College Financial Aid - Four Tips On Writing Scholarship Application Essays

Most people dread the idea of writing a scholarship application essay. They fear their GPA and SAT scores are not high enough or their list of clubs, sports or public service is not long enough to receive the scholarship, so why bother writing the essay? The pressure and the feelings of inadequacy can overwhelm a prospective student, even to the point of not applying. Don't let this happen to you.

Most scholarship application judges are more concerned with who you are as a person. They want to get to know your thoughts, ideas and beliefs. After graduation, your success will be based on what kind of person you are, your work ethic values and how you approach challenges, not how many clubs you participated in or how well you played football.
Don't allow self-doubt to overwhelm you. Slow down, take a deep breath and keep in mind these important tips:
Understand the purpose of the essay and the motivation of the askers.

Research the organization that is offering the scholarship. Find out who founded it, what its mission is, and why they are providing the scholarship. You will want to know who is judging the essays and what they are looking for.

The scholarship web site is a great place to find this information. If you aren't finding the answers you are looking for, don't be afraid to call and ask. Founders are there to help applicants. Helping students is the whole reason in offering the scholarship in the first place.

Always be conscious of the scholarship committees' objective. Is the scholarship named after someone? Emphasize the quality or traits you possess that parallel the person for whom the scholarship is named. Consider the type of scholarship for which you are applying. Does it require an optimistic can-do attitude? Is it looking for diligence, curiosity, and a strong passion for understanding how things work? Make sure you demonstrate how you fulfill whatever the scholarship judges are looking for.

Develop an outline
An outline will help you keep your ideas in order and remind you to cover all the important points you want to make to the scholarship board. It is very helpful to see your ideas on paper, and have the opportunity to move things around to get the most dramatic effect.

Pay close attention to your introduction. You don't want to give the reader a summary of the essay; you want to give them a reason to read it. Tantalize the reader, use emotion, and raise a question worthy of further reading.

Transitions from one point to another can be difficult. You want to show the reader where they are going next and why it makes sense to go there. An easy way to transition is to repeat the last thought and connect it to the next.

Write a compelling conclusion. Re-emphasize the main point, don't summarize the essay. Answer any compelling questions raised in the introduction.

Write and rewrite
Fill in your outline, keeping in mind your objectives. Tell the scholarship board something in every sentence. Use examples not statements.

Instead of stating your accomplishments, explain what you did and how you did it. Talk about your motivation and who or what helped to keep you motivated. Instead of saying "I was determined to finish all of my homework even though I had to work to help out my family", tell them about your need to work, your desire to keep on top of your schoolwork and how you made both of those things happen. You are telling a story, allowing the judges to see who you are and why they should want to help you.

Walk away from your work and return with fresh eyes. Taking a breather allows you to see its strong points and its flaws.

Get additional points of view
Ask people to read your essay and provide you with candid feedback. What did they like the most or least about the essay? Do they think it was written in a logical order? Ask them to provide examples with suggestions to make it better.
Writing the essay is the most stressful part of applying to school scholarships. Once you have finished your essay, take time to congratulate yourself. The first one is always the most difficult, and now that it's out of the way, you are free to apply for more!