When you begin searching for scholarship opportunities, you will quickly discover most of the scholarship programs you find involve writing a good scholarship essay. Very few programs are based strictly on a transcript or an application form. Scholarship committees like essays since they give them a clear view of who the applicants really are by reading their creative writing rather than from looking at a listing of completed grades and classes. When you’re faced with the challenge of scholarship essay writing, remember that the determination you put into writing your essay represents the opportunity to sell yourself to the scholarship board. A winning scholarship essay is one that truly sets a specific applicant apart from the others. If you tell your story persuasively and clearly, you just may find yourself getting a congratulatory letter from the committee.
The Planning Phase
1. Plan Far in Advance
The quality of your essay will likely suffer if you wait until the last minute to start writing. To ensure that you have sufficient time for the planning phase, create a calendar with the requirements and deadlines for all the scholarships you are planning to apply. Make sure to give yourself adequate time for proofreading and brainstorming, or even order Copycrafter’s help online.
2. Know Your Audience
The most excellent way to provide the scholarship committee with what they are looking for is to identify what exactly they are looking for. Figure out who their perfect candidate is and in what way you fit into that picture. But be cautious not to worry about their expectations too much. Do not sacrifice your personality and voice to fit the bill. Instead, look at your strengths and then determine how you can use them to become the perfect candidate.
The Writing Phase
3. Create a Strong Introduction
The introduction should be one of the most substantial parts of your essay since it is what attracts the reader into your essay and convinces them to keep going. Rather than begging off with a general overview, why not catch your reader with an astonishing first line? For instance, think about which opening lines pull you into a story more and which makes you want to keep reading.
4. Keep a Good Structure
After the introduction, it is vital to ensure that the reader can follow along with your essay without too much struggle. A great way to make this happen is by creating a basic outline. First, establish your thoughts by creating an overview. Make note of the key points that you certainly want to cover in the essay. Next, arrange those thoughts into three sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. The ideas can either be in simple words, short phrases, or sentence form (whatever you prefer). Finally, ensure your ideas are flowing in a logical order, and, if possible, you can add more details under each point.
5. Show Emotions
Connecting with an audience via writing might be challenging, but, when done right, it can generate a very prevailing connection between the author and the reader. An excellent way to achieve that and to get the reader fully invested in your essay is by showing your emotions. Showing emotion helps the reader see you as an individual, instead of an anonymous author. Even though it is crucial, it is among the most ignored scholarship essay tips.
The Editing Phase
6. Proofread and Ask for Help
As much as we like to believe that we are faultless, we all make mistakes. That is why it is so vital to take your time proofreading the essay. Reading your essay out loud is one great way to find errors. Have someone else do it for you once you have taken the time to proofread your own essay several times. Asking a friend or family member for assistance can provide you with a different perception of your writing, and the second set of eyes can catch an error that you didn’t notice.
Conclusion
When writing your cover letter or scholarship application essay, my final point of advice is to truly show that you know who you are. What are the relevant present and past experiences that show your abilities, and where are you headed? Use wisely chosen language to emphasize your enthusiasm, ambition, and passion. Also, remember to adopt an optimistic mindset, in which you trust in all the great things you have achieved and plan to continue doing in the future. If you do not believe in yourself, why would the committee?
