You should tailor your scholarship essay to reflect your personal interests, describe why you wish to study your chosen subject deeply, and show how passionate you are about your subject. The three most important steps for a great scholarship essay include planning, writing, and editing.
Writing a scholarship essay is an important part of obtaining a scholarship to study abroad. How to write a scholarship essay? This is one of the most commonly asked questions by study abroad aspirants. A compelling scholarship essay should be written with proper planning. Further, to improve the quality of your essay, you must proofread it and make corrections.
Studying on a scholarship is a matter of pride for not just you but also your parents. The majority of your expenses, such as return airfare, tuition fees, books, and accommodations, can be covered by a scholarship. While writing a good scholarship essay may take some time, receiving a call from your dream university makes all the effort worthwhile. In this article, we provide a few important tips to help students understand how to write a scholarship essay.
How to Write a Great Scholarship Essay
There is no single right way to write a scholarship essay. Your scholarship application should be one of a kind, personalize it, state why you want to study your subject deeply, and show how passionate you are about it. There are three main phases of writing a compelling scholarship essay:
The Planning Phase
When it comes to writing a scholarship essay, waiting until the very last minute can affect its quality. If you want to apply for multiple scholarships, create a schedule with their deadlines and requirements to ensure you have enough time to plan. Make sure that you have enough time to brainstorm and proofread the essay as well. Still wondering how to write a scholarship essay? Follow these steps in the planning phase:
Understand Your Audience
In order to gain an advantage over rival candidates, it is always wise to know what the scholarship committee is looking for. Along with strong academic credentials, these committees generally seek applicants with qualities such as leadership skills, honesty, innovation of thought, and well-rounded personalities. Additionally, researching the past scholarship winners will give you a better idea of the most suitable profiles for a scholarship.
Follow the Instructions
One of the most obvious scholarship essay tips is to read the directions first. Yet many applicants tend to overlook this crucial step before even starting. The chances of getting a scholarship can be reduced if you exceed or fail to meet the word count. It is also important to ensure that you follow the correct scholarship essay format.
Select a Topic of your Interest
The choice of your topic can make a huge difference in the quality of your essay. If you select a topic that bores you, your reader will probably feel the same way! It's always best to pick a topic that suits your interests or that you are passionate about. Make sure that your essay vividly conveys information.
The Writing Phase
After you plan your scholarship essay and have decided what information to include, you need to write it. It is not a good idea to use complex language. The admission committee is not judging your word power; instead, it is trying to learn about you as a person and your qualities. You must keep the following points in mind while writing the scholarship essay:
- Create a Solid Introduction
- Maintain a Good Structure
- Show Emotions
- Make Use of Real-Life Examples
- Keep the Tone Positive and Inspirational
- Avoid Boring and Dull Conclusions
Create a Solid Introduction
An introduction should be one of the most powerful parts of your essay since it's what draws the attention of your readers and inspires them to continue reading. How about hooking your reader with an intriguing first line? Instead of beginning with a general overview?
Maintain a Good Structure
In addition to a strong introduction, make sure that the reader is able to follow your essay easily without much effort. Create an outline by organizing your thoughts first. Outline the most important points that you want to discuss in your essay. In the next step, organize your thoughts into introduction, body, and conclusion sections. You can present your ideas in the form of sentences, short phrases, or simple words, as you prefer.
Show Emotions
It can be challenging to engage an audience through writing, but when done well, it can lead to a very powerful association between writer and reader. The best way to achieve this is to show your emotions so that they can connect with your essay personally. Even though it is important, applicants tend to overlook this practice while writing their essays.
Make Use of Real-Life Examples
Do not simply describe your experiences to your reader; instead, show them. You should provide real-life examples of your achievements and experiences, and the content should reflect how you have evolved as a person.
Keep the Tone Positive and Inspirational
The key to writing a winning scholarship essay is all about your perspective and tone. No one likes to read sad, self-pitying stories. Even if you are writing about difficult and sad events, try keeping the tone positive and inspiring. Rather than discussing the bad aspects of an experience, focus on the way you got over the obstacle and grew from it.
Avoid Boring and Dull Conclusions
You don't need to stick to the traditional conclusion format, instead think outside the box! Come up with something surprising and creative. From the first letter to the very last period of your essay, make sure it is interesting and attention-grabbing. Your conclusion can be elevated to the next level by leaving your readers with an intriguing question to ponder.
The Editing Phase
Editing the essay is a very important practice, as it will help you to correct your mistakes and enhance the quality of your scholarship essay. The aspects involved in the editing phase are given as follows:
Proofread and Ask for Help
Your essay will not reflect very favourably when you make mistakes. It is therefore advisable to proofread your copy before submitting it. First, spell check your essay and take a printout. Next, read and re-read to find any jumps or cuts. In addition to this, it is important to ensure that the content is not plagiarized.
Take Advantage of Resources
There are many ways to get help when it comes to writing. Students can always refer to the plethora of resources provided on the internet. Additionally, you can ask your family members or friends to proofread your essay. You'll be able to see your writing from a different perspective, and a second view might catch any mistakes you missed. As a college student, you can also get guidance and feedback from the writing centers at your school.
How to Write a Scholarship Essay Examples
For students to get a better understanding of how to write a scholarship essay, a sample scholarship essay has been attached below:
From a very early age, I had known in my heart what I wanted to be when I grew up. My aim was not a typical childhood aspiration, such as becoming a doctor or astronaut. Since I realized that my passion for the environment is a natural calling that I must pursue, I have decided to devote my life to helping the environment.
For the spring of 2022, I wish to pursue the Tropical Ecology and Conservation program in Montverde, Costa Rica. Intending to take this next step in my educational career, I am applying for financial aid through XXX Travel Grants, YYY International Study Program Scholarships, and the ZZZ Scholarship for Tropical Biology.
I have always been passionate about contributing to the conservation of our planet. Upon entering college, I realized I wanted to pursue a career in wildlife conservation. This unique opportunity will prepare me for my future career goals and improve my skills as a young conservationist. This program will provide me with the chance to apply my knowledge and resources learned in Costa Rica to real-life situations. Working in the field alongside other scientists will enhance my education and enhance my future career prospects. Additionally, my education will allow me to make a positive contribution to the conservation of tropical forests and develop a deeper understanding of the cultures around me.
Having come from a broken home and being raised by my mother on a meagre income, I have been through rough phases in my life. As a result, my family will not be able to support my college education financially, and the federal government does not provide much financial aid. Therefore, I have very high financial needs. My entire life has been about achieving my goals through hard work and determination. In the last five years of attending school, I have struggled to obtain enough federal loans to cover my tuition fees and have worked night shifts to get by barely. However, such situations have made me a stronger person and fuelled my passion for what I want to accomplish.
Currently, I am in an even more extreme situation than ever before. Rather than working full-time all summer to save money, I attended summer school to complete the required courses before departing for this program in spring. Unfortunately, my summer school schedule leaves me too busy to take up a part-time job. Thus, I am highly reliant on grants and scholarships to embark on this incredible opportunity.
The scholarships and grants will help me achieve my goals by supporting my travel expenses to Costa Rica. It will allow me to receive an excellent education in an amazing country and use that education to help conserve our precious ecosystems that are in danger of being destroyed. I can further educate people around me by supporting my education by teaching in conservation programs such as the Student Conservation Corps. I appreciate the committee's time and consideration in evaluating my application.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
