Scholarship Essay Tips for Success

The scholarship essay is perhaps one of the most daunting tasks for many students. Some aren't really familiar with the writing process in general, while others are concerned with how their writing will come across to the committee. But, being prepared is half the battle, so let's take a look at some tips to help make your writing more successful!

1.) Understand the purpose of the essay

The first thing you have to do is understand the purpose of the writing, that is, what is the essay about? Is it a personal essay asking you to recount details from a specific type of experience or is it an academic essay? Once you've determined which type of essay it is, look at the question and determine how many parts it will have. A poorly written essay will have failed to address all points of the original question and committee members do take that into consideration. Once you're comfortable with the question and its parts, you can move on.

2.) Follow Instructions

More students miss out on opportunities that would otherwise be available to them simply because they did not follow instructions. If there is a word count limit, page limit, or specific instructions for topics to avoid, pay attention to those details. It can mean the difference in whether or not you get the scholarship.

3.) Will research be involved?

If it's a personal story, the answer is probably not. However, in any academic essay, a little research can go a long way. Even when the question asks you to give your opinion on something you've read, include additional resources and examples to back it up. This type of writing is what will be required of you in college courses, so showing that level of commitment in your essay will really impress the committee. For example, if you were asked to explain why Edgar Allen Poe was considered the father of American gothic literature you would want to include your own opinions supported by Poe's works as well as any additional findings from experts in the field.

4.) Be professional in your writing

Whether you're writing a personal essay or an academic essay, avoid the use of slang. It is distracting and doesn't really showcase your talent. Additionally, don't use ten dollar words to sound impressive. It doesn't really help and if you use one incorrectly it only makes things worse. Also, avoid puff words if you can, i.e. 'utilize' when 'use' is just fine. Above all, though, do not disrespect your peers within your essay. It makes you sound pretentious to someone who doesn't know you. And while many writers don't intend to do this at all, sometimes it's quite by accident. For example, "While my other classmates were out partying over spring break, I spent the week volunteering at a nursing home..." Don't overshadow your hard work by putting others down.

5.) Keep your writing organized

It may help to have an outline of the essay so that you stay on point. Rambling essays do not impress a panel with so many people vying for the scholarship. Keep your writing concise and easily understood. Make sure that everything flows naturally from beginning to end.

6.) Proofread your work

This is so important and yet the most overlooked aspect of scholarship writing. Always proofread your work. Look for grammatical errors, misspelled words, and anything that sounds choppy or as though it doesn't belong. And while spell check is a useful tool, it's not so good at catching 'their' instead of 'there'. It may help to have someone else read over the essay to see if they spot any errors as well. Very often we are closest to our own work and miss the small things, so someone with a fresh pair of eyes may be able to spot anything out of the ordinary.

7.) Be sure the paper is clean and of good quality

Along with this, be sure to type your essay - unless specifically asked to do otherwise. A clean, typed copy of your essay is much more impressive than a wrinkled, torn out spiral page with sloppy handwriting. However, be prepared to be flexible and email your essay if that is the company's desire.

These are some of the more cut and dry tips of writing scholarship essays. Be sure that you focus on the positive of every situation and don't harp on your negatives, avoid repeating yourself just for filler, and try not to focus too much on commodity accomplishments - honor roll, dean's list, that sort of thing. Everyone applying for the scholarship is likely on the honor roll and dean's list so it's a bit of a commodity. Mention them, just don't focus on them. If you're essay is an academic one, cite your sources. When in doubt, write it out. The last place you want to be accused of plagiarism is on a scholarship essay, so be extra careful with that. And make sure you follow the scholarship committee's formatting guidelines, if listed.

At the end of the day, remember to be yourself. The scholarship committee wants to know why you deserve this scholarship over everyone else. The only person that can really tell them that is you, so do your best and show them what you've made of!

Good luck!