnecessary words, or using more vivid and descriptive language.

Double-check that your essay fully addresses the scholarship prompt and showcases your qualifications in a way that aligns with the committee’s expectations. Don’t be afraid to make multiple rounds of revisions. The more you refine your essay, the stronger it will be.

What Are the Final Steps Before Submitting Your Scholarship Essay?

Once you’ve completed your revisions, there are a few final steps to take before submitting your scholarship essay. Take advantage of sources that provide essay and paper help to add to and ensure the quality you have written is up to the scholarship committee’s standards. Also, always be sure to review everything 

1. Follow instructions: Carefully review the scholarship guidelines and instructions to ensure you’ve followed all the requirements, including formatting, length, and submission procedures.

2. Double-check formatting: Ensure your essay is properly formatted according to the scholarship guidelines, including margins, font size, and spacing.

3. Proofread again : Do one final proofread to catch any lingering errors or typos. It’s easy to miss mistakes when you’ve been working on the essay for a long time.

4. Submit before the deadline: Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your essay. Allow plenty of time to complete the application process and submit your materials before the deadline. 5. Make copies: Keep a copy of your final essay for your records. This can be helpful if you need to refer back to it or make adjustments for future scholarship applications.

Here are some dos and don’ts for effective scholarship essay writing

• Understand the Prompt: Carefully read and analyze the scholarship prompt to ensure your essay directly addresses the requested topic or criteria.
• Showcase Your Unique Qualities: Use the essay as an opportunity to highlight your distinctive experiences, skills, goals, and passions that make you a standout candidate.
• Organize Your Essay Logically: Craft a clear and well-structured essay with an engaging introduction, cohesive body paragraphs, and a compelling conclusion.
• Support Your Claims: Back up your key points and arguments with specific examples, anecdotes, and evidence from your experiences.
• Maintain a Positive and Enthusiastic Tone**: Convey your enthusiasm for the scholarship and your commitment to making the most of the opportunity.
• Proofread and Edit Carefully: Review your essay multiple times to catch any grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors.
• Follow All Formatting Requirements: Adhere to the prescribed page limits, font sizes, and other formatting guidelines specified by the scholarship provider.

Don’ts

• Don’t Repeat the Prompt: Avoid simply restating the prompt in your essay. Instead, use your unique voice and perspective.
• Don’t Make Broad, Unsupported Statements: Avoid making claims or generalizations without providing concrete evidence or examples to support them.
• Don’t Use Clichés or Overly Formal Language: Steer clear of overused phrases and maintain a natural, conversational tone throughout your essay.
• Don’t Exaggerate or Embellish: Be honest and authentic in your writing . Avoid making claims that you cannot substantiate.
• Don’t Neglect the Conclusion: Don’t treat the conclusion as an afterthought. Use it to leave a lasting, positive impression on the reader.
• Don’t Miss Deadlines or Requirements: Ensure you submit your essay by the specified deadline and adhere to all other requirements outlined by the scholarship provider.
• Don’t Plagiarize: Ensure that your essay is entirely your own work and that you properly cite any external sources you use.

Following these dos and don’ts can help you craft a compelling scholarship essay that stands out from the competition.

Writing a good scholarship essay is important to get the funding you need for your education and career goals. By following the steps in this guide – understanding the prompt, brainstorming your experiences, writing a strong introduction and body, and leaving a lasting conclusion – you can create an essay that makes you stand out as an excellent candidate.

The essay is not just about listing your accomplishments – it’s about showing who you are as a person and why you are the ideal recipient. Infuse it with enthusiasm, personal stories, and a vision for your future. This will help you craft an essay that leaves a lasting impression.

As you prepare to submit your scholarship essay, be proud of your work and confident that you’ve presented your best self.

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay

What’s covered:, why do scholarships require essays.

• Types of scholarship essays

How to write a good scholarship essay

What about scholarships that don’t require an essay.

For many, scholarships are a critical part of paying for your college education. That’s why you want to make sure your scholarship applications receive nearly as much of your care and attention as your college applications do. Essays are a huge component of this.

Many scholarships are competitive, drawing highly qualified applicants with excellent grades and test scores. Essays are a way of differentiating students, learning more about their interests, and determining to whom the organization should give the award.

Scholarships are also born out of organizational missions, and the committee wants to see how your values align with theirs. Essays help illuminate these values. 

Types of scholarship essays 

You’ll encounter several different types of scholarship essays during your search. These are some of the most common varieties you will find.

Career and education goals

Some scholarships target people with particular career ambitions and anticipated majors. This essay prompt is common for those types of awards, as well as more general ones. To approach your essay, you should be authentic, describing your true motivations and why this professional path appeals to you. Let your passion for the industry, sector, or discipline shine through.

Life experiences/qualities/group affinity

When a scholarship targets people of particular demographics, make sure you highlight your affinity with this group in your essay. Describe how these characteristics have contributed to and in some cases shaped your journey — and will continue to do so in your future.

Connection with the institution/organization

Your connection with the institution or organization offering the scholarship often plays a large role in determining winners — so much so that they may ask you to describe why that organization is important to you in your essay. It’s important to do your homework, considering why various aspects of the institution appeal to you and why you want a scholarship from them.

Past writing sample

You may not need to write a new essay at all. The organization could ask you to submit a past writing sample instead. If this is the case, choose a piece that shows your real personality and aligns with the message and mission of the organization offering the scholarship.

1. Understand your audience.

Scholarship committees want to see essays from students who share their organization’s values. Before you apply, you need to do some research to understand what those values are. Consider how your interests and experiences align with what the organization is looking for, and make them clear throughout your essay.

2. Show your personality.

You should also use your voice in your essay. Give the scholarship committee insight into who you are as a person — what drives you, what motivates you, and what interests you. This will allow them to understand you on a deeper level and see your words as genuine.

3. Use anecdotes and examples.

As with your college essays, you’ll bring your experiences to life by using plenty of anecdotes and examples. These will help ground your essay and make it more compelling for your audience.

You may encounter scholarships that don’t require essays. While the applications may be less time-consuming, for the most part, you will need to ensure that your GPA, test scores, and extracurriculars are strong because they will usually play a large role in assessing applicants.

While we’re on the subject of no-essay scholarships, we encourage you to enter CollegeVine’s weekly $500+ scholarship drawings . To get started, you just need to create a free account. Increase your chances of winning by referring friends, peer-reviewing essays, and more.

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay (with Examples)

September 27, 2023

While applying to college, many students are faced with an additional, daunting task: how to write a scholarship essay. Financial need, already a sensitive subject, can become a stressful factor in the process alongside other existential unknowns. Luckily, scholarship essays will not require you to go tiptoeing around the taboo topic of money. Furthermore, most scholarship essay prompts more or less resemble standard supplemental essay questions. The trick then is to make your scholarship essay stand out. The following article and scholarship essay example will offer up pointers for anyone striving to win a college scholarship.

Organizing Scholarship Essays by Prompt

You may feel like melting into a lump of despair when facing a browser full of tabbed scholarships. The best way to avoid getting overwhelmed is to organize and analyze a list of prompts. Why? Because your first goal is not simply to figure out how to write a scholarship essay. Rather, you’ll want to know how to save time while writing complex and relevant scholarship essays.

As you look over the various prompts, you’ll notice that some sound fairly open-ended, while others ask for something quite specific. In response, you should annotate each prompt with thematic keywords. This will help you figure out when you can use the same essay for several prompts.

Your annotated list may look something like the following…

Sample Scholarship Essay Prompts

1) “Explain something that made a big impact in your life.”

• Keywords: event , personal development, growth, background

2) “We’re 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.”

• Keywords: minority, diversity, identity, study abroad

3) “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”

• Keywords: background, identity, interest, talent

Sample Scholarship Essay Prompts, Continued

4) “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?”

• Keywords: event, personal development, growth, challenge, background

5) 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.

• Keywords: world development, challenge, future

6) “Tell us three things that are important to you. How did you arrive at this list? Will these things be important to you in ten years? Why?”

• Keywords: background, values, interest, development, identity, future

Scholarship Essay Prompts ( Continued)

7) “What does it mean to you to be part of a minority community? What challenges has it brought and how have you overcome them? What are the benefits?”

• Keywords: minority, community, challenge, growth

8) “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.”

• Keywords: community service, humanity, community, background, future, values, career

9) “Discuss in your essay any challenges or obstacles you have dealt with and overcome in life and how this will help you succeed in college and beyond. Describe how volunteer, community service or extra-curricular activities have shaped who you are today and what it has taught you. May also include future educational plans and career goals.”

• Keywords: challenge, future, community service, interests, value, personal growth, career

How to Write a Scholarship Essay through Prompt Analysis

Let’s compare some prompts by keywords. You’ll notice that some prompts have a lot of overlap, such as prompts 1 and 4. Both have event, personal development, growth, and background as keywords . Prompt 4 includes the additional keyword challenge . This prompt explicitly asks you to explain how you have “overcome” a “personal hardship or catastrophic life event.” While prompt 1 is not so specific, it would be easy, even natural, to include this narrative arc in your response. This means depicting how you faced the thing that “made a big impact in your life.” In other words, these two essay prompts, though worded differently, allow you to tell the same story.

Other prompts provide potential overlap. In this case, it’s up to you to find and interpret these moments. You may consider the values, strengths, interests, and experiences you wish to relate. For example, prompts 7, 8, and 9 all mention community through different approaches. While prompt 7 focuses on one’s past involvement in a minority community, prompts 8 and 9 are more future-facing, and don’t mention minorities.

Scholarship Essay Examples (Continued)

Here, your best strategy involves answering prompts 8 and 9 together in a single scholarship essay. To do so, the essay would need to detail “a challenge or obstacle you have dealt with” (9) which has thus “shaped your perspective on humanity” (8). This narrative arc will thus inform your “future” educational and career plans (8 and 9). Note that prompt 9 allows you to mention extra-curriculars. However, I wouldn’t recommend it, since this would make your essay less relevant to prompt 8. After your essay is written, adapt it to align with prompt 7. Consider condensing the part about the future into one final sentence and focusing more on minority aspects of your community.

How to Scholarship Essay Avoid Burnout

The above tactic will allow you to avoid burnout by strategizing your essay approach ahead of time. In turn, you’ll be able to maximize your efforts from the get-go. You’ll also likely find that your essays become more complex and nuanced when you consider several prompts at once.

The next step involves editing. Refer back to the prompt, once you have a draft written. Ask yourself, did I answer the question fully? Do I need to edit this essay further to emphasize a particular point? Do I need to cut the essay down to fit a new word count? Contrarily do I need to bulk it up? If so, are there other essays in my portfolio from which I can borrow material? Strategic editing will allow you to respond to a large number of essays during peak essay-writing season.

Finally, you’ll notice that most essays require a word count between 250 to 600 words. It’s often easier to write a longer essay first. This will allow you to go into greater detail without censoring your ideas. You may find yourself including dialogue, scenery, emotions, and all sorts of other specifics that make an essay personal. As you whittle down this essay to comply with a similar prompt, you’ll want to identify which pieces of the essay do the most work to get your message across. Don’t simply condense everything by eliminating details, for details are often the most memorable aspects of an essay. More on this next.

How to Write a Scholarship Essay Using the Three Fs

The three Fs can be applied to any college essay, though they are particularily useful in scholarship essays. Why? Because the three Fs will enable you to impress readers and beat out other applicants. Ultimately, they’ll help you win financial support. Think of the three Fs as a checklist to go over, once you’ve completed an essay draft. Ask yourself, is my essay fabulous? Flawless? Fearless?

How to Write a Scholarship Essay (Continued)

If your essay is fabulous , it glitters with personality. It is detailed, unique, and does its best to highlight your impressive journey. If your essay lacks a little fab, ask yourself, how can I make this essay more enjoyable and memorable to read? If your essay is flawless , it lacks all spelling, syntactic and grammatical errors. It answers every aspect of the essay prompt, and leaves no room for vagueness or misunderstandings. To avoid flaws, give your essay to several people to proofread. Finally, if your essay is fearless , it is not afraid to get a little vulnerable. This may sound contradictory to the first F. On the contrary, this fearlessness refers to the confidence to tell your own story. A fearless story isn’t afraid to go deep, add complexity, or get emotional. It is unafraid to show why its author deserves a financial boost.

Scholarship Essay Example

Now that we’ve established how to approach the scholarship essay, let’s dive into a scholarship essay example. The scholarship essay below stems from a prompt we saw above: 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 (500 words).

My generation is growing up in a time of increased global turmoil. We’ve witnessed Brexit, the Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, a series of refugee crises, and the invasion of Ukraine. It’s easy to liken this moment to Europe in the 1930s, which saw a spike in fascism and propaganda (their version of fake news). Only now, my generation must also contend with the hottest summers on record, raging forest fires, and the beginning of the 6 th extinction. It’s no wonder we deal with it all through increased skepticism and existential dread.

While I don’t have a simple solution, I believe most problems stem from ignorance. Xenophobia and racism, offshoots of ignorance, can be overcome by exposing isolated groups of people to greater diversity. This begins in the classroom. While dictators are hard to dispose of, education provides critical thinking skills, which allow citizens to make informed decisions when electing officials. Finally, developing a willingness to learn at an early age creates an instinct to continue learning throughout life. We desperately need intellectual flexibility if we are going to adapt to the planet’s needs as a world population and put a stop to industry-led fossil fuel burning.

Scholarship Essay Example (Continued)

The change I’d like to make is free, enhanced education for everyone, at every level, from elementary school to post-doctorate research institutes. To do so, I suggest defunding national militaries and channeling this spending into schools. Imagine if 80% of the 877 billion dollars the U.S. military spends annually went into learning. Combating fascism and climate change would look more feasible. And yet, no leader would agree to making their country more vulnerable by relinquishing arms and armies. Change must come from the people.

As the planet continues to heats up, and conflict over land increases, we must work together. The first step towards increased education is communicating this need for education: through journalism, on social media, in the streets. Next, I suggest lobbying politicians for incremental change. Finally, I believe a global grassroots movement to implement future-focused education, led by activists, educators, and philanthropists, would make this theoretical idea a tangible reality.

Last year, my mother, who never received a college education, decided to offer free gardening courses in our backyard. I quickly joined in. While teaching a handful of neighbors how to provide year-round food for pollinators may seem trivial, I’ve already seen positive repercussions. One conservative neighbor has set up an organization that collects and redistributes leftover produce from the markets to refugees. Another neighbor is now teaching middle schoolers how to cook and compost. These efforts have brought unusual strangers together and given visibility to our movement, #futurefocusededucation. I’ve seen it firsthand. The more we educate, the sooner we can combine our knowledge to create solutions.

Scholarship Essay Example Dissected

This scholarship essay succeeds at answering all parts of the prompt. It includes the change the author wants to make, and inevitable obstacles she’d face at the governmental and international level. These obstacles may sound insurmountable. Yet the essay shows that individuals are not powerless to enact change when they work together towards a common goal. The author provides various thoughtful steps we might take in order to prioritize education and peaceful collaboration.

Finally, the author portrays herself as someone personally invested in the political, humanitarian, and environmental state of the world. She proves that she’s already begun to make the changes she wants to see at the microscopic level. Overall, readers of this scholarship essay can see that this student is invested in bettering the world. This student would make for a proactive participant in her academic environment.

What’s Next?

Now that you have some inkling of how to write a scholarship essay and have reviewed of our scholarship essay examples, you may want to delve into more aid-related articles on the College Transitions Dataverse. You can read up on Need-Based Financial Aid Grants , and learn about Selective Colleges with Generous Scholarships . Furthermore, you may want to create your own Scholarship Timeline , in order to stay on top of the various deadlines. Good luck!

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Kaylen Baker

With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.

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• Applying For Scholarships

How to Write a Scholarship Essay Introduction (With Example)

David Nov 27, 2018

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With the thousands of scholarships out there, you have a chance to win serious money to put towards your college tuition. But, the scholarship application process can be quite stressful, so we are here to help. The most difficult part of the application process for students is usually the essay . How do you write it? What should it include? We are going to focus on how to start a scholarship essay introduction.  

Scholarships are super competitive and the reviewers may not even have time to read the entire essay submitted. So, the first sentence of your scholarship application is your first and best chance to convince the reader to continue reading. For this reason, your essay’s introduction is crucial.

That sounds stressful, but rest assured, your introduction can actually be your best tool for success. Luckily, there is no one right way to write a scholarship introduction, but there are some things you must keep in mind.

You need to catch the judges’ eyes from the very beginning of the essay. Imagine that your readers have to read hundreds of applications. You must make your essay stand out.

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Your introduction should include the following three things:

• Attention-grabbing first sentence
• A short explanation for what you will talk about in your essay
• The thesis statement in which you address the essay prompt

Your introduction should be short, sweet, and to the point. This is the place to establish for the reader what you will be discussing in the rest of the essay.

Do you have a short story you can open your essay with? Jokes, metaphors, and anecdotes are a great way to capture your reader’s attention. Try to develop a personal connection with the reader from the start of your essay- readers are more likely to remember you if you give them something personal.

Take a look at the following two examples:

• Example #1: It is important to take responsibility for your actions for a few reasons.
• Example #2: December 2, 2015 was the day my life took a major turning point.

Do you notice the difference? Which example makes you feel like you want to know more about the writer? Of course, example #2. This is the effect that your essay introduction should have on the reader.

Be sure to maintain a unique voice in your introduction and throughout your essay. Remember that there are many other accomplished students like yourself who are fighting for the scholarship. Dive into your passions and share with the reader what makes you special.

Here are things you should avoid doing in the introduction paragraph:

• Avoid using big words only to sound intelligent. Your introduction should sound natural.
• Avoid starting your essay with quotes; those are somebody else’s words, not your own. Instead, use your own words and let your personality shine in the essay.
• Avoid obvious statements such as “I am interested in this scholarship.”
• Avoid introducing yourself

Also, remember to keep in mind the values of the organization or the school that you are writing the scholarship for. Express yourself in a way that the readers will appreciate. Yes, it’s important to be yourself. But, it’s also important to share the side of yourself that your reader will appreciate. To find this information out, you must research your audience to know what their values are.

Adapt your personal statement for different scholarships. Finally, make sure that you understand the instructions and essay questions before you begin writing.

Scholarship Essay Introduction Example:

Prompt: Please give the committee an idea of who you are and why you are the perfect candidate for the scholarship.

• Scholarship Essay

David Tabachnikov is the CEO of ScholarshipOwl. Formerly at Waze and Google, David is an experienced CTO/R&D manager with over 10 years of experience of leading tech teams. David fervently believes that students should have greater access to education, and is passionate about using technology to help them achieve that goal.

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Crafting Compelling Scholarship Essays: An In-Depth Guide to Making Your Mark

In the diverse and dynamic landscape of scholarship opportunities , it's not uncommon to stumble upon some unique, obscure options that may not attract a multitude of applicants. However, unless you're fortunate enough to discover such a niche and exclusive opportunity, you'll inevitably find yourself in a highly competitive environment vying for that coveted college scholarship award. The competitive nature of these opportunities is a universal truth, a consistent element that brings both thrill and challenge to every hopeful college student seeking to lighten their financial burden through these awards.

The fierceness of the competition is particularly intense when it comes to scholarship essays. These contests, attractive due to their straightforward entry requirements or substantial monetary awards, tend to draw a plethora of candidates from all walks of life. The potential scholarship money reward often outweighs the efforts needed to apply, making these contests an alluring target for a wide array of school students. Hence, the number of applications for these scholarships escalates significantly, causing a spike in competition levels that can be as exhilarating as it is daunting.

Consider, if you will, the colossal responsibility resting on the shoulders of the scholarship committees who are choosing the few scholarship winners. They find themselves facing a mountainous pile of college essays, each representing a student's hopes, dreams, career goals, and potential future.

In this scenario of high-stakes scholarship program contests, the thesis statement to your essay becomes a critical piece of your college application. It's not merely an opening paragraph or a preliminary summary of your thoughts. The scholarship essay introduction serves as your initial personal statement, the opening essay topic of your application symphony, and the spark that can ignite a genuine interest in your life story filled with personal experiences.

Capturing the Reader's Attention: The First Sentence

The initial sentence of your scholarship application is your first, best, and perhaps only opportunity to seize your reader's attention. If you're aiming to optimize your chances of bagging scholarships, you need to understand how to launch your essay on the right foot.

Outlined below are several tips to aid you in crafting an attention-grabbing introduction that steps through the door and grants your application the attention it rightfully deserves.

Crafting Your Introduction: Tips and Tricks

• Embrace Authenticity - Put it in Your Words: Though commencing with an inspirational quote is a prevalent tactic in speeches and certain forms of the essay writing process, it might not be the most effective strategy for a scholarship application essay. Beginning with a famous quote demonstrates to the reviewer that you're capable of reading, but it doesn't offer much insight into you or your ideas. Kick off with your own words and if a quote fortifies or elevates your argument, contemplate incorporating it later in your entire essay.
• Steer Clear of Clichés and Overused Phrases: One of your essay's key objectives should be to set you apart from the crowd, and it won't achieve this if it merely regurgitates the same trite expressions that everyone else uses. Bear in mind that the scholarship provider reviewing your essay will likely be perusing hundreds or possibly thousands of applications. What might seem clever or adorable the first time quickly loses its charm after the 50th or 100th repetition. A good principle to abide by is that if a phrase belongs on a bumper sticker or in an e-mail from your mom, it probably has no place in your scholarship essay.
• Establish a Personal Connection: If your experiences offer you a unique viewpoint on the essay's subject matter, reveal this to your reader. Many people are drawn to personal anecdotes, given that the tales are captivating and well-narrated. Make sure that the life experiences shared in your story actually enhance your essay and bolsters your overall message. Be careful not to get overly dramatic, and don't let your introduction get bogged down in an overly long, intricate, or irrelevant narrative but do mention all of your academic performances.
• Venture Beyond the Typical - Say Something New: Are you arguing a point that deviates significantly from the usual array of canned responses? Consider leading with your thesis statement, or at least some of the insights or revelations that steered your essay towards the hot topic of your choice. There's no superior way to differentiate yourself from a stack of fairly standard responses than to contribute something fresh and thought-provoking with your scholarship application.

With a robust introduction and a thoughtful, well-crafted response, you're well on your journey to authoring an essay worthy of a scholarship award.

Scholarship Essay Example

Title: unleashing ai's potential in battling climate change: my journey towards a green future.

Being a graduate student in computer science often feels like standing at the edge of a vast ocean, watching the waves of artificial intelligence (AI) crash onto the shores of every possible discipline, reshaping landscapes as we know them. In my view, nowhere is this transformative wave needed more urgently than in the realm of environmental conservation.

Climate change, a looming specter of our own making, has ceased to be a distant alarm - it is at our doorstep. Traditional methods have made strides but fall short when it comes to the scale of the task. This is where my chosen focus, AI, steps in - not as a magic wand, but as a potent tool in our toolkit.

AI’s ability to sift through mountains of data and draw out patterns can provide us with a deeper, more nuanced understanding of our environment. For example, analyzing satellite images can track deforestation, spot illegal fishing activities, or anticipate wildfires. These capabilities scratch just the tip of the AI iceberg.

Peering into the future is another strength of AI. It can help us predict various climate scenarios, enabling us to prepare and adapt better. Whether it's forecasting water shortages or anticipating extreme weather patterns, AI gives us a valuable head start against these challenges.

AI’s potential influence also extends to industrial and agricultural sectors. Algorithms can help optimize energy consumption, reduce waste, and minimize carbon footprints. In farming, AI can predict crop yields, manage water resources, and control pesticide usage, thus fostering a sustainable way to feed our ballooning population.

The journey of employing AI for environmental conservation, however, isn't without bumps. There are real concerns around data privacy, the digital divide, and the ethical implications of AI decision-making that demand attention. Transparency, fairness, and accountability are principles we must uphold in our AI systems.

As I stand on the precipice of my research, I acknowledge these challenges. But far from being deterred, I feel a surge of resolve. I am confident that a judicious mix of technological advancements, policy frameworks, and our innate capacity for innovation can help us navigate this complex terrain.

Winning this scholarship would catapult my research into new heights. It would enable me to probe deeper into the intersection of AI and environmental conservation, to collaborate with thought leaders across disciplines, and potentially to design AI solutions that make a substantial impact.

It isn't just a route towards a sustainable future; it's a lifeline for our very existence. I am thrilled about what lies ahead and am eager to leave a positive imprint on this world through my work. After all, our capacity to adapt and innovate is the essence of humanity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should i avoid when writing a scholarship essay.

Steer clear of clichés, overused phrases, or information that doesn't support your argument. Also, avoid being overly dramatic or straying from the essay prompt. You need to follow the scholarship essay format and make sure that you check all the boxes when it comes to the scholarship application process. As much as you might want to, don't get carried away with fonts, stick to Times New Roman in 12-point font size. And don't be boring; write something you would actually want to read.

Can I start my essay with a quote?

Please don't. And don't start with "Webster's dictionary describes..." It's been done to death and no essay reader will find it compelling or set you apart from the rest of the essays they're reading. At least not in a positive way. Starting with your own words typically helps to establish a personal connection and set the tone for your essay.

How do I stand out in a scholarship essay?

Be yourself and speak from your unique perspective. Be genuine and ensure your essay reflects who you are. A fresh, thought-provoking idea can also set you apart.

Is it okay to reuse a scholarship essay for multiple applications?

You may find it much more efficient to do so, acutally. Just be sure to read the rules and instructions very carefully. If you can "re-use" an essay you've already written with some editing, it could save you hours of your valuable time. However, it's crucial to tailor each application to the specific scholarship and its unique requirements. Recycling an essay without adjusting it can make your application seem impersonal and unthoughtful.

How long should my scholarship essay be?

The length of your essay can vary depending on the scholarship's requirements. Typically, the number of words or characters or pages, font size and spacing will be specified in the official rules. Always stick to the guidelines provided. If no length is specified, aim for 500-1000 words, as this is a standard length that allows for depth without becoming too lengthy.

Should I share my scholarship essay with others for feedback before submitting it?

Absolutely, it can be extremely beneficial to have others review your essay. They can provide constructive criticism, catch any typos or grammatical errors, and provide an outside perspective to ensure your message is clear and compelling.

How to Write a Scholarship Essay - The Complete Guide

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 12/8/23

If you’re a student hoping to secure a scholarship, it’s vital to understand how to write a scholarship essay. Keep reading to learn how. 

Scholarship essays provide an opportunity for students to showcase their aspirations to scholarship committees and serve as a platform to demonstrate academic achievements, leadership abilities, community involvement, and future goals. 

They play a crucial role in determining the recipients of financial assistance , as they allow committees to assess candidates' suitability for the scholarship. By carefully crafting a compelling scholarship essay, you can significantly increase your chances of getting funding for your education and opening doors to your future.

There are a ton of diverse scholarships to choose from, including many full-ride scholarships , providing students with ample opportunities to pursue their education without the burden of financial constraints. Some excellent scholarships include the Fulbright Scholarship and the National Merit Scholarship , among many others. 

If you’re seeking guidance on how to write a good scholarship essay, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll go over everything you need to know and show you examples of successful scholarship essays. 

10 Tips to Write a Successful Scholarship Essay

Crafting quality scholarship essays requires careful planning, thoughtful execution, and a deep understanding of what scholarship committees are looking for. Here are some key strategies and scholarship essay tips to help you create a standout essay:

Understand the Prompt

Start by thoroughly understanding the essay prompt and any specific guidelines provided. Pay attention to the key themes, requirements, and expectations outlined.

Research and Personalize

Researching the scholarship organization is crucial. Understand their values and goals, and ensure your essay reflects them. Show genuine interest and connection.

Thorough research helps tailor your essay, aligning with the scholarship's objectives. It demonstrates dedication and sets you apart.

Research also provides compelling information, supporting your arguments and boosting credibility. A well-researched essay effectively communicates your qualifications and motivations.

Tell Your Unique Story

Your essay should reflect your authentic voice and experiences. Share personal anecdotes and impactful moments that highlight your character, resilience, and achievements. Make it compelling and memorable.

Be Clear and Concise

Write with clarity and precision. Use simple and concise language to effectively convey your ideas. Avoid unnecessary jargon or complex sentences that may confuse the reader. Taking care of both writing simplicity and conciseness at once may not be easy for some of you. If you are one of them, then get some help from a summarizer . It will quickly make your given essay both simple and short by removing all the unnecessary words and phrases.

Structure and Organization

Develop a well-structured essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Ensure a logical flow of ideas and maintain coherence throughout the essay.

Address the Selection Criteria

Explicitly address the selection criteria specified by the scholarship committee. Showcase how you meet and exceed their expectations, emphasizing your academic excellence, leadership skills, community involvement, or any other relevant qualities.

Proofread and Edit

Always proofread your essay for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and clarity of expression. Edit it to improve sentence structure, coherence, and overall effectiveness. Consider seeking feedback from teachers, mentors, or peers.

Stand Out and Be Memorable

Capture the attention of the reader with a strong opening and a compelling conclusion. Be creative, passionate, and genuine. Make your essay memorable by showcasing your unique perspective and contributions.

Follow Instructions and Deadlines

Ensure that your essay adheres to all the guidelines and requirements set by the scholarship program. Submit your essay well in advance to avoid any last-minute complications.

Be sure to look into specific guidelines and instructions to avoid scholarship displacement . Always read the fine print!

Revise and Refine

Continuously revise and refine your essay. Seek feedback, incorporate suggestions, and make necessary improvements. Aim for a polished and refined final draft.

Remember, writing a winning scholarship essay takes time and effort. Stay true to yourself, express your aspirations, and demonstrate your potential. With careful attention to detail, you can write an engaging essay that sets you apart and increases your chances of securing the scholarship you desire.

Mistakes to Avoid in a Scholarship Essay

It can easily fall into certain common traps when writing your scholarship essays. Here are some errors that you need to stay far, far away from! 

• Not Answering the Question or Prompt : Don’t let your essay wander off-topic; it makes you look thoughtless and absent-minded. To show that you’ve read the instructions and care about writing a good essay, stay focused on what the prompt asked you to write about. 
• Using Quotes : Not only are quotes often cliche, but they also take up valuable space in your essay. You only have a certain number of words to play with, and your readers want to know about you , not Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. 
• Repeating Your Application : Your scholarship essay is a place for you to provide new information that can’t be found anywhere else on your application. Use it to talk about your passions, motivations, and future goals - things that the committee couldn’t otherwise know about. 
• Telling, Not Showing : Use examples and anecdotes to show the committee who you are. Don’t just say, “I’m a very determined person.” Instead, share a story about a time you demonstrated determination to prove it.  
• Not Proofreading : Avoid grammar and spelling errors at all costs! Almost nothing makes you look less professional than a typo. Proofread your work several times. You can even ask friends or family members to read it over for you, too. 

Scholarship Essay Format

The scholarship essay format plays an important role in effectively conveying your story to the scholarship committee. While specific requirements may vary, there are some common elements to include in your essay.

Introduction

Begin with an opening that grabs the reader's attention and introduces the main theme or topic of your essay. The introduction is an important part of a scholarship essay as it sets the tone and serves as your first opportunity to make a strong impression and engage the scholarship committee. 

A well-crafted introduction should provide a clear overview of your essay's main theme and establish a sense of your unique voice and perspective. Your introduction should compel the reader to keep reading.

Personal Statement

Your personal statement is a chance to share everything that shapes your academic journey. To write a strong one, it’s always helpful to draw inspiration from personal statement samples . They can help demonstrate how to stand out by highlighting achievements and lessons learned.

Scholarship committees seek academic excellence, leadership, and community involvement. Align your values with the scholarship's mission and show how you'll contribute positively to your field or community.

Goals and Aspirations

Clearly articulate your educational and career goals, explaining how the scholarship will contribute to your future plans and how you intend to make a positive impact in your chosen field.

Clearly expressing your goals in a scholarship essay allows the scholarship committee to understand your commitment and aspirations. It shows you have a clear plan for your future and that the scholarship funds will be used effectively to support your educational and career endeavors. 

Articulating your goals also helps the committee assess how well the scholarship aligns with your ambitions, increasing your chances of being selected as a deserving candidate.

Relevance to Scholarship

A key part of grasping how to write a scholarship essay is understanding how to make it contextually relevant. Connect your experiences, goals, and values to the specific scholarship you’re applying for. Explain why you’re an ideal candidate and how the scholarship aligns with your academic, professional, or personal aspirations.

Let's say you’re applying for a scholarship that supports students pursuing environmental science. In your essay, you would want to demonstrate your passion for environmental conservation and your dedication to making a positive impact in this field. 

You can start by sharing a personal anecdote about a formative experience that sparked your interest in environmental science, such as participating in a community cleanup or witnessing the effects of pollution in your hometown.

Next, you can highlight your academic achievements and extracurricular activities related to the environment, such as taking relevant coursework, conducting research on sustainable practices, or volunteering for environmental organizations. 

You can emphasize specific projects you’ve worked on, such as creating a recycling initiative at your school or organizing a tree-planting campaign.

You should also directly address how the scholarship aligns with your goals and aspirations. For example, you can mention how receiving the scholarship would enable you to pursue advanced studies in environmental science, conduct research on climate change, or develop innovative solutions to environmental challenges. 

It’s helpful to emphasize how the scholarship will not only support your academic journey but also empower you to contribute to the scholarship organization's mission and make a meaningful difference in the field of environmental science.

By weaving together your personal experiences, academic achievements, and future goals in a way that directly relates to the scholarship's focus on environmental science, you can create a scholarship essay that resonates with the scholarship committee.

Supporting Evidence

If you're wondering how to write a good scholarship essay that still feels like you, remember to tie in your own experiences. A key part of doing this effectively is providing evidence to support your narrative. 

Provide examples, anecdotes, and specific achievements to support your claims and demonstrate your qualifications. Use vivid language and storytelling techniques to make your essay engaging and memorable. Consider including the following to strengthen your essay.

• Academic achievements
• Extracurricular activities
• Volunteer and community service
• Work experience
• Personal challenges and growth
• Research or projects
• Excerpts from letters of recommendations

Summarize your key points, reiterate your passion for your chosen field, and express gratitude for the opportunity to be considered for the scholarship.

Remember to adhere to any specific formatting guidelines provided by the scholarship committee, such as word count limits, font styles, or document structure. Proofread your essay carefully for grammar, spelling, and coherence.

It’s also a good idea to consider seeking feedback from teachers, mentors, or writing centers to enhance the overall quality of your essay.

Common Scholarship Essay Prompts

The following scholarship essay prompts are courtesy of the University of Alaska . Use them to brainstorm how you’ll approach your own scholarship essays. If you land a scholarship interview , you’ll likely face similar questions to these as well. 

Looking closely at these prompts will help you understand how to write a scholarship application essay. 

Tell Us About a Mistake You Made or a Time You Failed and What You Learned. 

Mistakes happen to everyone—it's a fact of life. But here's the thing: acknowledging your mistakes shows maturity and readiness for college. It's not just about admitting you messed up; it's about explaining what you learned and how you've grown as an individual. Interviewers value self-awareness and a willingness to learn from slip-ups.

Scholarship providers understand that perfection doesn't exist. They're interested in how you've learned from failures, whether they were academic, professional, or personal. Break down the failure, its reasons, and how it ultimately made you a better person.

Additionally, share a valuable lesson you've gained, like how you would approach similar situations in the future or how that experience transformed your life. This is your chance to showcase your ability to learn and persevere, leaving a lasting impression.

Tell Us About a Time When You Had a Belief or Idea Challenged. 

Have you ever been abroad or taken a family trip to a foreign country? You may have had an eye-opening conversation with a teacher, religious leader, or friend. Here's something to think about: recall a moment that pushed your beliefs or ideas to the edge–or maybe even changed them completely.

Start by explaining your initial understanding of the idea, then dive into that moment when it got challenged. Where were you? Who were you with? What were you feeling? Share all the juicy details!

Afterward, talk about how it impacted you. Did it make you question everything? Or did it open your mind to new possibilities? Scholarship providers love to see reflection and growth, so make sure to paint the whole picture in your essay.

What Is Your Greatest Strength? 

If you're a skilled performer, talk about how much you loved your high school drama class or share your approach to tackling a monologue. If math is your thing, share a story about how you helped someone get a handle on the quadratic formula. This is also a good question for an athletic scholarship essay. 

For the writers out there, let them know about your talent and how it has brought positivity to your life or how you use it to assist others. No matter what your strength is, be specific and provide examples to back it up. Show them why you're exceptional in your field, and let your skills shine through.

What Is Your Biggest Weakness? 

When discussing your weaknesses, it's important to present them in a positive light. Let's say you struggle with time management. Instead of simply admitting this, you can explain how you recognized the issue and took proactive steps to improve. 

For example, you could share how you implemented a daily planner or started using time management apps to stay organized and meet deadlines effectively. Be honest about the initial difficulties you faced, but emphasize the strategies you adopted to overcome this weakness.

By demonstrating your proactive approach and growth mindset, you show that you're committed to personal development and constantly striving for improvement.

Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years? 

You don't need to have your entire future figured out, but the scholarship committee wants to know you have some sort of plan. What are your goals in college? And what do you see yourself doing after graduation? 

Show how this scholarship can help you achieve those goals and give you a head start. Maybe you’re hoping to pursue a specific career or make a difference in your community. 

Talk about how this opportunity will give you the resources, support, or experiences you need to succeed. Let them see your vision and how this scholarship fits into your game plan. 

Scholarship Essay Examples

You can find real-life samples of successful scholarship essays below, provided by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Penn State . Use them as a source of inspiration and to guide you in your own writing journey. 

These scholarship letter examples will offer insights into the content and writing style that can help you craft a compelling essay that stands out among the competition.

Scholarship Personal Statement Example A

Feet like lightning. Arms pressed to the sides. Instruments sounding like nothing I had previously heard. The airing of Riverdance on PBS was my first introduction to anything that could be considered “traditional Irish.” At that time, I had been dancing since I was five years old, so this newfound form of dance was naturally intriguing. My interest in dance and the arts continued to grow and at the age of nine, I began to play the flute. Almost immediately, music was my passion, and I knew someday I wanted to perform. For years, I focused solely on concert flute repertoire, assuming I would become a concert performer. During high school, though, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a hammered dulcimer player who gave me notated Irish music to read, and my interest skyrocketed. I began to listen to traditional Irish groups such as the Chieftains and “Celtic rock” groups such as Seven Nations. During my sophomore year as a flute performance major at Mythic University, I realized study in Ireland was the only way for me to properly learn traditional Irish music and culture.

Fall 20xx was my semester in the Junior Year Abroad (JYA) program at University College Dublin (UCD). Because the JYA program required two areas of emphasis, chose Music and Celtic Civilization. Before arriving in Ireland, I knew the music department at UCD did not offer lessons with private instructors, so I contacted Mr. Bill Dowdall, professor at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and principal flautist of the National Concert Orchestra. Mr. Dowdall was willing to give me “classical flute” lessons, but he did not play traditional Irish music (often called “trad”). As my main reason for going to Ireland was to learn trad music, I had to find a teacher. With the help of Mr. Adrian Scahill, my “Irish Traditional Music” lecturer at UCD, and Mr. Dowdall, I found an Irish flute teacher, Mr. Seán Ò Broin.

At least once every week during my time in Ireland, I went to McNeill’s Traditional Music Shop on Capel Street in Dublin to take a trad lesson with Mr. Ò Broin. Irish music is an aural tradition—meaning that in order to perform it authentically, one must learn tunes by ear. Being trained classically, I was used to reading notes on a page, but one cannot analyze Irish music from a classical viewpoint. Trad is a separate and unique art form with its own set of special rules. I learned that lesson firsthand and through an ethnomusicology course at UCD.

Since returning to the United States, I have observed that most people who play Irish music read from “fake books,” which tend to approximate and simplify the complicated, time-honored tradition. Irish music must be learned aurally and personalized by each player with her own ornamentation, nuances, and interpretation of her teacher’s style. I realize that when it comes to seriously studying traditional Irish music, I have only scratched the surface with one semester of lessons. I must return to Ireland if I am to continue the pursuit of knowledge that was begun.

During my graduate study in Ireland, I plan to attend the Irish World Music Centre (IWMC) at the University of Limerick to attain the MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance. The Centre is the only one of its kind in the world, and the degree is unique to this university. Although University College Cork offers a one-year MA in Music, and NUI Maynooth offers a one-year MA in Music (Performance and Musicology), the IWMC is the only school to offer Irish Traditional Music Performance. At my target University of Limerick program, advanced instrumental tuition is provided by world-renowned traditional performers and tutors, and the examinations of repertoire sources and styles of performance are supplemented by important modern non-performance skills such as music business and music technology. The IWMC offers other specialized courses besides my proposed MA, and elective modules in the program will allow me to pursue some of my other interests.

I believe other interests are an integral part of my education and plan to continue gaining more knowledge in each area while studying abroad again. Classes offered through the Irish Traditional Dance and Contemporary Dance Performance programs at the IWMC will allow me to further my dance knowledge outside my world of ballet. Mr. Niall Keegan, Course Director of my prospective MA program, tells me there will be

opportunities to continue my concert studies in ensembles. Not only do I plan to continue with concert flute studies, I also intend to teach private classical lessons. My first ethnomusicology experience at UCD whetted my appetite for exposure to diverse musical cultures and inspired me to apply for the newly approved International Arts Minor at Mythic University. Classes through the Ethnomusicology program at the IWMC will teach me more about other cultures and their special musical traditions. Irish language studies will broaden my understanding of Irish music traditions, and I look forward to beginning these classes while in the country.

Eventually, my goal is to perform in ensembles that incorporate varying musical styles, especially Irish traditional music. Since returning from Dublin, I have led workshops, given recitals, performed a jury for the Mythic University woodwind faculty, and spoken with many people about my Irish learning experiences. My joy comes from educating people about trad music through performance and conversation. I am determined to follow my ambition to share this passion. When my JYA semester ended with my first experience studying in Ireland, I realized how much more I needed to learn about traditional Irish music and culture. I do not merely want to study in Ireland; I must study in Ireland if I plan to pursue my passion. Now, with the Mitchell Scholarship and its many benefits, mastery of Ireland’s distinct musical art form and immersion in its culture are within my grasp. It is an honor to be considered for this perfect opportunity.

Why It Works 

This scholarship sample effectively communicates the applicant's passion for traditional Irish music and their dedication to pursuing a career in the field. The essay starts with an engaging opening anecdote that introduces the writer’s interest in Irish culture and the development of their passion for traditional music. 

The essay also highlights their specific goals, such as participating in the unique program at IWMC, and how this experience will contribute to their growth as musicians, artists, and performers. It also demonstrates the writer’s drive and ambition through the story of how they needed to search for a teacher.  

This essay does a good job of emphasizing the applicant's passion, determination, and resilience, as well as their reliance on the Mitchell Scholarship to make their educational goals a reality. Overall, the essay combines personal experiences, career aspirations, and financial need to make a compelling case for the scholarship.

Scholarship Personal Statement Example B

“I have enough faith in human nature to believe that when people are both economically secure and aware of the value of biological wealth they will take the necessary measures to protect their environment. Out of that commitment will grow new knowledge and enrichment of the human spirit beyond our present imagination" - Edward O. Wilson 

The Earth and every tiny microbe that dwells here is my inspiration, and the intricate functions of a single cell are the only proof I need to believe that the spirit lies in life itself. My one goal is to do anything I can to protect the purity of life.

I am astounded by the rate at which we destroy what can never be replaced, but I have not lost hope. Since I have been at Ohio University I have explored many different areas of study, always pursuing a way to defend the defenseless. 

Through our environmental group at school, Campus Greens, I began to realize the Earth needs scientists who are willing to speak for it. Our latest goal has been to stop long-wall coal mining in Dysart Woods, a virgin forest in Ohio. Many people believe the mine will destroy the woods. 

However, there is not enough evidence to back up that claim. I feel the only way to end the destruction of the forests is through evidence of its importance. During my junior year of high school, I studied in Israel for a quarter. This was the single most important experience of my life.

I saw how diverse life is and how beautiful all of those differences are. In three months my world expanded halfway around the globe. I began to realize that there were millions of species I knew nothing about. 

This idea is what draws me to Costa Rica. I would love to study the amazing diversity of life that the rainforests offer and the communities that they support. What intrigued me the most about Israel was the way Zionists had managed to grow food in a desert. They came and transformed a barren land into a garden.

 Digging into deep rocks to find aquifers and developing elaborate drip irrigation systems to conserve water permitted the beginning of a new culture with new crops. The entire society grew from a dream of living in peace with enough food to eat. 

When I learned about this I decided that after graduating I would like to go into the Peace Corps. My goal is to help improve agriculture in third-world countries, without imposing cultural assimilation. I feel this program would give me insight into rural communities that thrive without submitting to Westernization. 

Eventually, I would like to become a professor of Tropical Agriculture. Since I have been at Ohio University, I have realized what an impact one instructor can have on future generations. Last year I took a class entitled, "Plants and People". We learned about various plants, their origin, and how they have affected humans. 

While the subject was interesting, it was the professor that inspired me. Her lectures came to life with slides of trips she had taken and stories of collecting cassava with local shamans. Her passion is what led me to pursue Tropical Agriculture. I feel that the best teachers are those who can share their own experiences.

I also feel that knowledge gained through experience is of greater value than hours of reading. When I am able to meet the people and smell the plants that I am learning about, the lesson becomes my reality. It is hard for me to comprehend the full beauty that lies in Costa Rica. 

Hopefully, this program will give me the opportunity to explore what textbooks have only begun to explain. 

This scholarship essay does a good job of emphasizing the applicant's deep commitment to environmental conservation and their determination to create a meaningful impact on the world. 

The essay begins with a powerful quote that sets the tone for the applicant's commitment to protecting the environment. It highlights their involvement in environmental activism, such as their efforts to stop long-wall coal mining and their belief in the importance of scientific evidence in environmental advocacy. 

This essay also demonstrates the applicant's global perspective gained through studying in Israel and their aspiration to join the Peace Corps to improve agriculture in developing countries. Additionally, it emphasizes the applicant's desire to become a professor of Tropical Agriculture and their belief in the value of experiential learning. 

Overall, this scholarship essay combines personal experiences, environmental advocacy, and career aspirations to make a compelling case for the scholarship.

FAQs: Writing a Scholarship Essay

Are you still wondering how to write a scholarship essay? Here are some frequently asked questions and expert guidance on writing good essays that will increase your chances of securing scholarships.

1. How Do You Start a Scholarship Essay?

To start a scholarship essay, begin with a captivating introduction that grabs the reader's attention and clearly states your purpose. Introduce yourself and provide background information relevant to the scholarship. 

Consider using a compelling anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful statement to engage the reader from the very beginning.

2. What Is the Format for a Scholarship Essay?

The format for a scholarship essay typically follows a standard structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Your introduction should both grab your reader’s attention as well as introduce the topic. 

The body paragraphs should present your main ideas, provide supporting evidence, and showcase your achievements and experiences. The conclusion should then summarize your main points and leave a lasting impression on the reader. It's important to adhere to any specific formatting guidelines provided by the scholarship organization.

3. What Not to Write in a Scholarship Essay?

When writing a scholarship essay, it's important to avoid certain pitfalls. First, avoid sharing irrelevant or unrelated information that does not contribute to your application. Second, steer clear of excessive self-promotion or bragging.

Instead, focus on highlighting your accomplishments and experiences with humility. Make sure to avoid controversial or sensitive topics that may offend or alienate the reader. Lastly, be cautious about using clichés or generic statements that don’t highlight your unique qualities or perspectives.

Now that you have a solid understanding of how to write your essay, you can get started. If you ever need a refresher, simply refer back to this guide. 

Mastering the art of writing a scholarship essay can open doors to numerous educational opportunities and financial support. By following the complete guide we've provided on how to write a scholarship essay, you now have the tools and knowledge to understand exactly how to ace your essay.

Remember to carefully plan your essay, focus on highlighting your strengths, and demonstrate your passion and commitment. With practice and dedication, you can craft a scholarship essay that sets you apart and increases your chances of getting the scholarship you deserve. Best of luck on your scholarship essay journey!

Final Thoughts

Writing a scholarship essay gives students a chance to potentially secure valuable educational opportunities, like getting into prestigious Ivy League schools . It also helps to reduce the high costs of education and is a great option for students who are on a tight budget or are applying from out of state . 

Be sure to follow our guide on how to write a scholarship essay, and make sure you have a clear understanding of the essay prompt before highlighting your personal experiences and achievements in your responses. 

Remember to proofread your essay and seek feedback for that extra polish. So, start writing, believe in yourself, and you’ll make a lasting impression with your scholarship essay. It's your time to shine and secure that scholarship!

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This is your time to shine!

When you apply for a scholarship, you have to submit an essay for it! Many students face a lot of issues, one of which is how to write a compelling scholarship essay that showcases their strengths and sets them apart from the competition. Don't worry; this is an issue we will help you solve by teaching you everything you need to know about how to write a scholarship essay, from how to start a scholarship essay to how to end one! So, let's dive right into it!

What is a Scholarship Essay?

A scholarship essay is a crucial component of the application process when seeking financial aid for your educational pursuits. It serves as a platform to persuasively articulate why you are a deserving candidate. It also shows how to write a scholarship essay that sets you apart from the competition. This essay is submitted with the scholarship application, and it is your one opportunity to demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the scholarship. Now, let us get started on the writing part of a scholarship essay:

How to Write a Scholarship Essay?

Let's discuss how to write a scholarship essay! Here are a few things to keep in mind on how to write a scholarship essay. One simple tip about a scholarship essay is just to make sure that your essay provides insight into your vision and experience, which ultimately defines you and your passion for your study subject. Here are a few points to note when you write an essay on a scholarship.

Step 1: Hook your reader from the start

If you have questions about how to start an essay? Try including a quote or phrase related to your planned course that you may later introduce in the essay. Giving an idea about your interest in the subject will persuade the committee. Showing a broader understanding of your subject can assist in convincing the judges to provide you with the financial aid you need. 

Step 2: Understand your audience

When you start to write your essay for a scholarship, you need to know your target audience, in this case, the scholarship committee; you need to understand their requirements and expectations. Find out their ideal prospect and make sure you fit into that vision. Make a list of key points you want to include in your essay. You don't have to give up your vision; modify your essay to fit their parameters.

Step 3. Read the scholarship essay prompts carefully

When you think about how to start a scholarship essay, the biggest tip is to read the essay prompts thoroughly. You must comply with the appropriate essay prompt structure and word count. Also, double-check that you are simply replying to all prompt sections.

Step 4. Get to know the scholarship provider

Read about the corporation or organisation in charge of the scholarship programme. You will find their mission and requirements on their website; this is one of the best tips on how to write a scholarship essay. This can help you customise your essay according to their needs. Many scholarship sponsors also showcase former scholarship winners on their websites, often with the winning essay. Examine what the scholarship provider says about prior winners to determine which of your qualities to emphasise in your essay.

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Step 5. share your authenticity.

One of the best tips on how to write a scholarship essay is that your life and experiences are essential and significant! You are not required to fabricate or invent details to appear more deserving of the scholarship money. Your authenticity is your power; use it for your gain. It is recommended to show and not tell, as it is evident for the readers to spot such things. Instead of just explaining everything, try constructing a vivid image for the reader. Don't just claim you're stressed out because you're juggling employment and high school; make a mental image and provide clear, credible instances. 

Gain a competitive edge by delving into the intricacies of scholarship opportunities in sought-after destinations such as Australia, Ireland, and the US. Your journey to academic excellence begins with the wisdom shared in our insightful blogs on student scholarships in Australia , scholarships in Ireland and if you want to apply in the US, then there is a blog on top scholarships in the USA for international students.

Step 6. Seek feedback and guidance on your writing

To make your essay stand out, it's important to seek out writing advice and guidance from reliable sources when you are lost on how to write a scholarship essay. Your academic advisor can provide valuable insights into the writing process, such as how to write a scholarship essay, how to start a scholarship essay, and how to make your argument compelling. There are plenty of online resources that can help you improve your writing skills, such as grammar and style guides, online writing courses, and writing communities where you can get feedback on your work.

Step 7. Ensure your scholarship essay is free from grammatical errors

Make sure you proofread your essay and look for grammatical errors. You can scan your essay through various grammar-checking websites before submitting your essay.

Scholarship Essay Format

One of the key aspects of how to write a scholarship essay is to write a compelling argument to stand out from the competition and convince the selection committee that you are the best candidate for the award. However, it is equally important to pay attention to the essay format. We will discuss the important things to remember and include in a scholarship essay format.

1. Fonts to use for scholarship essay

One tip on how to write a scholarship essay is to stick to a consistent professional style. This includes 1-inch page margins, a 12-point font size double-spaced, and a "standard" script like Times New Roman in classic black. Don't experiment with fonts or colours here. You want the content of your essay to stand out, not your unconventional formatting.

2. Scholarship essay title

The essay submission format determines this. You can copy and paste the body of your essay without a title if there is a text box entry. If you attach an essay as a Word or PDF document, you can include a title, although this is usually unnecessary unless there are specific scholarship essay format rules. Also, there is no need to add the essay question or prompt at the top of your essay.

3. Scholarship essay structure

The structure of the essay is a very crucial element. The structure of the essay helps you make a blueprint and guides you in deciding which points have to be included under which section. This is a format that is generally used when you think about how to write a scholarship essay. 

Introduction

When you think about how to start a scholarship essay, it needs to draw the attention of the reader with a catchy beginning line relating to the question. Introduce your significant points, which you will discuss later in your essay. Include a strong point that proves your determination and drive to attend college.

Extend your critical points in the essay for a scholarship here. Support your claims with proof, examples, and facts. This is the section where you can tell the committee how you got to where you are now, what inspired your hobbies, interests, or desire to attend college, and how the essay for a scholarship will help you reach your academic, personal, and career goals . 

Describe how earning this award might help you achieve your goals and have a broader community impact, if any. Explain how critical this scholarship is to you, not only financially but also in terms of helping you reach your goals, and this is how to end a scholarship essay. You can know more through our blog on how to write personal statements . 

Scholarship Essay Examples

Receiving multiple smaller scholarship awards can be life-changing and help you achieve your college and professional goals. The following scholarship essays demonstrate how to write a winning scholarship essay for any university:

Scholarship Essay Example #1: New York University College of Arts and Science Essay

"Although I agree that I will never be able to support myself only via ice skating, the education and talents I have obtained have opened endless avenues. Ice skating has given me the work ethic, resilience and inspiration to grow as a teacher and English speaker. It has helped my academic performance by instilling in me the importance of rhythm, health, and routine."

Scholarship Essay Example #2: North Coast Section Foundation Scholarship-Winning Essay

"My parents pushed me to respect school when I was five years old because they were born in Vietnam and had limited access to education. Because of this disadvantage, I learnt to take everything seriously and to give everything I had to fulfil projects like founding my school's Badminton Club in my fresher year and the Red Cross Club this year. The more I got involved, the more I grew as a leader and as a person. As a leader, I acted the same way I did with my younger cousins and siblings."

Scholarship Essay Example #3: University of California, Berkeley Scholarship Essay

"My passion for computer science began in middle school when I discovered the power of coding to create and solve problems. Since then, I've dedicated countless hours to learning programming languages and developing my skills. Last summer, I had the opportunity to intern at a local tech company, where I contributed to a real-world software project and gained invaluable experience working in a professional environment. This experience solidified my desire to pursue a career in software engineering and make a positive impact through technology."

Scholarship Essay Example #4: Georgia Institute of Technology Scholarship Essay

"As a first-generation college student, I understand the value of education and the sacrifices my parents made to provide me with opportunities they never had. Their unwavering support and belief in me have been my greatest motivators. Through my involvement in various extracurricular activities, including volunteering at a local community centre and tutoring underprivileged children, I've developed a deep appreciation for giving back and making a difference in others' lives. Pursuing a degree in engineering will allow me to combine my love for science and mathematics with my passion for helping others."

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Scholarship Essay Prompts

Are you struggling to come up with ideas on how to write a scholarship essay? There are plenty of standard essay prompts and topics out there to guide you. These prompts will help you get started on your essay for a scholarship and give it a definite structure. Let's explore some useful scholarship essay prompts that you can use to write a scholarship essay.

1. My family members

2. My part-time job efforts in high school

3. The doors I have opened

4. My dreams and inspiration

5. Learning for the best - how (person) changed my life

6. The person who is influenced by views

7. Goals I will achieve in 10 years

8. What differentiates you from the hundreds of students who apply for our scholarships?

9. How has the death of a parent or guardian impacted your life financially and emotionally?

Tips on How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay

It is crucial to make your essay for a scholarship stand out from the hundreds of other applicants while working on it. A well-written and formatted essay can not only grab the attention of the scholarship committee but also make a strong impression, increasing the likelihood of obtaining the scholarship. Here are some tips on how to write a winning scholarship essay:

1. Select a topic you are passionate about

2. Follow a narrative structure

3. Organise your essay in a clear

4. Re-read the essay prompt and identify the key themes

5. Outline your essay

6. Make sure your outline does justice to your essay prompt

7. Highlight your experiences and problem-solving skills

8. Talk about your accomplishments modestly

9. Maintain a consistent flow throughout your essay

10. Seek feedback and proofread your essay

11. Be concise and specific, and avoid generalising.

12. Use punctuation strategically to add emphasis and structure to your sentences

13.  Research the university and the scholarship they are providing before you write an essay

14. While maintaining a professional tone, write the essay in your unique voice

15. Avoid overusing of inspirational quotes in your essay

Things you need to Avoid While Writing a Scholarship Essay

Writing a compelling scholarship essay can be a challenging task, but keeping the necessary guidelines in mind will make the process smoother. Avoiding certain pitfalls is just as important as following the recommended best practices. Here are some crucial don'ts that you should follow when you write an essay for a scholarship.

1. Never plagiarise in your essay, as this will undoubtedly get your application rejected. Use your authentic words and ideas, and cite any sources properly if you need to reference them in your essay

2. While adding a personal touch to your essay with your qualities and experiences is encouraged, avoid coming across as insincere or overly emotional. Maintain a balanced and professional tone throughout your writing.

3. Submit your essay before the deadline, as missing it could potentially disqualify you from consideration. Plan ahead and give yourself ample time to draft, revise, and proofread your essay.

4. Your essay should be directly relevant to the scholarship you are applying for. Do not write an essay that is unrelated and does not answer the prompt, as this may lead to disqualification.

When you think about how to write a scholarship essay, it may seem like a daunting task, but keeping the necessary guidelines in mind will make the process smoother. Here are some do's and don'ts that you should follow when you write an essay for a scholarship.

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Top 5 Scholarships and Scholarship Essays

The essay for a scholarship serves as a platform to demonstrate to the scholarship committee why you are a deserving candidate and what sets you apart from other applicants. It provides an opportunity to highlight challenges you have faced, how you coped with and overcame them, and showcase your problem-solving abilities. Here are the top 5 scholarships and a brief overview of their scholarship essay requirements.

1. Kang Foundation and Legal Scholarship

This scholarship is aimed at students pursuing a career in law. The essay should highlight your passion for the legal field, your academic achievements, and any relevant extracurricular activities or work experiences that have prepared you for a career in law.

2. New York University Scholarship

The New York University Scholarship essay prompts often focus on your personal growth, intellectual curiosity, and how you plan to contribute to the diverse community at NYU. The essay should showcase your unique perspective and how you have overcome challenges or pursued your interests.

3. North Coast Section Foundation Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated leadership and community involvement. The essay should highlight your leadership experiences, volunteer work, and how you have made a positive impact in your community.

4. Fund for Education Abroad Scholarship 

The Fund for Education Abroad Scholarship is designed for students who wish to study abroad. The essay should outline your goals for studying abroad, how it aligns with your academic and personal aspirations, and how you plan to leverage the experience to further your personal and professional growth.

5. Questbridge Scholarship

The Questbridge Scholarship is a prestigious program that provides financial aid to high-achieving, low-income students. The essay should focus on your academic achievements, personal challenges you have overcome, and your aspirations for the future. It should also highlight your commitment to making a positive impact in your community or society.

We hope this guide helped you find new ways to write a scholarship essay. The amber scholarship is a scholarship provided by amber; we hope you try your luck with it! This is your chance to show the scholarship committee what you have to deserve the scholarship. Also, read about our blog on what should be written in a personal statement . For those working on their dissertations, we provide valuable insights on crafting a compelling thesis statement. You can also check our detailed blog on how to write thesis statements .

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you write a compelling introduction for a scholarship essay, how do you structure a scholarship essay effectively, what are some tips for writing a strong conclusion for a scholarship essay, how can you make your scholarship essay stand out, what common mistakes should you avoid in a scholarship essay.

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The Ultimate Guide To Writing a Winning Scholarship Essay

Stand out from the rest.

With the cost of higher education skyrocketing in the last few decades, it’s no surprise that many students seek out scholarships to help cover tuition. As a result, it’s a very competitive endeavor, which is why students need to find ways to stand out. We’ve put together this resource to help write a scholarship essay that will get the application committee’s attention.

How To Find Scholarships

Many students know that they want to apply for scholarships but don’t know where to find them. Honestly, this can be the most difficult and intimidating part of the process for students! Here are some suggestions for where to start. 

Ask a Guidance Counselor

One of the best resources for high school students is their guidance counselor. They are prepared to help students make academic and career plans and should be aware of scholarship opportunities to align with your needs and goals. 

Talk to the College or University

Already have a college or university picked out? Reach out to the school’s financial aid department. In addition to the many scholarships you can find online, they may offer information about funding offered directly through the school. 

Submit a FAFSA Application

Even if a student isn’t planning to accept student loans, they should definitely consider completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Not only will the resulting report inform them of any financial assistance for which they qualify, but many scholarship committees require applicants to submit a FAFSA. 

Search Scholarship Websites

There are many scholarship websites where students can find awards and applications. Sites such as Scholarships.com and Scholarship 360 allow you to use filters to narrow down your search results based on your needs and interests. 

We’ve also put together the following guides:

• How To Get a Full-Ride Scholarship
• Best Merit-Based Scholarships  
• Excellent Scholarships for High School Seniors
• Great Scholarships for Black Students
• Scholarships for Women
• Best Scholarship Opportunities for Future Teachers

Do an Internet Search

Head to a search engine, social media platform, or sites like Reddit to look for scholarships. You can even create posts inviting other users to share suggestions.

Ask an Employer

Some workplaces offer tuition benefits or other financial assistance for higher education. If a student is employed, it’s an option to reach out to someone in the HR department to see if they offer any programs or scholarships. 

The Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Scholarship Essay

Do: know the rules.

The most important thing anyone can do before writing a scholarship essay is this: Read all of the rules and guidelines and then reread them! Students can even ask someone else to read them too, to make sure they fully understand what they need to do. Failing to follow the rules is one of the main reasons why students are unsuccessful in getting scholarships. 

Do: Set Aside Plenty of Time

Start working on scholarship essays right away. Do not wait until a week (or day!) before the deadline. This gives students time to write several drafts of the essay if needed. Also, you never know when a technology-related issue might strike, so having a little extra time can save you from disaster. 

Do: Research the Scholarship Provider

Dig deep when applying for a scholarship. Find out who is funding the award and spend some time researching the provider. Do they have a vision or mission statement? Do they support any specific causes or types of students? Is there any way that applicants can make themselves more attractive candidates for the specific audience? Students should use this information to their advantage! 

Do: Brainstorm

Students should take some time to think about what they’ve learned about the scholarship essay guidelines and the provider. Then, brainstorm about what they want to say and share and why. Here are some questions to ask as they pertain to education and career goals:

• Who are you? Think of yourself but also your background.
• What makes you who you are?
• What have you done?
• What do you want to do?
• How are you going to get there?
• Why do you need a scholarship?
• How will it make a difference?
• Are you a first-generation college student?
• Do you have any unique qualities or needs?
• What makes you proud?
• What lessons have you learned?

These are heavy questions, but finding the answers to at least some of them will help provide the substance needed to write a truly effective scholarship essay. 

Do: Find Ways To Stand Out

Many, many students are applying for scholarships. They have to find a way to stand out from the rest. Students should think of the things they learned when they researched the scholarship provider. Are there any ways they can appeal to that audience? If so, focus on those areas. 

Do: Be Honest

Do not lie on a scholarship application. Let’s say that again: Do not lie on a scholarship application. Students should remind themselves that they are worthy on their own. If an applicant is discovered to be dishonest, it can really hurt them in the long run. 

Do: Stay on Topic

When reading the guidelines for the scholarship and doing brainstorming, be sure to keep the topic of the essay in mind. Everything students share and communicate should be related to the topic. 

Do: Be Professional

Students should use their very best skills when writing a scholarship essay. They should not use slang, casual language, unconventional fonts, emojis, or texting abbreviations. 

Do: Proofread and Edit Multiple Times

It’s a good idea to prepare to write this essay at least three times. First, there’s a rough draft that should be carefully proofread. Students can ask a teacher or other professional to also look at their paper. Then students should repeat this process once or twice more until they’re happy with the results. They shouldn’t just write it and submit it all at once! 

Don’t: Brag

While students want to highlight their strengths and accomplishments, they should not brag. They also don’t want to put down other candidates or people to make themselves look good. Tell a story without embellishments. 

Don’t: Reuse a Scholarship Essay

Students put a lot of effort into writing scholarship essays, but please don’t reuse them! 

Scholarship Essay Sample Outline

Ready to get started? Having a solid outline provides a road map for the journey. Here are some suggestions for making it easier to write a scholarship essay! 

Introduction

Students should explain who they are and try to make it engaging. Hook readers by sharing a few details that will be elaborated on in the body of the essay. 

Educational and Career Goals

Students should share what they want to study and hope to gain by getting an education, as well as how it will prepare them for their future career. They should be passionate! 

Who Are You?

Student should briefly explain their background, which can include details about family, personal values, and how they got to where they are today. 

Why Are You a Good Candidate for the Scholarship?

This is where students need to really think about what they learned about the scholarship provider. What are they looking for in a candidate? Students should do their best to not only shine as a good student and leader, but also find solid ways to connect with the scholarship provider’s mission. After including some teasers or breadcrumbs in the introduction to hook the reader, this is a good place to share the rest of the story. 

To wrap up a scholarship essay, students should reiterate their commitment to their education and career. Restate how the story shared demonstrates a readiness for college and how winning the scholarship can help the applicant follow their dreams. Best of luck!

Do you have tips on how to write a scholarship essay? Share them below! Plus, check out  The Ultimate Guide to College Scholarships!

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Scholarship Essay Examples

With college tuition costs rising each year, many students apply for merit scholarships to help make college more affordable. However, merit scholarships can be competitive—and that’s where our scholarship essay examples come in. By reading our scholarship essay examples, you can learn what it takes to write an award-winning essay. 

Scholarships are an excellent opportunity for students to lessen their college tuition costs. Most merit scholarships require a brief application, usually including one or more essays. Below, we’ve rounded up our best scholarship essay examples.

Reading winning scholarship essay examples, especially scholarship essay examples about yourself, can help you begin the scholarship essay process. By reviewing essay examples, you can learn how to craft a strong essay. You’ll also get a better sense of what scholarship committees look for when they review applications.

In this guide to Scholarship Essay Examples, you’ll find tips on how to write the best scholarship essay, as well as:

• Various scholarship essay examples about yourself
• A strong scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship
• Scholarship essay examples about financial need, and more!

We’ve included scholarship essay examples specific to schools, including UC Berkeley, as well as specific programs, like the SHPE scholarship. We’ll also discuss the different types of scholarships you’ll find on your scholarship search. 

Now, before we jump into our essay examples, let’s learn more about getting scholarship money for college.

What is a scholarship essay?

A scholarship essay is an essay you’ll include in your merit scholarship applications. In many ways, your scholarship essays might resemble your college essays. So, the scholarship essay format should seem familiar. 

The best scholarship essays will highlight who you are and why you deserve money for college. Scholarship essay prompts will ask you to include various information, from details about your background to explanations of why you deserve a scholarship.

Crafting a compelling, well-written essay can help you win substantial financial awards to help cover your college tuition costs. However, not all scholarship essays are the same. Later on, we’ll review different winning scholarship essay examples to show you what kind of essays you’ll write in your application process.

Types of Scholarships

There are many different types of scholarships available to students. You can find a variety of scholarship opportunities on scholarships websites. The earlier you start your scholarship search, the more scholarships you’ll find. 

While some scholarship applications accept applicants of all backgrounds and abilities, some have very specific eligibility guidelines. So, you may not be eligible for every scholarship. If you’re not sure whether or not you’re eligible, you can find eligibility information on most scholarships websites. 

Here are a few different scholarship types you may come across in your scholarship search:

• Academic scholarships
• Merit scholarships
• Essay competitions
• Community service scholarships
• Military scholarships

Scholarship essay prompts will differ across programs. As you’ll see in our winning scholarship essay examples, the prompts can vary in word count and complexity. We’ll provide you with descriptive essay examples to help you get an idea of what to expect.

Merit-Based Scholarships

Most scholarships we’ll highlight in this article are merit-based scholarships . A merit-based scholarship is money awarded by a college or community organization based on your academic achievements. 

In contrast, a need-based scholarship is awarded based on a student’s financial need. If you are applying for financial aid, be sure to check out our scholarship essay examples about financial need. You’ll find both merit- and need-based scholarships on your scholarship search.     

To qualify for a merit-based scholarship, you generally must meet specific criteria. Scholarship committees look at your grades, academic achievements, extracurriculars, and even test scores. Need-based scholarships can have similar requirements, but they’re primarily concerned with your family’s financial status.

There are many merit-based scholarships available to help students afford college, including:

• National merit scholarships
• Gates Scholarship
• Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship
• Robertson Scholarship

Check out our guides on these popular merit-based scholarships for more details. There, you’ll find tips on how to write a winning essay. Our descriptive essay examples can also help prepare you to apply to these programs After all, while prompts vary, the scholarship essay format remains fairly standard. 

Finding scholarships

In this guide, we’ll highlight some scholarships you may be eligible for. However, make sure to check out the rest of our resources to help you approach the scholarship search. 

Some scholarships we’ll discuss include:

• QuestBridge scholarship : helps low-income students attend elite colleges
• Park scholarships : for students attending NC State University
• SHPE scholarship : offers financial assistance for Hispanic students interested in STEM degrees. 

Scholarship essay examples about financial need will help you prepare for your scholarship applications. For instance, if you apply for the SHPE scholarship, you’ll include a lot of details about your background. 

You can also use scholarship search portals or scholarships websites to find other scholarships you may be eligible for. 

How do you write a scholarship essay?

While scholarship essay prompts may differ, you’ll usually stick to the same general scholarship essay format. 

One resource that can help you write the best scholarship essays and find money for college is Sallie Mae. Sallie Mae is a private lender offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional student loans. They also grant scholarships and provide aspiring college students with a scholarship search portal on their scholarships websites. Here’s what they have to say about having a winning scholarship essay format.

Organization

When writing a scholarship essay, it’s best to start with a scholarship essay format that organizes your thoughts. This will allow you to follow a plan that clearly and concisely gets your points across. You should begin your essay with a solid introduction. Then, introduce your supporting arguments and add an appropriate conclusion. 

A good scholarship essay clearly states why you deserve to win money for college with evidence to back up your argument. You’ll see how to do this in our scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. The best scholarship essays will be original and honest. It should be written in an inspirational and positive tone, highlighting your strengths and capabilities. 

When you feel like you have put your best foot forward, you should ask others for their feedback. This can be from a teacher, counselor, or one of our advisors here at CollegeAdvisor! Proofread your final essay and make sure you’ve caught any spelling and grammatical errors before submitting your application.

Up next, we’ll get into our descriptive essay examples and the different scholarship essay prompts they responded to. 

By looking at scholarship essay examples, you can learn what exactly makes a good essay. So, let’s look at some descriptive essay examples written by students looking to secure money for college. 

First, we will walk you through scholarship essay examples about yourself. Then, we’ll look at a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. Lastly, we will provide you with scholarship essay examples about financial need. Remember to keep these scholarship essay examples in mind when writing essays of your own!

Scholarship Essay Examples About Yourself

Let’s take a closer look at some scholarship essay examples about yourself.

Scholarship essay prompts vary quite a bit, so make sure you understand what the prompt really asks of you. That way, you can answer the question or address the prompt in its entirety.

Some scholarship essay prompts may ask how the scholarship will make a difference for you. They may also ask about any contributions you have made to your community. 

Ready to look at some winning scholarship essay examples? Check out these scholarship essay examples below.

The first of our scholarship essays is for Phi Sigma Rho. Here’s the prompt: 

How do you promote Phi Sigma Rho and STEM on your campus or in your community? (300 words Max)

Phi sigma rho scholarship essay.

In my campus and community, I strive to promote Phi Sigma Rho and STEM by promoting Phi Rho’s values and sharing my experiences and passion for Phi Rho.

My involvement in the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has allowed me the opportunity to promote Phi Rho and STEM. These activities have given me insight into how to successfully create a network that will support and encourage women in engineering to continue their careers. 

Within WEP, I served as a sophomore orientation leader (Envoy), mentoring first-year women and assisting with program logistics. As an envoy, I was able to promote Phi Rho ideals of friendship and encouragement. I was also able to informally recruit for Phi Rho by sharing my experiences and passion for the sorority.

Within SWE, I was the Internal Relations Chair my freshmen year and am the Director of Member Engagement this year. Both roles are related to member engagement, allowing me to promote friendship within engineering. Member engagement is important for creating a community among female engineers. Similar to my envoy position, my leadership within SWE has allowed me to share my love for Phi Rho.

Additionally, my volunteer experience with Engineering Ambassadors (EA), a STEM outreach group, has allowed me to promote STEM in the community. In EA, I give presentations on engineering, speak on panels, and lead hands-on activities for K-12 students. EA has taught me strategies to promote STEM to children and teenagers.

Because of Phi Sigma Rho, I have the confidence to inspire and encourage the next generation of female engineers. I hold the values of scholarship, friendship, and encouragement in the highest regard and strive to embody those in every leadership position and volunteer role. Through SWE, WEP, and EA, I have promoted Phi Sigma Rho, its values, and STEM as a whole in both my campus and community.

This is, in many ways, a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. The writer clearly highlights how they’ve engaged with Phi Sigma Rho and how their values align with those of the organization. The writer also provides specific examples of their leadership positions, skills, and accolades. 

The next two of our scholarship essay examples about yourself are for the SHPE scholarship. Here they are: 

SHPE Scholarship essay example #1

Essay prompt:.

Summarize your life experiences and any challenges that have impacted your path to higher education. (250 Words) 

Essay Example:

I vividly remember the first day of First Grade because I didn’t know the Pledge of Allegiance like the rest of my classmates. Growing up in a Hispanic household, I had never learned what the pledge was. This was the beginning of several years of disconnect. 

From receiving weird looks when I told classmates my family opened Christmas gifts at midnight, to my parents’ confusion when I didn’t want them to speak Spanish in public, both sides of my life never understood the other. As a result, I always felt out of place in school, like I was behind in some way because I didn’t share the same upbringing as my classmates. In contrast, academics felt like a level playing field, something we were all learning together in the same way.

While I couldn’t tell you who won the super bowl, I could do mathematics or read just as well, if not better, than my classmates. Socially, I always felt out of place, but academically I was always comfortable, and as a result, I tried to excel in that area of my life. That desire to succeed created the relentless work ethic I have today and the appreciation I have for education.

Despite the lack of emphasis from my parents on schoolwork, I developed this sense of responsibility and persistence to pursue an education. Although my family’s Hispanic culture made my life difficult when I was younger, it made me a more resilient person.

More scholarship essay examples

Shpe scholarship essay example #2.

Discuss your educational and career aspirations as well as your ability to complete and achieve these goals. (250 words)

Using a degree in engineering, I hope to work on improving sustainability and efficiency in the aerospace industry by creating cheaper, safer, and more environmentally-conscious options.

Recently, Pratt and Whitney designed an engine that is 16% more efficient and will release 3600 less metric tons per airplane per year. Excitingly, it also greatly reduces the noise footprint of an airplane. Innovations like these will allow the aerospace industry to evolve and improve while reducing negative environmental impact. I hope to work at the forefront of this innovation, pushing the boundaries of improved engine performance and efficiency. 

Last semester, I started working in the Experimental and Computational Convection Laboratory on campus to learn more about turbines. Some current projects in the lab involve new turbine cooling techniques and additive manufactured heat exchangers. Throughout the course of my undergraduate career, I hope to learn more about the barriers facing improved engine and turbine efficiency. Following undergraduate, I plan to attend graduate school to gain a deeper knowledge of these topics. Following graduate school, I may go into industry working on turbines and jet engines. Due to beginning research early, I believe graduate school is an attainable educational goal.

The potential ability to make a difference in the environmental impact of the aerospace industry is exciting. To accomplish this, I know studying Mechanical Engineering will give me the skills necessary to fulfill my career goals.

Both of these scholarship essay examples use specific details to highlight the writer’s strengths, experiences, and accolades. In reading these winning scholarship essay examples, we get a sense of who the writer is both as a person and as a student. 

Scholarship Essay Sample about “Why I deserve the scholarship”

Another scholarship essay prompt you may come across is “why I deserve this scholarship.” A good scholarship essay clearly highlights why you deserve to win the scholarship and provides evidence to support your argument. 

Below, you’ll find scholarship essay samples about why I deserve the scholarship. You can use these as a guide to help you tackle your own scholarship essays. 

Here’s the first of our scholarship essay examples, which was used for the Park Scholarship: 

The Park Scholarship is an investment in the potential of young people. It prepares scholars to make lifelong contributions to communities, states, nations, and the world. Tell us a story that illustrates your potential to make these lifelong contributions. (What have you done that should compel us to invest in you?) (Max. 3,990 characters including spaces.)

Park scholarship essay example.

Coming from a Venezuelan family, I have always been able to connect with total strangers through Spanish. Whether I’m eating at a restaurant or volunteering, I am constantly stumbling upon other Spanish speakers. The ability to converse in their language allows me to bond with them in a way I couldn’t in English, something I do not take for granted. 

Because of my experience, I believe that learning a foreign language is an incredibly important skill. Being able to speak in a second language allows a person to understand another community and reach out to people within that community. Additionally, speaking a second language assists in appreciating other cultures. This appreciation is important for fostering open-mindedness, something America as a whole struggles with today. 

In my school district, foreign language classes are not offered until late middle school. Once in high school, many students drop the class. In addition, those who stay in the class often find that the classes provide little more than a basic understanding of the language and then become discouraged in their learning. On a larger scale, this issue affects America as a whole. Second language programs often come second in terms of funding and planning and are not encouraged as rigorously as other academic courses. As a result, many Americans are ignorant to the benefits of bilingualism and are unable to understand the viewpoint of those who are multilingual.

After my freshman year of high school, my frustration with my community’s lack of priority for second language learning culminated in my desire to take some sort of action to promote foreign language education. In my sophomore year, a classmate and I created and ran an introductory Spanish program, Spanish in the Spring, at my local library for young children in the district. I spent hours at home creating lesson plans, activities, themes, and advertisements for the program. I placed heavy emphasis on cultural aspects and the importance of the Spanish language in America and the world as a whole.

My purpose for this program was to introduce children at a young age to learning a foreign language, so their desire to learn would continue throughout their life. Through the program, I was also able to share my belief of the importance of learning a second language with the children, as well as their parents. After the final day of the program, I was thrilled when one parent mentioned their desire to learn a foreign language program themself. I felt that if I made an impact on one person or family, the entire program was worthwhile. 

Unfortunately, this past spring I was unable to continue the Spanish in the Spring program due to library scheduling restraints. However, I hopefully plan to offer the program again this spring with some changes that will improve and expand the experience. One of these changes will include the immersion of parents into the experience to encourage foreign language education as a family activity.

While this program was only offered once, the impact was immeasurable, for the children, for the cause of foreign language education, and for me.

This is another scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. In it, the writer clearly and directly answers the prompt—that is, they highlight their potential to make a lifelong impact on members of their community. 

Ready for another scholarship essay example? Here’s the next one: 

How will a ScholarSHPE impact your life and education? (200 Words)

Shpe scholarship essay example.

Receiving a ScholarSHPE will give me the gift of time and opportunities. My parents are unable to support me financially throughout college due to large amounts of accrued debt. A ScholarSHPE will reduce my financial stress and allow me to improve my overall health as a result. It will also prevent the need to work several hours a week at a part-time job to pay for tuition, books, and living expenses, which will limit what I can do academically and outside of class. A ScholarSHPE will allow me to spend more time on research pursuits, engineering extracurriculars, volunteer work, and school work, instead of long hours at a part-time job. 

This essay sample is fairly straightforward. In it, the writer follows a clear scholarship essay format, explicitly answering the prompt. 

UC Berkeley Scholarships essay examples

Let’s look at some school-specific merit scholarship essay examples. 

At the University of California – Berkeley , students can apply for a variety of merit scholarships. These scholarships can help offset the cost of UC Berkeley tuition. 

Below, we’ve included various scholarship essay examples for the UC Berkeley scholarships. These UC Berkeley scholarships can help students cover their college tuition costs. This can make the UC Berkeley tuition less of a barrier for students hoping to attend. 

You’ll find a variety of UC Berkeley scholarships that can help you afford UC Berkeley tuition. Available UC Berkeley scholarships include: 

• Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship
• Fiat Lux Scholarship
• Middle Class Scholarship
• Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship

These are just a few ways to cover the cost of UC Berkeley tuition. UC Berkeley students also receive more than $10 million per year in outside scholarships to cover college tuition costs. If you are interested in exploring non-UC Berkeley scholarships, check out this list of outside scholarship resources . 

To help you get started, check out our winning UC Berkeley scholarship essay examples. The authors of these scholarship essay examples about financial need all won money to help cover their UC Berkeley tuition.

UC Berkeley scholarship essay examples

I am grateful to realize how fortunate I am today. All the loved ones around me and their acts of kindness have given me such a great life. I also realize the sacrifices that those around me have had to give up in order for me to succeed. It is because of this that I have realized what “paying it forward” truly means. I have been given the opportunity to make an impact in my community and I have fully taken advantage of this opportunity. I have been a volunteer for the Buddyball Sports Organization, which is a non-profit sports organization dedicated to providing the opportunity for children with developmental disabilities to play sports.

Growing up, watching and playing sports has been one of my greatest pleasures of life, so teaching these less fortunate kids has been something I have enjoyed doing every single weekend. On top of this, I am also both a volunteer at the South Orangetown Ambulance Corps and the Nyack Hospital. With the desire to pursue a career in the medical field, volunteering at these places has given me a great idea of what my career could look like in the near future. While all of these volunteer activities have had a significant impact on me, little did I know that this summer would truly make a lasting difference in my life. 

This past summer, my family decided to go on a vacation to India to visit my relatives. This was the first time in my life that I was going to India and this was only because my grandmother came down with Parkinson’s disease and was extremely sick. Little did I know at that time that my visit to India would be a life-changing experience. Never could have I imagined such a filthy village. Everywhere I looked, there was garbage and to make matters worse, no one seemed to do anything to try to ameliorate the repugnant image of my home country.

While I realized on my flight home that I was not going to be able to make a difference and help my community back in India, there was nothing stopping me from doing so right here in Rockland County, New York. When I was told that I would have the opportunity to help organize and direct “Make a Difference Rockland,” I joyfully accepted! Make a Difference Rockland is a free public meet and greet for all local non-profits and other government agencies in an attempt to promote different community service opportunities within the public. By gathering all the local non-profit organizations and giving them a chance to present themselves, people learn more about all of the local community service opportunities that are available to them. This way, the community will be able to recruit volunteers and will not have to suffer through calamitous conditions.

As one of the people in charge of organizing, it was my responsibility to adequately contact, invite and help prepare for hundreds of people. Once I gathered their contact information, I had to ask each one of these places if they would be interested in joining the fair. If interested, I had to also prepare a table for them to present themselves at the fair. The feeling of bringing all of these community service groups together brought me a feeling of happiness that I will never forget. 

The best scholarship essays will teach the reader about who the writer is, what they care about, and why they deserve a scholarship. The essay above does just that—it highlights the writer’s background and describes how they give back to their community. 

Next, let’s dig into a few more scholarship essay examples. 

If you’re interested in more descriptive essay examples, keep reading. 

Reading a ton of winning scholarship essay examples is a great way to pick up on what makes them winners. Over time, you’ll start to notice how the details, tone, and flow all work together to tell a story.

Below, you’ll find a few more scholarship essay examples. Our first one is from the NC Parks Scholarship. Here’s the prompt:

What do you do to serve your community? Why do you do the service that you do? What impact have you made? What challenges or insights have your service contributions given you? (Max. 3,990 characters including spaces.) 

Community-focused scholarship essay example #1.

“What are the boys like in high school?” “Is it easy to get a boyfriend?” Sighing, the other frustrated leaders and I look at each other as we read the questions posed by the younger girls. Every year at Girls’ Night Out (GNO), a program that introduces and prepares eighth-grade girls for high school, the girls question the leaders about relationships and dating ad nauseum, irritating other leaders to the point of ignoring the questions. 

Giving each question a careful and deliberate answer is often difficult, but instead of disregarding the issue, I try to offer my most sincere and honest advice. Originally, when I began as a group leader in the program I would give the same response, “You shouldn’t worry about boys. Instead, enjoy your friends, and do things you enjoy.” While that advice is true, it is often not the answer that will satisfy the girls. Through many years in the program, I have learned that advice is not “one size fits all”; it must be individualized to the person’s needs. Now, when faced with a question about dating, I respond with more questions before giving “words of wisdom”.

Many times I am able to understand the perspective of the middle school student, allowing me to give advice accordingly. Supplying proper advice about sensitive topics is one of the most impactful parts of GNO. As a role model and positive influence for the girls, I largely impact their ideas and perception of the environment when entering high school. In addition to teaching the students valuable lessons, volunteering at GNO has taught me that various perspectives may present themselves identically. To better understand those around me, it is important that I look beyond the surface for the other person’s viewpoint.

Beyond understanding other viewpoints from GNO, I have learned from other service that understanding a person’s situation is essential for providing exceptional assistance. Through Key Club, I volunteer many times a year at the local food pantry. As a volunteer, I help the recipients “shop” at the small grocery store using a point system. The process takes up a lot of time because shoppers do not always know what they want. Originally I  thought this was a poor design. I believed it would be much more efficient to just hand out the food rather than giving out points and shopping with the food pantry recipients.

Upon expressing my opinion to one of the adult food pantry staff, he explained to me that the grocery store aspect of the store taught the recipients life skills. Additionally, by giving them autonomy over what food they “bought”, they retained a sort of independence, an important skill to have if they find themselves above the income level required to use the food pantry.

The next time I volunteered I took note of the skills presented. Budgeting of points, deciding whether or not they needed something, determining the quality of the fruit, and decision-making of choosing extra food or toiletries, were all skills that those above the poverty line have ingrained. For those who have been using food pantries and other assistance for prolonged periods of time, these skills are not so natural. As a result, teaching the people means after they no longer need the services of the food pantry, they have valuable skills necessary for their independence.

From this experience, I learned an important lesson: helping people is not just giving them what they need at the moment, but understanding what they will need in the future and providing that as well. After realizing this, I emphasize the abilities that the food pantry teaches whenever I dedicate my time. By doing that, I am positively affecting the development of those skills. 

When reflecting on the various ways I have served my community, one thing stands out to me: I always understand another viewpoint or gain a new perspective afterwards. For me, the ability to look at something from different angles is an unparalleled talent, and one of the most important skills a person can have.

Describe your volunteer or community experience with SHPE or other organizations and any internships you have held.  (250 Words)

Community-focused scholarship essay example #2.

In SHPE, I have been involved in planning the Penn State College of Engineering STEP-UP (Student Transition Engineering Program at University Park) Program as a chair. The STEP-UP program helps students from Penn State branch campuses smoothly transition to the University Park campus through a 3-day program in the spring. The program introduces them to engineering resources, other engineering students, and provides professional development. Due to COVID-19, this year it was held virtually. 

Within the Society of Women Engineers and the Women in Engineering Program, I have volunteered at different STEM events in the community for elementary school students. I am also currently serving as an Envoy (a mentorship and logistical position) for the Women in Engineering Program Orientation. Additionally, I participate in many of SWE’s service events, such as donating and collecting donations, cleaning up areas on and around campus, and visiting nursing homes.

On campus, I am also involved with Engineering Ambassadors (EA), a group that does STEM outreach around Pennsylvania from the elementary school to high school level. EA goes virtually or in person to schools, does engineering presentations and activities, and answers questions.

Prior to COVID-19, I had secured an internship with Pratt and Whitney, however, they had to cancel their internship program. As a result, I was fortunate enough to obtain a Process Quality Engineering internship at Brentwood Industries for summer 2020.

Both of these scholarship essay examples highlight how the writers have given back to their communities. These winning scholarship essay examples highlight the writers’ strengths. In doing so, they highlight why these writers deserve help with college tuition costs. 

Reflecting on scholarship essay format

As important as the content of your essay is, your scholarship essay format is equally important. As you write, be sure to adhere to the scholarship essay format guidelines provided to you. 

However, there are some things all of the best scholarship essays have in common. Here are some general tips, tricks, and outlines to help you in your own writing process.

Three scholarship essay writing tips:

• Word counts are hard to adhere to, but the other applicants must adhere to them, too. Make sure every word counts. 
• When you write a solid essay, you can repurpose some of your key points, including specific anecdotes and details, in other scholarship applications.
• Writing a good essay helps you solidify who you are and what you want. This sets you up for success in the scholarship application process and beyond. 

Three essential elements to include in your essay:

• State your goals. Scholarship committees are investing in your future and your potential. To take a chance on you, they need to know your plan and what you want to do with your award. 
• Establish an implicit or explicit link between your goals and the scholarship you are applying for. Describe to the committee how the specific scholarship will help you attain your goals. Give them a tangible reason as to why you deserve their investment. 
• Share your story. Use personal details about your experiences that highlight your identity and objectives. How have you pursued your goals and prepared for your future? How will the scholarship help you going forward? Get personal and be honest.

Storytelling in your essay

Some of the best scholarship essays utilize good storytelling strategies. You should share the details of your personal story in a narrative, using a logical order. Remember, telling personal details about yourself and your goals does not mean simply restating your resume!

By the end of the essay, the scholarship committee should have an in-depth sense of why you applied. You should reveal:

• When and how you arrived at your future goals
• Your motivations to accomplish these objectives
• What traits or skills you have developed along the way
• The meaningful experiences that drive you to your goals
• Any personal challenges you have faced and how you have overcome them
• What has shaped you and your worldview

These details humanize you and show your complexity as a person and an applicant. It’s helpful to use anecdotes and personal experiences to give life to facts and details about yourself. Sharing real-life experiences will help make your essay more interesting and more fun to read.

Creating your scholarship essay format

Once you have thought about what you want to say, start thinking about your scholarship essay format. You may start by making a list of what your reader may be interested in:

• How you spend your time
• Your accomplishments
• What your passions are, etc.

Start by brainstorming everything you may want to include in your essay. Then, think about whether the stories you include support your arguments. Ask yourself, “What did I learn?” or “How did this get me closer to my goals?”. These reflections help the reader connect to your purpose for writing. 

Make sure to organize your thoughts in a narrative order. However, there isn’t just one way to write an essay. So, don’t limit yourself to one version of your story. You may find yourself writing multiple drafts before you get to your final scholarship essay format.

Editing and proofreading your essay

When you think you have finished, be sure to proofread and edit to ensure it’s ready to be submitted. Check that you’ve adhered to all the scholarship essay format guidelines (like the word count). 

Reviewing also includes getting input from others! An outside reader’s opinion can help you confirm your essay effectively communicates your ideas.

Tips for scholarship essays

You may notice some similarities between the scholarship essay examples about yourself we’ve provided. That’s because the authors of the best scholarship essays all use similar strategies to make their essays great. 

Here are 5 tips from U.S. News to help you make all of your scholarship essays stand out:

Tips for writing stand-out scholarship essays

1. get personal and be specific.

The best scholarship essays will share an authentic story with impactful details. The key is to be yourself and not shy away from personal details. The more the committee gets to know about you, the more likely they are to invest in your future. You want your essay to offer a genuine, in-depth look into who you are as a person.

2. Tell a story

Your essay should be more than a collection of facts—it should tell a story. That means having a solid introduction that grabs the reader’s attention from the very start. Then, you should include a logical flow of experiences or details. By the end of your essay, you want your reader to have learned something valuable about you.  

3. Tailor the scholarship essay to the prompt

Some of your scholarship essay prompts may be similar across different scholarship applications. However, it’s important that your essay is specific to each prompt and answers the question entirely. While you can repurpose an essay you’ve already written as inspiration or a starting point, be extra attentive when doing so.

4. Don’t tailor yourself to the reader

Many students fall into the trap of telling a story they think scholarship foundation committees want to hear. Instead, stay true to yourself as you craft your scholarship application essays. Don’t tell your reader what you think they want to hear—just tell them who you are. 

5. Follow directions

This final tip may arguably be the most important. Above all else, students should follow instructions. This means adhering to the scholarship essay format guidelines and word count. It also means answering the essay prompt in its entirety. Application readers can be easily frustrated by a student’s failure to follow directions. This could reflect poorly on you and your essay in the long run. 

Use these tips to guide you as you approach the scholarship essay format. 

Scholarship Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

We hope our roundup of scholarship essay examples has shown you how to approach your scholarship applications. With rising college costs, scholarships should be a part of your college financial planning process. Take the time to do your own scholarship search based on your specific interests. You can find plenty of scholarships to apply to on scholarships websites and college financial aid pages. There are many different scholarships websites to help you with your search. 

Save this guide

Feel free to save this guide and review our scholarship essay examples about yourself and about financial need. You can always look back on our scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship when writing your own essay. 

Start with an outline that organizes your thoughts. Then, make sure your essay is clear and concise. Be original and honest, and include personal details and anecdotes when appropriate. State why you deserve to win the scholarship. Then, support your claim in a way that makes a scholarship committee invested in your future. 

We’re here to help

Don’t forget to proofread your essay and ask others for their feedback. When in doubt, reach out to our advisors at CollegeAdvisor. Our team is always here to help support you find and apply for scholarships!

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay

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• 01 Read the scholarship essay prompt and instructions
• 02 Outline your scholarship essay
• 03 Start writing your scholarship essay
• 04 Open with a hook
• 05 Use basic writing skills
• 06 Keep your scholarship essay descriptive but concise
• 07 Be honest
• 08 Be professional
• 09 Be creative and different
• 10 Let your voice shine through
• 11 Make your scholarship essay stand out
• 12 Make your conclusion powerful
• 13 Revise and edit your first draft
• 14 Read your scholarship essay out aloud
• 15 Prepare to submit your scholarship essay
• 16 Frequently asked questions about writing scholarship essays

Writing a scholarship essay is a required part of many applications as a way for the scholarship committees to learn more about the candidates and their motivations. They have the power to make or break your scholarship application. Because of this, writing a scholarship essay can often seem stressful and daunting.

As a way to ease the essay writing process, we have compiled steps for writing strong scholarship essays, tips to make them stand out to a scholarship committee, and questions students often ask as they begin their scholarship applications. Here are the top scholarship essay tips to earn scholarship money:

• Thoroughly read the prompt and instructions
• Create a solid essay outline
• Start writing early
• Open with a solid hook
• Prioritize basic writing skills
• Keep it descriptive, yet concise
• Be professional
• Be creative
• Let your individual voice shine through
• Stand out from the rest
• Finish with a powerful conclusion
• Revise and edit your first draft
• Read your scholarship essay out loud
• Prepare to submit your scholarship essay

Read below for more context and frequently asked questions about scholarship essays and create an account with Bold.org to unlock hundreds of exclusive scholarships ! .

1) Read the scholarship essay prompt and instructions

Always read the prompt before writing. It sounds like a simple suggestion, but if you don't understand what the prompt is asking, you won't be able to properly answer the question. Additionally, do research on the donor to understand the purpose of their scholarship .

Many organizations have a mission statement and individual donors are often giving the scholarship in memorial of a loved one. Keep in mind the purpose of the scholarship provider's essay topic so you are able to understand and appreciate the scholarship program.

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Understand what the scholarship committees are asking for, and ensure that you know the word limit, page requirements, and/or other scholarship requirements in advance. If the essay question has multiple parts, pay attention to each part to make sure you are fully answering the question. It seems simple, but a scholarship provider looks to make sure you are properly answering the question.

2) Outline your scholarship essay

Don't start writing blindly. Once you have a good understanding of the scholarship essay prompts, make note of what you want to say and in what order . How do you want to open it? What are the key points you want to address? Answering questions like these can help ensure your essay is cohesive and well-written.

Browse scholarships with 2022 deadlines and use the drop-down filters to find the perfect scholarship for you!

3) Start writing your scholarship essay

Don't wait until the last minute to start writing your scholarship essay. The earlier you start writing your essay, the more time you have to plan, write, and edit. You have a better chance at success if you start early , rather than waiting until just before the scholarship application deadline to begin.

4) Open with a hook

Now that you have your scholarship essay format, it's time to begin the writing process. When you read strong scholarship essay examples, they almost always lead with something insightful or intriguing. Grab the reader's attention in a way that encourages them to read on. Don't start with a quote, a dictionary definition, or a generic cliché. Make what you have to say original , and show the committee right off the bat that you have something to say.

5) Use basic writing skills

Never underestimate the importance of good writing skills. Whether you're a high school student or a college student, using proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar is extremely important . Scholarship applications will be more credible, and it will show donors you have put thought and care into your essay.

6) Keep your scholarship essay descriptive but concise

As you get into your main paragraphs, remember that you are telling some sort of story. If your writing is bland and provides little detail, you are less likely to illustrate your point. Using the "show, don't tell" method is a helpful way to keep your writing interesting and descriptive. At the same time, don't go overboard with your descriptions. Be detailed, but don't let that cover up the point of your essay.

7) Be honest

Not every essay prompt is easy to answer. However, it is important that you are honest in what you write about in your essay. Don't make up a story that you think sounds impressive. A personal statement is looking to hear about what makes you special, not what stories you can create to make yourself sound more qualified.

8) Be professional

One of the most important scholarship essay tips to remember is to be professional. Put personality in your writing, but remember that you aren't talking to your best friend or sending a text. In other words, steer clear of slang words, excessive punctuation, and text lingo .

9) Be creative and different

The review committee will read many essays when choosing who will receive their scholarship award. When deciding who they give the scholarship money to, the review committee will look for essays that stand out . This means combining all of the scholarship essay tips from above to create a scholarship application that highlights your strengths, uniqueness, and personality. Be personal and follow scholarship essay tips, and you will write a compelling essay.

10) Let your voice shine through

Scholarship essays are brief but give you the time to tell the scholarship committee who you are and why you are the best candidate for the scholarship. Robotic and strictly informative essays may be technically adequate, but if you want your essay to stand out, make your personal statement personal. Showcase your personality in a way that is professional but shows the committee what makes you special.

11) Make your scholarship essay stand out

It's easy to write just anything, but it's harder learning how to write a scholarship essay that stands out from all the other scholarship essays the committees receive. If you want your scholarship to be creative and unique, steer clear of common clichés , song lyrics, and quotes. Scholarship committees want to hear what you have to say, not what somebody else already said.

The best essay examples are those that tell a clear story. While you may be tempted to share your whole life story in a scholarship essay, not every moment from your life is relevant to the essay prompt. Plus, the word count often doesn't allow this anyway. Instead, pick a key moment that highlights your character, your accomplishments, or something that you feel passionate enough about to write about. Stick to a scholarship essay format that allows you to share about yourself while still being concise and answering the essay prompts.

12) Make your conclusion powerful

When thinking about how to write a scholarship essay, remember the importance of a powerful beginning and ending. The end of your essay is the last thing read and therefore is the last thing the reader remembers. Bring the scholarship essay full circle without making general statements, such as "this is why you should pick me as your scholarship winner."

13) Revise and edit your first draft

No matter how good of an essay you've written, there is always room for improvement. Rough drafts are just the start . Take the time to look at your scholarship essay with a critical eye, pinpointing areas you can improve for the finalized draft.

14) Read your scholarship essay out aloud

A helpful part of the reviewing process is reading your essay out loud. This will allow you to catch mistakes you may not have noticed in your first edits. It also helps you get a sense of the essay's flow . When you read your scholarship essay out loud, ask yourself if there are parts that sound unnatural, forced, or out of place.

15) Prepare to submit your scholarship essay

Before submitting your scholarship essay, double-check that your spelling and grammar are correct, that you answered the essay prompt, and that you met the word count. If you have given yourself enough time to complete the essay before the deadline, you will have had the chance to review your essay before submitting it. Don't wait until the last minute to submit , so that there is no panic if something goes wrong before the deadline.

Now that you're prepared to write your scholarship essay, click below to start applying to scholarships!

Frequently asked questions about writing scholarship essays

There are so many questions that come with writing essays, but we've chosen to answer a few of the most frequently asked questions about how to write essays, ways to win scholarships, etc. You can learn more about how to apply for scholarships in this guide .

How do you write a winning scholarship essay?

Earning financial aid from scholarship programs is heavily reliant on the strength of the essay submission. Just like writing college applications, the scholarship essay process takes thought and is often focused on the applicant's life or experiences. Because the topic often focuses on the student's life, it is helpful for students to think back to important moments in their life, ranging from experiences at a young age to middle school times up through the present.

Take these experiences and be creative , writing about personal lessons and experiences, rather than relying on clichés. Use what you're passionate about, for an essay about your dream school or career goals would be more compelling than one simply listing test scores and academic performance successes.

Follow the essential tips from above, layout a strategic essay structure, and submit the best representation of you. There isn't a guarantee for earning this financial aid through scholarships, but following these suggestions will give you a higher chance for future success on scholarships.

How do you begin a scholarship essay?

Open your first paragraph with something interesting that hooks the reader. At the same time, avoid corny statements and overly dramatic retellings. Don't tell the reader what you're going to do, such as saying "in this essay, I will..." for this is unnecessary. Use your intro to pique the reader's interest , while still giving an idea of what your essay will be about.

Do scholarship essays need a title?

This depends on the scholarship. Some essays may require or request a title, but most scholarships on Bold.org do not have a place to add a title. They are rarely required for Bold.org essays, but there are still exceptions. Additionally, other scholarships sites may prefer essays to be titled .

Where do I put my name in a scholarship essay?

This is another circumstance that depends on where you are applying for the scholarship. On Bold.org , you are submitting your application using your profile , so your name has already been shared in the application. Because of this, it is not necessary to include your name in the essay. Preferences may change depending on where you are applying for scholarships.

How do you answer "tell me about yourself" in a scholarship essay?

This question can be answered in so many different ways, but the most effective essays write less about academic credentials and more about interesting lessons and experiences that make them unique. If filled out thoroughly, your profile should already display your credentials, so use this space to share unique information about yourself, such as experience in the performing arts, time spent in a study abroad program, reasoning behind a college double major, work as an international student, and so on. Each person has a story; use this space to share it .

How do you start a scholarship essay about yourself?

One of the hardest parts of writing an essay about yourself is figuring out how to start. You want to sell yourself but still be humble, come across as fun but not stupid, show your strengths without ripping on others, etc. So, how should you start?

Don't start with a basic list of your accomplishments, for that doesn't draw readers into your essay. Begin with a hook that illustrates the point of your essay, without explicitly saying it. There is no right or wrong way to start your essay as long as you promote your strengths without being boastful. This is a difficult line to teeter on, but if you are able to showcase yourself in a genuine way, your chances of receiving scholarship financial aid will be much higher.

What to say when asked why you deserve a scholarship

Scholarships essays are a great place to show off your achievements, experiences, and personality, and this doesn't have to be in an arrogant way! Use a prompt about why you are deserving to share your story. When people know more about you, it becomes more apparent why you are qualified for the scholarship.

Use this section to show how you excel in different areas, giving examples, instead of simply saying that you are adequate in those fields. Share about your community service experiences, talk about your post-secondary education or plans to attend college, and include a note of how many scholarships you are earned in the past and what they were for. Don't be afraid to highlight your credibility, but do it in a way that gives examples . The "show, don't tell" technique is preached throughout schooling, and these essays are a perfect time to put that skill to use.

How do you sell yourself in a scholarship essay?

After you lead into your essay with a strong hook, begin by focusing on your morals and personal strengths. Do this in a way that doesn't just say you are strong in a certain area but shows it. Maybe this is a personal anecdote that shows your helpfulness, or maybe it's an example of your previous awards to demonstrate your academic excellence. Focus less on general academic achievement and more on specific awards, extracurricular activities, community service, and other notable accomplishments.

If your profile already shows your GPA, research experience, awards, and other information in your bio, don't feel that you have to go into depth with a specific list of all of your academic achievements. Stick to the aspects of your resumé that are individual to you , and you'll be more likely to find success in the different scholarship opportunities you apply for.

How to make a good impression in a scholarship essay

Many of the things to put in a scholarship essay have already been mentioned, but it is also important to mention what should not be added to an essay. In making a good impression on the scholarship committee, you must ensure that your message is clear. Avoid getting into controversial topics that detract from the focus of your essay, and stay on track to show your organization and thoughtfulness in approaching the scholarship application.

Additionally, don't flat-out say you need the money, even if you are in desperate need of financial assistance. Begging for money or using lack of financial stability as a way of appealing to the committee does not send a good message and often reflects badly on the rest of your application . If you do mention your economic background, do it in a respectful way that doesn't come across as offensive to the donors.

The committees ask the questions they do to get a good judge of a person's ambitions, interests, and most importantly, character. There are possibly many reasons you deserve this scholarship, but many other students are worthy too. Don't insult other applicants in order to make yourself look better. At the end of the day, you can only control yourself, so keep the focus on the positives about you, instead of the negatives about other people.

How long should a scholarship essay be?

Most, if not all, scholarship essays have a required word count range for your essay to stay between. Look at this when reading the prompt and preparing to write your essay so that you have an idea of how much to write. Keep your essay well inside the range to be safe.

Strong essays are less reliant on the number of words and paragraphs and more reliant on the quality of the writing. A 400-word essay packed with power can be more effective than a 1000-word essay that is poorly written. Because of this, it is less important to worry about what the committee will think of the length of your essay, as long as it's within the limit, and more important to make your scholarship effective.

Can I reuse my scholarship essays?

In some cases, it is okay to use the same essay, but be aware of what the question is asking and the purpose of the scholarship. For example, if you are applying to a computer science scholarship that wants to know about your interests in the subject, don't use an essay that focuses on your relationship with your family members.

If the prompt is the same for several scholarships and you want to reuse an essay, there is no rule against it. However, be aware of the little changes you can make to improve the applications for various scholarships .

Where can you find scholarships to apply for?

Scholarships are a great way to combat student loans , and Bold.org's mission is to help reduce the cost of student debt, providing a scholarship opportunity for all sorts of people, with different experiences, educations, and interests. In addition to looking for local scholarships in your area, and scholarships offered by your college, use Bold.org as a starting point to find scholarships that are right for you!

Kate is passionate about using writing to educate and help others. Her research and writing skills allow her to create expert content for Bold.org. Nearing the completion of her degrees in both Journalism and Astrophysics at Michigan State University, she has experience with advanced research as well as factual reporting. 

She has done professional freelance writing for Hour Detroit Magazine and is both a writer and editor for the online publication Her Campus, geared towards college students. Additionally, her background working in a public school district gives her a unique perspective that can serve students on their journey to higher education. Following her education, Kate plans to pursue a career as a scientific writer.

Kate is no longer with the  Bold.org  Writing Team, but we continue to value and appreciate her contributions.

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay: Crafting a Standout Narrative

With scholarship opportunities on the rise, it's surprising to learn that a significant percentage of applicants often overlook a crucial element: the scholarship essay. Many candidates focus solely on grades and achievements, unaware that a well-crafted essay can be the game-changer in securing financial aid.

In this article, our essay writing service experts will explore the often underestimated power of the scholarship essay, offering a comprehensive guide that covers everything from defining the essence of a compelling essay to providing practical tips, tricks, and real-world examples. Join us on this journey as we unlock the secrets to transform your essay into a compelling testimony of your unique journey and aspirations, ensuring it not only stands out but leaves a lasting impression on selection committees.

What Is a Scholarship Essay?

A scholarship essay is more than an academic piece—it serves as your personal gateway to funding opportunities, shaping the trajectory of your educational journey. It's an opportunity to weave your narrative, articulating dreams and aspirations that captivate and convince scholarship committees. Picture it as your own masterpiece, where vibrant strokes illustrate who you are, where you've traversed, and the path you aim to tread.

Instead of merely presenting a laundry list of achievements, infuse vitality into your essay by narrating a pivotal moment that ignited your passion. Lead the reader through your experiences, forging a personal connection with your journey. Keep in mind that a scholarship essay isn't just about highlighting accomplishments; it's about unveiling the person behind those achievements. It's the distinction between perusing a resume and immersing oneself in a compelling story that leaves an indelible mark.

Let's buckle up as our scholarship essay writing service explores the art of crafting essays that go beyond grades and accolades.

Who Said Essays Can't Be an Adventurous Quest for Financial Aid?

Let's craft an essay that doesn't just open doors but kicks them wide open!

Scholarship Essay Format

When it comes to the scholarship essay writing process, paying meticulous attention to specific formatting requirements is crucial. Here's a breakdown of essential elements to consider:

1. Word Count and Page Limit:

Before you start writing, carefully review the scholarship guidelines for page and word limit. Adhering to these limits demonstrates your ability to follow instructions and ensures that your essay is concise and focused.

2. Font and Font Size:

Use a readable font that is commonly accepted, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. Ensure that the font size is within the specified range. Typically, a 12-point font is standard, but check the guidelines to confirm.

3. Margins and Spacing:

Maintain consistent margins on all sides of the document, usually one inch. Follow the specified spacing guidelines, whether it's double-spacing or a different requirement. Consistent spacing enhances readability and gives your essay a polished appearance.

4. Title or Heading:

Check if the scholarship application requires a title or heading. If not specified, you can opt for a straightforward title centered at the top of the page, using a larger font size than the body of the essay. Alternatively, you may choose to omit a title and start directly with your essay.

5. File Format and Submission Instructions:

Confirm the preferred file format for submission, whether it's a PDF, Word document, or another format. Adhering to the specified file format ensures that your essay is easily accessible and viewable by the scholarship committee.

6. Headers and Footers:

If required, include a header with your name, page number, and any other specified information. Be consistent in formatting these details throughout the document. Headers and footers add a professional touch to your essay.

7. Citations and References:

If you need to include citations or references, follow a standard citation style (such as APA format example , MLA, or Chicago) as per the scholarship guidelines. Ensure that your citations are accurate and formatted correctly.

8. Language and Tone:

While not directly related to formatting, it's crucial to maintain a professional and respectful tone. Tailor your language to suit the formality expected by the scholarship committee. Avoid slang or overly casual language unless explicitly allowed or encouraged.

9. File Naming Conventions:

If you are submitting your essay electronically, adhere to any specific file naming conventions outlined in the scholarship guidelines. This ensures that your document is easily identifiable and organized within the application system.

10. Proofreading and Formatting Check:

Before submission, thoroughly proofread your scholarship essay format to catch any errors, typos, or inconsistencies. Ensure that your essay looks polished and adheres to all specified formatting requirements.

How to Write a Scholarship Essay Step-By-Step

Here is a detailed and example-rich breakdown of how to approach and execute each section of the scholarship essay from our dissertation service experts. Remember, the key is to weave a narrative that is not only unique to you but also aligns seamlessly with the scholarship's values and expectations.

• Introduction

To better understand how to start a scholarship essay, consider beginning with a vivid scene or a personal anecdote that relates to your journey. For example, if you're applying for a scholarship in environmental science, start with a moment of realization about the impact of climate change during a particular experience. Additionally, refer to our article on strategies for writing an essay hook for valuable tips.

• Thesis Statement

Craft a powerful thesis that not only outlines your career goals but also hints at the unique perspective you bring. For instance, 'Through my journey in community service, I have discovered a passion for social entrepreneurship, and this scholarship will be the catalyst for implementing sustainable solutions.'

• Body Paragraphs

Example of Achievements : Provide specific examples of your achievements within the same essay. Instead of stating, 'I was the captain of the debate team,' share a defining moment like, 'Leading the debate team to victory in the regional competition not only honed my public speaking skills but also instilled in me the importance of collaboration and effective communication.'

Experiences and Impact : Elaborate on the impact of your experiences. For instance, 'My volunteer work at the local animal shelter not only taught me compassion but also sparked an interest in animal welfare. This experience, coupled with my academic achievements, drives my pursuit of a degree in veterinary medicine.'

• Express Your Goals and Aspirations

Specificity in Goals : Instead of a generic statement, be specific. For example, 'I aspire to bridge the gap between technology and healthcare by specializing in medical informatics. This scholarship will enable me to pioneer innovations that enhance patient care and streamline medical processes.'

Link to Scholarship Values : Showcase a connection between your goals and the scholarship values. If the scholarship emphasizes community impact, explain how your ambitions align: 'My goal of establishing sustainable community health programs aligns seamlessly with the scholarship's commitment to fostering positive change.'

• Address Any Challenges

Share a personal challenge and highlight your resilience. 'Overcoming financial hardships, I learned the value of resourcefulness. This scholarship represents more than financial aid; it symbolizes the triumph of perseverance and the pursuit of academic excellence against all odds.'

Revisit your thesis and express optimism about the future. 'As I embark on this academic journey, fueled by my experiences and aspirations, I am confident that the skills and insights gained will not only contribute to my personal growth but also bring positive change to the communities I aim to serve.'

• Proofreading and Editing

Seek specific feedback from peers, asking questions like, 'Does the opening anecdote draw you in?' or 'Are my goals and aspirations clear throughout the essay?' Addressing these specifics enhances the quality of your essay. If your scholarship essay ideas revolve around history, consider utilizing the assistance of our history essay writer .

• Formatting Guidelines

Pay meticulous attention to formatting details. If the scholarship application specifies a font size or page limit, adhere to it. This showcases your ability to follow instructions, an essential skill in academic and professional settings.

• Personalization

Adjust your essay to align with the values of each scholarship provider. If a scholarship emphasizes leadership, emphasize leadership experiences and their impact on your goals. This customization demonstrates your commitment to the specific scholarship's mission.

Scholarship Essay Examples

Below are scholarship essay examples that follow the outlined format and incorporate elements of a compelling narrative. Meanwhile, if you're feeling stuck with your own narrative, hit that ' write a paper for me ' button. Let's bring your unique story to life.

Using our tips sets you on the right track. Still, having a good sample essay at hand is vital for success. So, to make the writing process for your scholarship essay even more smooth and amazing, enter the dissertation service to look at the following samples:

Scholarship Essay Prompts

Scholarship essay prompts are more than questions; they are gateways to showcasing your unique story and aspirations. Here are some distinctive and thought-provoking prompts to spark your creativity:

• The Unwritten Chapter : Describe a pivotal moment in your life that feels like the beginning of an unwritten chapter. How has this moment shaped your goals and inspired your pursuit of a scholarship?
• The Legacy of Words : If you could have a conversation with any historical figure, author, or fictional character, who would it be? How would this conversation influence your academic and career aspirations?
• The Dream Project : Imagine receiving unlimited funding for a project that addresses a global challenge. What would your project be, and how would it impact the world?
• The Personal Lexicon : If you had to choose five words that define your journey, what would they be, and why? How do these words encapsulate your aspirations and experiences?
• The Alternative Universe : Transport yourself to an alternate universe where you pursue a completely different field of study. How has this imaginary journey influenced your perspective on your current academic path?
• The Cultural Odyssey : Reflect on an aspect of your cultural background that has significantly shaped your identity. How does this influence your academic and career goals, and how will it contribute to a diverse academic community?
• The Innovation Blueprint : If you were given the chance to revolutionize an industry through innovation, which field would you choose, and what groundbreaking idea would you bring to the table?
• The Unexpected Mentor : Describe an unexpected mentor or role model in your life. How have their guidance and insights influenced your personal and academic growth?
• The Traveler's Tale : Imagine embarking on a journey to three different countries. Share how each country's culture, values, or experiences would contribute to your personal and academic development.
• The Legacy of Service: Discuss a community service project you initiated or participated in. How has this experience shaped your understanding of social responsibility and influenced your educational aspirations?

6 Scholarship Essay Tips

Here are a few more tips from our service to allow you to create a winning scholarship essay:

• Uncover Your Unique Angle : Identify what makes your story distinct while writing scholarship essays. Whether it's an unusual experience, a personal passion, or an innovative approach to problem-solving, emphasize the elements that set you apart from other applicants.
• Create a Compelling Hook : Engage the reader immediately by starting with a compelling hook. This could be a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact, or a powerful quote that sets the tone for your narrative.
• Quantify Your Impact : When discussing achievements, quantify your impact whenever possible. Instead of merely stating leadership roles, highlight specific results or improvements achieved under your guidance.
• Highlight Transformative Moments : Share moments of personal growth or transformation. These could be challenges you've overcome, realizations that shaped your perspective, or experiences that fueled your passion for your chosen field.
• Demonstrate Proactive Solutions : Showcase instances where you took the initiative or implemented solutions. Whether it's a community project, academic challenge, or personal goal, emphasize your proactive approach and problem-solving skills.
• Balance Confidence with Humility : Project confidence in your abilities as a college student without overshadowing humility. Acknowledge areas for growth, expressing a willingness to learn and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Creating scholarship essays can be challenging, particularly when time and skills are limited. Yet, a compelling essay plays a crucial role in securing the desired scholarship. If you're short on time or uncertain about your abilities, explore the option of seeking help from professional essay writers. Submit a ' help me with my homework ' request to receive a high-quality scholarship essay or even a Pride and Prejudice short summary , enhancing your chances of success!

Ready to Turn Your Academic Journey into a Blockbuster Story?

Let's script your success with a tailor-made essay that'll have scholarship committees giving you a standing ovation!

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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How to Craft a Winning Scholarship Essay: Tips for 2025

Crafting a Winning Scholarship Essay: Tips for 2025

For anyone seeking to secure their educational future through scholarships, writing a strong essay is crucial. A compelling narrative, clear purpose, and genuine passion are essential ingredients that can make your application stand out. Whether you are applying to the $40,000 Warwick Chancellor’s International Scholarships, UK 2024 , or any other scholarship program, following these tips can significantly elevate your essay.

Understanding the Essay Prompt

Every scholarship comes with an essay prompt to assess applicants’ eligibility and compatibility with the scholarship’s goals. Make sure you fully understand the essay prompt before you start writing. Answer the question directly, provide relevant examples, and demonstrate how you fit the criteria.

Showcase Your Achievements

Highlight your academic achievements, leadership roles, and community service. For instance, if you’re applying for the $40,000 Warwick Chancellor’s International Scholarships, UK 2024, underline your international experiences or your commitment to fostering cross-cultural understanding. Use concrete examples and quantify your achievements where possible. Mention any awards or recognitions that are relevant to the scholarship.

Personalize Your Essay

Generic essays rarely capture the judges’ attention. Tailor your essay to reflect your unique experiences, personality, and dreams. Share personal stories that illustrate your perseverance and decision-making skills. If you’re a STEM student, discuss the projects you’ve undertaken, challenges you’ve faced, and how you overcame them. According to the statistics, the percentage of STEM students who are female in the UK is about 35%. If you’re among the minority, talk about your journey and role in bridging the gender gap.

Craft a Strong Introduction

Begin with a strong hook that grabs the reader’s attention right from the start. An anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a quote can set a compelling tone. For instance, you can start with, “The first time I programmed a robot, I realized that problem-solving in technology was my passion.”

Be Clear and Concise

Scholarship essays often come with word limits. Be clear and concise in your writing; make every word count. Address the prompt directly and avoid unnecessary jargon or overly complex sentences. Use short paragraphs to improve readability and keep your ideas organized.

Align with Scholarship Values

Research the scholarship provider and reflect their values in your essay. If the scholarship focuses on leadership, give examples of how you have demonstrated leadership. If it emphasizes community service, highlight your volunteer work. Aligning your experiences and values with those of the scholarship can make your application more persuasive.

Proof of Future Goals

Scholarship committees want to invest in students with clear goals and ambitions. Reflect on how this scholarship will help you achieve your future objectives. Whether you aspire to innovate in technology, contribute to medical research, or improve education in underserved communities, articulate your vision clearly. Explain how the Warwick Chancellor’s International Scholarships or any other scholarship will help you fulfill your aspirations.

Proofread and Edit Ruthlessly

Errors can significantly detract from the quality of your essay. Proofread your essay multiple times, and consider seeking feedback from teachers, mentors, or peers. Editing ruthlessly means cutting out unnecessary words, refining your language, and ensuring that your essay remains focused and coherent.

Avoid Plagiarism

Always write your essay in your own words. Scholarship committees are skilled at recognizing plagiarized content. Originality is key, and your essay should reflect your personal voice and experiences.

Conclusion Matters

End your essay on a positive and impactful note. Summarize your main points and reaffirm your passion and commitment. A strong conclusion can leave a lasting impression on the reader, increasing your chances of success.

Practical Tips for the $40,000 Warwick Chancellor’s International Scholarships, UK 2024

If you’re targeting the $40,000 Warwick Chancellor’s International Scholarships, UK 2024, there are specific aspects you should focus on:

International Perspective : Emphasize any international experiences or aspirations. Discuss how studying in the UK will provide a unique opportunity to achieve your goals and contribute to international cooperation or understanding.

Academic Excellence : Demonstrate your academic achievements and how they align with the scholarship’s standards. Provide clear examples of pursuits in your field of study and how you have excelled.

Leadership and Community Impact : The scholarship values leadership and community engagement. Illustrate your roles in community projects or leadership positions, and how these experiences have prepared you for future endeavors.

Tips for Female STEM Students

For female STEM students, leveraging your unique position can be advantageous. Given that only about 35% of STEM students in the UK are female, highlighting your experiences and the barriers you’ve overcome can make your essay more compelling.

Discuss Gender Diversity : Address the challenges of being a minority in your field and how you’re working to inspire other young women to pursue STEM.

Showcase STEM Projects : Provide detailed descriptions of your STEM projects, innovations, and any recognition you’ve received. Explain how these projects prepare you for a future career in STEM.

Future Vision : Outline your vision for gender diversity in STEM and how you plan to contribute.

Real-World Examples

Including real-world examples can significantly strengthen your essay. For instance, you can mention an internship at a tech company where you led a project that solved a significant problem. Or, explain how a volunteer experience at a local science camp inspired your commitment to education. These examples make your essay relatable and memorable.

Stay Authentic

Authenticity resonates with readers. Don’t exaggerate your achievements or fabricate stories. Scholarship committees appreciate genuine, passionate students. Be honest about your journey, including both successes and setbacks. Authenticity fosters trust and connection.

Time Management

Starting early gives you ample time to craft a thoughtful essay. Break down the process into manageable steps: brainstorming, drafting, editing, and finalizing. Rushing through the essay near the deadline can lead to avoidable mistakes.

Use Resources

Maximize available resources for essay writing. Utilize writing centers, online guides, and workshops provided by your school or community. Engaging with these resources can provide valuable tips and feedback to refine your essay.

Practice Resilience

Applying for scholarships can be competitive and challenging. Not every application will lead to success. Practice resilience and learn from each experience. Use feedback constructively and continually improve your essays.

A winning scholarship essay requires careful planning, genuine storytelling, and a clear demonstration of your potential. Whether aiming for the prestigious $40,000 Warwick Chancellor’s International Scholarships, UK 2024, or other scholarships, these tips offer guidance to create a compelling narrative. Emphasize your unique experiences, align with scholarship values, and clearly express your future goals. With dedication and authenticity, your scholarship essay can open doors to remarkable opportunities.

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How to Effectively Communicate Your Story in Scholarship Essay

Scholarship essays offer a powerful vehicle for sharing your experience, not merely highlighting academic achievements or financial needs. Writing a powerful scholarship essay that tells your narrative can set you apart from thousands of other applicants; admissions committees want to know about your personality, motivations, and how your experiences have affected you; they're not interested just in stellar extracurricular records or test scores alone - they want a story that resonates with their audiences through reflection, imagination and an in-depth knowledge of yourself that speaks directly to their hearts. This post offers techniques on how to tell your narrative through scholarship essays that genuinely stand out based on advice from a  scholarship essay writing service .

Understanding the Audience

Be mindful of the scholarship committee's perspective before writing your essay. These committees often consist of educators, professionals, and alums looking for individuals who meet academic eligibility and academic requirements and possess qualities like resilience, leadership, and dedication to their objectives. Committee members want to hear more about your personal growth, the obstacles you have overcome, and your plans to use the scholarship to achieve your goals.

Investigate the scholarship organization and its principles to build rapport with your audience. Determine which attributes they value most highly and their intended use, and create a storyline that resonates with its ideals by adapting your tale accordingly.

Crafting a Compelling Narrative

At the core of every strong scholarship essay lies an engaging story. Your tale should reflect your struggles, victories, and life experiences - so start writing down essential moments from your life that have made up who you are now: hardships overcome or personal victories achieved - events that shaped who you are as an individual - such as times of hardships encountered along your path towards studies or profession.

When writing your story, focus more on showing than telling. Provide specific examples from your life that illustrate why you are determined or dynamic rather than simply asserting such qualities. Show the reader an instance of complex challenges you faced, how you responded to them, and any lessons learned. This strategy makes writing more captivating and memorable while helping the reader form an accurate mental image in their head.

Structuring Your Essay

How you present your story in your scholarship essay depends heavily on its format. An essay with clear beginning, middle, and end points makes it much simpler for readers to follow your narrative.

Your introduction should captivate the reader's interest immediately by creating something that intrigues or challenges the reader's thinking - for instance, using an intriguing question, story, or strong statement that establishes the tone for your essay. In addition to providing a quick overview, your introduction should highlight critical ideas or experiences discussed within its body.

Your essay's body should provide further exploration of your narrative. Each paragraph should focus on one element of your tale - such as an obstacle you overcame, an accomplishment made, or lessons learned - while making sure they flow coherently one after the next to ensure an enticing storyline leads up to its conclusion.

Your essay's central ideas must be summarized in its conclusion, reinforcing its major thesis statement. Now is also an ideal time to consider how a scholarship would support long-term objectives or give back to the community or the academic field being studied.

Authenticity and Voice

Authenticity is a cornerstone of writing an effective scholarship essay. Your ideas, feelings, and personality should shine through in your essay; don't write what you think the committee wants to read; focus on sharing authentic experiences and viewpoints.

Authenticity demands writing in your voice. Your essay should reflect this unique way you express yourself via writing. Whether you opt for an upbeat or somber tone, ensure it suits the narrative and resonates with readers - authenticity fosters relationships between reader and writer and increases its impact and relatability.

Addressing Challenges and Adversity

Scholarship committees highly prize resilience and perseverance, so an essay can be an excellent platform to demonstrate both. Discuss any hardships or challenges you've endured that have shaped who you are; highlight how you overcame these difficulties by emphasizing the lessons learned rather than dwelling solely on their causes.

Striking a balance between strength and vulnerability when facing adversities is essential. While discussing hardships is acceptable, the focus should instead be on how these experiences have contributed to your personal growth and equipped you to face new obstacles more easily. This strategy showcases your tenacity and proves how hardship motivates people toward reaching goals.

Conclusion: Telling Your Story Confidently

Scholarship essays require careful preparation, creativity, and a keen understanding of yourself and your objectives to communicate to an audience effectively. A scholarship essay that genuinely engages readers may include emphasizing resilience and progress, creating an engaging narrative, being honest about life experiences, being bold enough to challenge existing myths about themselves, making an impression claim for funding by emphasizing resilience or growth, or just being yourself! Being confident with your story and paying close attention to every detail may increase your odds of being selected as a recipient and moving closer toward realizing academic or professional goals!

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Want to write a college essay that sets you apart? Three tips to give you a head start

1. Keep it real. It’s normal to want to make a good impression on the school of your choice, but it’s also important to show who you really are. So just be yourself! Compelling stories might not be perfectly linear or have a happy ending, and that’s OK. It’s best to be authentic instead of telling schools what you think they want to hear.

2. Be reflective . Think about how you’ve changed during high school. How have you grown and improved? What makes you feel ready for college, and how do you hope to contribute to the campus community and society at large?

3. Look to the future. Consider your reasons for attending college. What do you hope to gain from your education? What about college excites you the most, and what would you like to do after you graduate? Answering these questions will not only give colleges insight into the kind of student you’ll be, but it will also give you the personal insight you’ll need to choose the school that’s right for you.

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How To Tackle The Weirdest Supplemental Essay Prompts For This Application Cycle

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Writing the college essay

How do you write a letter to a friend that shows you’re a good candidate for the University of Pennsylvania? What reading list will help the Columbia University admissions committee understand your interdisciplinary interests? How can you convey your desire to attend Yale by inventing a course description for a topic you’re interested in studying?

These are the challenges students must overcome when writing their supplemental essays . Supplemental essays are a critical component of college applications—like the personal statement, they provide students with the opportunity to showcase their authentic voice and perspective beyond the quantitative elements of their applications. However, unlike the personal essay, supplemental essays allow colleges to read students’ responses to targeted prompts and evaluate their candidacy for their specific institution. For this reason, supplemental essay prompts are often abstract, requiring students to get creative, read between the lines, and ditch the traditional essay-writing format when crafting their responses.

While many schools simply want to know “why do you want to attend our school?” others break the mold, inviting students to think outside of the box and answer prompts that are original, head-scratching, or downright weird. This year, the following five colleges pushed students to get creative—if you’re struggling to rise to the challenge, here are some tips for tackling their unique prompts:

University of Chicago

Prompt: We’re all familiar with green-eyed envy or feeling blue, but what about being “caught purple-handed”? Or “tickled orange”? Give an old color-infused expression a new hue and tell us what it represents. – Inspired by Ramsey Bottorff, Class of 2026

What Makes it Unique: No discussion of unique supplemental essay prompts would be complete without mentioning the University of Chicago, a school notorious for its puzzling and original prompts (perhaps the most well-known of these has been the recurring prompt “Find x”). This prompt challenges you to invent a new color-based expression, encouraging both linguistic creativity and a deep dive into the emotional or cultural connotations of color. It’s a prompt that allows you to play with language, think abstractly, and show off your ability to forge connections between concepts that aren’t typically linked—all qualities that likewise demonstrate your preparedness for UChicago’s unique academic environment.

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How to Answer it: While it may be easy to get distracted by the open-ended nature of the prompt, remember that both the substance and structure of your response should give some insight into your personality, perspective, and characteristics. With this in mind, begin by considering the emotions, experiences, or ideas that most resonate with you. Then, use your imagination to consider how a specific color could represent that feeling or concept. Remember that the prompt is ultimately an opportunity to showcase your creativity and original way of looking at the world, so your explanation does not need to be unnecessarily deep or complex—if you have a playful personality, convey your playfulness in your response; if you are known for your sarcasm, consider how you can weave in your biting wit; if you are an amateur poet, consider how you might take inspiration from poetry as you write, or offer a response in the form of a poem.

The goal is to take a familiar concept and turn it into something new and meaningful through a creative lens. Use this essay to showcase your ability to think inventively and to draw surprising connections between language and life.

Harvard University

Prompt: Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.

What Makes it Unique: This prompt is unique in both form and substance—first, you only have 150 words to write about all 3 things. Consider using a form other than a traditional essay or short answer response, such as a bullet list or short letter. Additionally, note that the things your roommate might like to learn about you do not necessarily overlap with the things you would traditionally share with an admissions committee. The aim of the prompt is to get to know your quirks and foibles—who are you as a person and a friend? What distinguishes you outside of academics and accolades?

How to Answer it: First and foremost, feel free to get creative with your response to this prompt. While you are producing a supplemental essay and thus a professional piece of writing, the prompt invites you to share more personal qualities, and you should aim to demonstrate your unique characteristics in your own voice. Consider things such as: How would your friends describe you? What funny stories do your parents and siblings share that encapsulate your personality? Or, consider what someone might want to know about living with you: do you snore? Do you have a collection of vintage posters? Are you particularly fastidious? While these may seem like trivial things to mention, the true creativity is in how you connect these qualities to deeper truths about yourself—perhaps your sleepwalking is consistent with your reputation for being the first to raise your hand in class or speak up about a cause you’re passionate about. Perhaps your living conditions are a metaphor for how your brain works—though it looks like a mess to everyone else, you have a place for everything and know exactly where to find it. Whatever qualities you choose, embrace the opportunity to think outside of the box and showcase something that admissions officers won’t learn about anywhere else on your application.

University of Pennsylvania

Prompt: Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.

What Makes it Unique: Breaking from the traditional essay format, this supplement invites you to write directly to a third party in the form of a 150-200 word long letter. The challenge in answering this distinct prompt is to remember that your letter should say as much about you, your unique qualities and what you value as it does about the recipient—all while not seeming overly boastful or contrived.

How to Answer it: As you select a recipient, consider the relationships that have been most formative in your high school experience—writing to someone who has played a large part in your story will allow the admissions committee some insight into your development and the meaningful relationships that guided you on your journey. Once you’ve identified the person, craft a thank-you note that is specific and heartfelt—unlike other essays, this prompt invites you to be sentimental and emotional, as long as doing so would authentically convey your feelings of gratitude. Describe the impact they’ve had on you, what you’ve learned from them, and how their influence has shaped your path. For example, if you’re thanking a teacher, don’t just say they helped you become a better student—explain how their encouragement gave you the confidence to pursue your passions. Keep the tone sincere and personal, avoid clichés and focus on the unique role this person has played in your life.

University of Notre Dame

Prompt: What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?

What Makes it Unique: This prompt is unique in that it invites students to share something about themselves by reflecting on someone else’s words in 50-100 words.

How to Answer it: The key to answering this prompt is to avoid focusing too much on the complement itself and instead focus on your response to receiving it and why it was so important to you. Note that this prompt is not an opportunity to brag about your achievements, but instead to showcase what truly matters to you. Select a compliment that truly speaks to who you are and what you value. It could be related to your character, work ethic, kindness, creativity, or any other quality that you hold in high regard. The compliment doesn’t have to be grand or come from someone with authority—it could be something small but significant that left a lasting impression on you, or it could have particular meaning for you because it came from someone you didn’t expect it to come from. Be brief in setting the stage and explaining the context of the compliment—what is most important is your reflection on its significance and how it shaped your understanding of yourself.

Stanford University

Prompt: List five things that are important to you.

What Makes it Unique: This prompt’s simplicity is what makes it so challenging. Stanford asks for a list, not an essay, which means you have very limited space (50 words) to convey something meaningful about yourself. Additionally, the prompt does not specify what these “things” must be—they could be a physical item, an idea, a concept, or even a pastime. Whatever you choose, these five items should add depth to your identity, values, and priorities.

How to Answer it: Start by brainstorming what matters most to you—these could be values, activities, people, places, or even abstract concepts. The key is to choose items or concepts that, when considered together, provide a comprehensive snapshot of who you are. For example, you might select something tangible and specific such as “an antique telescope gifted by my grandfather” alongside something conceptual such as “the willingness to admit when you’re wrong.” The beauty of this prompt is that it doesn’t require complex sentences or elaborate explanations—just a clear and honest reflection of what you hold dear. Be thoughtful in your selections, and use this prompt to showcase your creativity and core values.

While the supplemental essays should convey something meaningful about you, your values, and your unique qualifications for the university to which you are applying, the best essays are those that are playful, original, and unexpected. By starting early and taking the time to draft and revise their ideas, students can showcase their authentic personalities and distinguish themselves from other applicants through their supplemental essays.

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How to Start An Essay- Steps with Examples

Once you have a single idea to anchor your essay, build the entire piece around it. Starting an essay can be challenging; it's like revving up the engine and keeping your ideas flowing throughout. But I've got a foolproof plan for you. In this article I will show you how to start an essay and write a powerful, impactful piece for your class.

What is the Process of Writing an Essay?

Just like any task that requires organization, writing an essay follows a structured process. If you want to ensure that your essay is well-organized and not just a free flow of ideas, consider the following process:

Read and Understand the Prompt: Begin by carefully reading the essay prompt to fully grasp what is being asked of you. Break it down into manageable parts to ensure you cover every aspect in your essay.

Plan Your Essay: Take time to brainstorm and organize your ideas. Creating an outline or a web of your ideas and supporting details will make the writing process much smoother. This will help you structure your essay logically and ensure all your points are well thought out.

Use and Cite Sources: Conduct thorough research to gather information and evidence to support your arguments. Use quotes and paraphrases from credible sources, but always avoid plagiarism by properly citing your sources.

Write a Draft: Start by writing a rough draft. As Ernest Hemingway said, “The first draft of anything is always crap.” This stage allows you to get all your ideas down without worrying about perfection. Drafts are essential for organizing your thoughts and refining your arguments.

Develop a Strong Thesis: Your thesis statement is the main argument of your essay and the most important sentence you'll write. Make it clear and compelling, setting the stage for your entire essay.

Respond to the Prompt: Once you've refined your draft, ensure that you are directly addressing every part of the prompt. Your final draft should be a polished version of your ideas, with a clear and logical flow.

Proofread: Review your essay carefully to catch any grammatical errors, typos, or awkward sentences. Proofreading is crucial because even small mistakes can undermine the professionalism and clarity of your essay.

What is the Structure of an Essay?

Although more advanced academic papers have their own unique structures, the basic high school or college essay typically follows a standardized five-paragraph format:

1.Introduction

Writing a well-structured essay is crucial for clearly conveying your ideas and arguments. While advanced academic papers may have complex structures, the basic high school or college essay typically follows a standardized five-paragraph format. This format includes an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion, each serving a specific purpose to guide the reader through your argument.

The introduction paragraph is where you start by grabbing the reader’s attention with an engaging "hook," such as a relevant quote or a surprising fact. Following this, you introduce your thesis statement, which is the central argument or point of your essay. To set the stage for the rest of the essay, you provide a brief preview of the three main points that will be covered in the body paragraphs.

The first body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that introduces the first subtopic related to your thesis. This paragraph includes supporting details or examples that illustrate your point, followed by an explanation of how these details or examples support your thesis. This structured approach ensures clarity and coherence, making your argument more persuasive.

The second body paragraph follows a similar format. It starts with a topic sentence that introduces the second subtopic. Again, you provide supporting details or examples and explain their relevance to your thesis. This repetition of structure helps reinforce your argument and makes it easier for the reader to follow your reasoning.

The third body paragraph introduces the third subtopic with a topic sentence. Just like the previous paragraphs, it includes supporting details or examples and explains how they support your thesis. This consistent format throughout the body paragraphs ensures that each point is clearly presented and thoroughly examined.

3.Conclusion

The conclusion paragraph begins with a concluding transition, such as "in conclusion," signaling that you are wrapping up your essay. You restate your thesis in a new way to reinforce your main argument. Then, you summarize the key points discussed in the body paragraphs, tying them back to your thesis.

Finally, you end with a "global statement" or call to action, leaving the reader with a final thought or suggestion related to your topic. This structured approach to essay writing helps ensure that your arguments are clear, cohesive, and compelling from start to finish.

How to Start an Essay [3 Steps with examples]

Starting an essay can bring a mix of thoughts: how to begin, how to end, what supporting points to use. This confusion often leads students to produce subpar essays. Writing an essay is a process that requires structure, which is why learning how to start an essay is crucial.

From my experience, the first tip is to analyze the question and begin brainstorming. This is followed by a series of steps I'll discuss to help you craft an essay that communicates your message effectively. Let's explore how to start an essay, including examples, samples, and techniques like opening with a thought-provoking question. Whether you're looking for "how to start an essay with examples" or a "how to start an essay sample," these tips will guide you towards a strong introduction that sets the tone for your entire piece.

1.Writing the Introduction

Your introduction sets the tone for your entire essay. It's your opportunity to grab the reader's attention and provide a roadmap for what's to come. Let's break down the key components following up with how to start an essay examples:

The hook is your opening statement that captivates your audience. It should be intriguing, thought-provoking, and relevant to your topic. A strong hook can take various forms, such as a startling statistic, a provocative question, or a vivid anecdote. The key is to pique your reader's curiosity and make them eager to read more.

a) "Imagine a world where your morning coffee could power your entire house for a day. While this might sound like science fiction, recent advancements in bioenergy are bringing us closer to this reality."

b) "In the time it takes you to read this sentence, over 200 species will have gone extinct. The alarming rate of biodiversity loss is not just a statistic—it's a call to action that we can no longer ignore."

Context / Background

After hooking your reader, provide context that helps them understand the significance of your topic. This background information should bridge the gap between your hook and your thesis statement. Explain why your topic matters, touch on recent developments or historical context, and set the stage for your main argument.

"The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from the realm of science fiction to a cornerstone of modern technology. Over the past decade, AI has permeated various aspects of our lives, from voice assistants in our homes to complex algorithms driving social media platforms. As AI continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, it raises profound questions about the future of work, privacy, and even what it means to be human. Understanding the implications of this technological revolution is crucial as we navigate an increasingly AI-driven world."

Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is the cornerstone of your essay. It clearly articulates your main argument or purpose, providing a preview of what you'll discuss in the body of your essay. A strong thesis should be specific, arguable, and concise. It sets expectations for your readers and guides the structure of your essay.

"This essay will examine the ethical implications of AI development, arguing that while artificial intelligence offers tremendous benefits in fields such as healthcare and environmental protection, it also poses significant risks to privacy, job security, and social equality. By analyzing these challenges and proposing a framework for responsible AI development, I aim to demonstrate that proactive ethical considerations are essential to harnessing AI's potential while mitigating its dangers."

Overview Ending (Optional)

To round off your introduction, you might choose to provide a brief overview of your essay's structure. This can help orient your readers and give them a clear idea of what to expect. However, be careful not to give away too much—you want to maintain some element of anticipation.

"In exploring the ethical landscape of AI, we will first delve into its transformative potential across various sectors. Then, we'll critically examine the challenges and risks associated with widespread AI adoption. Finally, we'll propose a set of ethical guidelines and policy recommendations aimed at fostering responsible AI development. Through this analysis, we'll uncover how balancing innovation with ethical considerations is crucial for creating an AI-enhanced future that benefits all of humanity."

Once we have written our overview ending, our introduction paragraph is complete. Here is an example of an introduction paragraph:

This might initially appear daunting due to its size, but leveraging WPS AI can streamline and condense the content effectively. Here's how you can simplify and refine it:

Step 1: Select your entire introduction paragraph, and then click on the "WPS AI" icon in the hover menu.

Step 2: From the list of WPS AI options, click on "Make shorter" to help reduce the length of your content.

Step 3: WPS AI will display a shorter version of your introduction in a small window; click on "Replace".

Step 4: The introduction paragraph will now be replaced with a shorter version for your essay.

2.Writing the Body

The body of your essay is where you develop your arguments and provide evidence to support your thesis. It's the meat of your essay, where you dive deep into your topic and showcase your knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Present and develop the main arguments that support your thesis statement. Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea or argument that contributes to your overall thesis. This structure helps your reader follow your logic and understand your points clearly.

Let's say your thesis is about the impact of renewable energy on climate change mitigation. One argument could be:

"The widespread adoption of solar power technology has significantly reduced carbon emissions in countries that have invested heavily in this renewable energy source."

Support each argument with solid evidence that reinforces your point. Evidence can include facts, statistics, research findings, expert opinions, or examples from real-life situations. The stronger and more varied your evidence, the more convincing your argument will be.

"According to a 2023 report by the International Energy Agency, countries with high solar power adoption have seen an average reduction in carbon emissions of 15% over the past five years. For instance, Germany, a leader in solar energy, has cut its carbon emissions by 28% since 2010, with solar power contributing to more than half of this reduction."

Ideas (Paragraphs)

Organize your ideas into coherent paragraphs. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. Follow this with your evidence and analysis, explaining how this information supports your argument and relates to your thesis.

Topic sentence: "Beyond reducing carbon emissions, solar power adoption also stimulates economic growth and job creation in the renewable energy sector."

Evidence and analysis: "A study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that solar panel installer will be the fastest-growing job in the United States over the next decade, with an expected growth rate of 52%. This surge in employment opportunities not only helps to offset job losses in traditional energy sectors but also contributes to overall economic resilience. For example, in California, the solar industry has created over 86,000 jobs, boosting the state's economy while simultaneously reducing its carbon footprint."

This structure is followed for each body paragraph added. So, if you think you have 3 sub-topics, you will have 3 body paragraphs, stating the sub-topic followed by evidence to back your argument.

Transitions

Use transitions to link your paragraphs and ideas together smoothly. These can be words or phrases that show how one idea leads to another or how different viewpoints contrast. Good transitions help your essay flow logically and coherently.

"While solar power demonstrates significant benefits for both the environment and economy, it's essential to consider other renewable energy sources that complement its strengths and address its limitations."

Here is how a body paragraph would look like:

3.Writing the Conclusion

Your conclusion is your final opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your reader. It should tie together all the threads of your essay and reinforce your main points.

Summary / Synthesis

Summarize the main points you have discussed throughout the essay. This reminder helps solidify your arguments in the reader's mind.

"Throughout this essay, we've explored the multifaceted impact of renewable energy, particularly solar power, on our fight against climate change. We've seen how solar technology significantly reduces carbon emissions, stimulates economic growth through job creation, and complements other renewable energy sources. Moreover, we've examined the challenges of energy storage and distribution that come with increased reliance on solar power."

Importance of Your Topic

Explain why your topic is important or relevant. Connect the discussion back to the broader context or implications of your thesis statement.

"The transition to renewable energy sources like solar power is not just an environmental imperative; it's a pivotal moment in human history. As we face the growing threats of climate change, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and biodiversity loss, our energy choices today will shape the world for generations to come. The widespread adoption of solar and other renewable energy sources offers a path to a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future."

Strong Closing Statement

End your conclusion with a strong closing statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. This could be a call to action, a prediction, or a thought-provoking question.

"As we stand at this critical juncture, the choice is clear: embrace the power of the sun and other renewable sources, or continue down a path of environmental degradation. By investing in solar technology, supporting policies that encourage renewable energy adoption, and making conscious energy choices in our daily lives, we can harness the immense potential of renewable energy. The future of our planet is bright - if we choose to make it so. Will you be part of this solar revolution?"

The final conclusion, including all the main functions, would look something like this:

Bonus Tips: How to Polish your Essay with WPS AI

The great thing about WPS Office isn't just that it comes equipped with everything a student in any field needs and has all the tools for you to write the perfect essay, but also that WPS AI helps you improve the quality of what you have at hand.

Grammar and Spelling Check:

WPS Office includes advanced grammar and spelling check tools that automatically identify and correct errors. This feature ensures that your writing is free of typos and grammatical mistakes, enhancing the overall readability and professionalism of your essays.

Let's say you have your completed essay open in WPS Office. With the help of WPS AI spell check, proofreading and spell-checking would become much easier. Simply click on "Accept All" to make all the necessary changes.

Style and Clarity Enhancement:

Beyond just fixing errors, WPS AI offers suggestions to improve your writing style and clarity. It helps you refine your sentence structure, choose more precise words, and eliminate unnecessary jargon. This ensures that your arguments are presented clearly and effectively, making your essays more compelling and easier to understand.

Writing Assistance:

WPS AI acts as a writing assistant, providing guidance on how to continue developing your ideas. Whether you’re stuck on how to transition between paragraphs or need help expanding on a particular point, the AI offers suggestions and tips to keep your writing process smooth and efficient. This can be especially helpful in maintaining a logical flow and ensuring that all your points are well-supported and clearly articulated.

FAQs About Starting an Essay

1. what is the purpose of the introduction in an essay.

The purpose of the introduction in an essay is to familiarize the reader with the topic, highlighting its significance and relevance. It captures the reader's interest while providing essential background information. Additionally, the introduction outlines the main points of the essay and presents the thesis statement, which acts as the core argument that forms the foundation of the entire essay. By laying out these components, the introduction clarifies the importance of the topic and prepares the reader for what lies ahead in the essay.

2. What is a topic sentence?

A topic sentence is a statement that conveys the primary idea of a paragraph. It conveys the main point and establishes the paragraph's focus, ensuring that all subsequent sentences are connected to this key idea. Every paragraph in your paper should include a topic sentence to clarify its purpose.

3. Why do I need a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is crucial because it defines the main argument of an essay, guiding the writer's direction and helping the reader understand the central focus. It serves as a roadmap for the content that follows, ensuring that all points are relevant to the main idea.

4. How can I make my essay introduction stand out?

To create a memorable essay introduction, begin with an engaging hook, such as an intriguing fact, a thought-provoking quote, or a vivid illustration. Additionally, ensure that your introduction is concise, focused, and directly related to the main topic of the essay. This approach will draw the reader in and establish a solid foundation for your argument.

Create Compelling Essays With WPS Office

Learning how to start an essay will ultimately help you transform your ideas into a compelling narrative. All you need is a prompt and a topic to craft the best essay possible. Remember to infuse your work with a bit of heart to give it a personalized touch, making your writing truly unique and engaging. WPS Office is an excellent tool to help you achieve a well-crafted essay. It assists in forming proper sentences and generating new ideas, ensuring your essay is both coherent and creative.

With features like grammar and spelling checks, style and clarity enhancement, and writing assistance, WPS Office supports you every step of the way in your writing process. Download WPS Office now and experience its capabilities for yourself. It’s designed to make essay writing easier and more efficient, allowing you to focus on expressing your ideas and arguments effectively.

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