Do you need a scholarship but are confused about how exactly to approach the requesting part of it? Obtaining it shouldn’t be too hard if you focus on a few key points. You’ve got to learn how to make them melt whilst explaining your need in the most wonderfully disguised, professional manner. This isn’t very dissimilar to college application essay writing, but you’ll definitely have to go through a much different thought process for it…braces yourself.
Give yourself a head start
The longer your commitment has been to the application process, the more the more the selection committee will most likely favor you. You need to understand the importance of this potential opportunity that you might be given and work for it from a few months prior than the actual deadline, otherwise, a lot of applicants will have applied before you and they will most certainly be given priority. Make sure you look up scholarships whose deadlines aren’t too close.
- Try to look up scholarships that have at least a few months until the submission deadline. Applying two weeks before you have to hand in your application might not be the best thing to do.
Stay within the outline, kids!
Understand the rules of your essay. Try to stay within these rules and follow the provided outline in order to not make any obvious mistakes that might make you come off as careless or irresponsible. This is a great opportunity to show them that you pay attention to detail and are deserving of an award which is presented to the most brilliant of students.
- Try to ensure you come off as a responsible and careful student who reads instructions. Do not treat them like the terms and conditions section of an app you’ve downloaded in your phone.
- If you don’t understand something, it’s much better to look it up than to ignore the point entirely.
Who’s the audience?
Make it a bit of an informative essay. You need to understand what your target audience wants to see. They need to be convinced that you’re a brilliant, responsible candidate worthy of their scholarship. How would you show this? First look up ways to make yourself come off as having the traits of a scholar. Divide your essay into sections and talk about different aspects of what makes you worthy of this honor with relevance in each section.
- Understand your target audience
- Divide your essay
Why so boxed up?
Think outside the box. Get creative with this essay. Show them how you can stay within their provided limits and still make your essay interesting and colorful. This is definitely a skill they will appreciate in a student because it exhibits creativity and skill.
Let’s get personal
Talk about yourself! It’s incredibly important to let them know who you are as a person because it’s one of the most important parts of being a part of any institution. They will benefit not only from what you bring to the table academically, but your life outside of the classroom matters just as much to them.
- Talk about your hobbies and interests and what you like to do outside of the classroom. Let them get to know you, but stay within certain boundaries.
- Tell a story or two to make them a bit more invested. It’s a great way to have them make some sort of a connection to you.
Hook ‘em like fish
Starting with a little incident would be a great way to ensure that they read the rest of your essay with interest. Don’t start the essay in a boring way or it won’t hook them. Try not to tell jokes as you would anywhere else to capture the attention of your reader, because a scholarship essay has a degree of formality which you need to keep in mind.
- Start with a story to hook the reader from the very beginning
- Try to stay a little formal
What’s so great about you?
Bragging isn’t always necessarily a bad thing. Tell them about your achievements, but don’t make the whole essay about your material achievements. Dedicate a section to telling them about all the speeches, awards and medals you’ve received over the years.
My life was an obstacle course…
Who doesn’t like a good sob story? The people reviewing your scholarship application. Don’t talk too much about your past or your traumas; try to invest them emotionally in your life through positive incidents and stories. That will surely make a better impression.
A bit of a mind game
Understand their criteria for selecting students. Read different essays and ask your friends to help you understand the application better. Analyze everything and then work in accordance with it. Playing smart will definitely get you what you want.
Read, re read, re read!
As always, rechecking is important! Remember to review your work and ask a friend to help if possible. Don’t rely completely on your friend or family members, because after all, the essay is yours. Own it. Understand it. Don’t make it a thing you just want to get rid of.
- Ask people to help you review it if you need to
- Check things like grammar, syntax and spelling. I’m sure you’ll find mistakes the first couple of times.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrea Adams is a lecturer in Chicago film school. She loves to write, bake and paint, her multiple talents make her a jack of all trades. Along with her hobbies, her Eazy research blog enables her to help students with different academic difficulties they may face in their relevant field.