You may have wondered how to write a scholarship essay. A scholarship essay is a very serious assignment. It must impress the reader and to speak directly to the mission and vision of the organization.
It might seem difficult when you think about how to start a scholarship essay. Beginnings are hard, but the journey is wonderful.
There are a lot of opportunities to write an essay for scholarship. Lots and lots of organizations are promoting brilliant minds and recognize their efforts.
If you want to apply to more than one scholarship, you should know that you will rarely be able to submit the same scholarships essay.
Even though the scholarship essay format is the same, the goals of the company and the objectives of the prize are different. Some changes can be done, but you will probably need to write a new essay every time you apply for a scholarship.
So, how to write an essay for a scholarship? There are some scholarship essay tips expert writing team will share with you. There are some basic guidelines which apply to every scholarship and can help you build a winning essay. Let’s see how to write a scholarship essay!
These are the steps you need to follow to write a winning scholarship essay:
- Read Carefully the Essay Prompt
- Keywords and important points to be included
- Make an Outline
- Write a Strong Statement
- Write and Revise the Essay
- Ask for Feedback
1. Read Carefully the Essay Prompt
You will notice that every essay prompt is different. Every organization wants to find out different things about the applicants. For example, you can get a prompt that says, “Which is your favorite book and why?”.
Be ready to read between the lines. Ask yourself what they can find out about you when reading your scholarship essay. Are they only interested in my favorite book? Or, are they also interested in my personality, preferences, and points of view?
Read carefully the essay prompt and do not assume that is that simple. Writing a winning scholarship essay might prove to be a real challenge. But the outcome will be the best.
2. Set the Most Important Points to Be Included
Besides the answer to the essay prompt, companies want to find out more about your background and experience. They need to determine the winners of the scholarship and they can better do this if you provide important and useful information.
So, make a list of keywords to include in your essay. Ask yourself “why do I deserve this scholarship?”. You will see that you will discover new things about you. And, of course, you will rediscover your passion and your will to learn and constantly improve.
The first thing you need to do is to do research about the company that is offering the scholarship. Find out their mission, vision, and goals. A piece of key information to be included in your essay is how their goals and mission align with yours.
How can you work together for a better future? Talk about a hard challenge from the past, about your internships and the prizes you have won. You can also include a personal statement for scholarship.
3. Make an Outline for Your Scholarship Essay
You might think that making an outline is a waste of time. But in this case, it can be very useful. Making an outline can be very reassuring because like this you cannot miss important information. For example, if you have to write about your favorite book, you can include key points like:
- How you have found out about that book
- What new perspectives you have found
- Why do you like it?
Maybe it was the book that inspired you to pursue a career in psychology or finance. Or maybe it was a book that made you realize what happiness is and how you want to help the world. Either way, speak about your discoveries that were facilitated by reading this book.
For example, if you have read a book that made you pursue a career in psychology, speak about the challenges you have encountered in your way. They might be about finding a suitable job. Or about doing research for your thesis. Send a message about yourself and your goals.
4. Write a Strong Statement
After you have answered the question “why I deserve this scholarship?” and the essay prompt, you should write a strong statement. This statement should summarize the key points you want to highlight. Of course, writing a statement is not mandatory. But it is useful to tie all the details together.
For example, you can write something like this: “You have noticed from my academic background and personal life that my mission is to help people. This aligns with your company mission: working together for a safer world.”
Of course, the statement should not be very long. If you make a strong statement that manages to tie all the details together, you also let the company know that you can summarize and extract the important information.
5. Write and Revise the Scholarship Essay
Now that you have all the important details that need to be included, you can start filling in the missing parts. Writing this scholarship essay should be like writing a story. Be careful to include all the key points you have outlined before.
But, do not fall into the trap of giving unnecessary information. Show the company that you are able to summarize, to make statements and include only the necessary information.
After you have finished your first draft you can be more relaxed. Let some time pass until you revise it. A day or two would be recommended.
You will see that you will have a fresh perspective on your essay and you will be easily able to revise and correct it.
6. Ask for Feedback
One of the most important parts when working on something is asking for feedback. Feedback is like a present and you should appreciate it. Although you can meet people that are not used to giving constructive feedback, you can still try to extract the useful part.
Find some close friends you trust and ask them to read your scholarship essay. Sincere and honest feedback is wanted. In order to improve your essay and also your skills, you need an honest opinion on your work. Choose to improve your essay and make it a winning one!
Conclusion
Starting to write a scholarship essay can seem difficult. But, there are some guidelines you can follow when applying for a scholarship. Read carefully the essay prompt and make a research about the values and goals of the company. Highlight how their goals align with yours. Make an outline, even if you might think that it is unnecessary.
Fill in the missing parts and include key details. Write a strong statement that summarizes all the information about your essay. Start writing and let your inner you unleash. Show them your real personality and why you deserve this scholarship. And do not forget to ask for feedback in order to improve your essay.
It might seem difficult at the beginning, but you can do it. If you are applying for a scholarship, it means you are a determined and passionate person. Do not let this waste away.
Do not forget to pay attention to spelling and grammar. Read it one last time and ask yourself if it interesting enough. Ask yourself and your friends or family if the essay grabbed their attention. Ask yourself is the essay shows the real you.
Your scholarship essay might be winning or not. If it happens to not be winning, do not think that you are not good enough. See it as an experience and opportunity to improve your skills and to become better.