How to Conquer the Scholarship Essay
by Rochelle Newman
You’ve probably heard this a million times if you’re a junior or senior in high school, but I’m going to say it anyway; apply for scholarships! You’ve worked so hard in high school trying to get top-notch grades, participating in sports and myriad activities, all while trying to maintain your sanity. If this sounds anything like you, I have very exciting news: you can get a significant amount of money to go to college through scholarships. But before you get that money, there is a common and foreboding hurdle every college-bound student must jump over—the scholarship essay. The desperate 500 words or so that sum up your very essence and could mean the difference between affording your dream school or not. No pressure.
Who am I kidding—of course there’s a lot of pressure that comes with scholarship essays, but that’s the point. The college, or whatever organization that is offering the award, does not want to give it to your average Joe student, but someone who proves to them they deserve it. That is your prime job in writing your essay—to show that you deserve it and that they are wisely investing their money, because that is precisely what they are doing. They are giving you a portion of their money in the belief that it will help you further your education in the pursuit of your goals and dreams.
The trickiest task of writing this essay, however, is to make yourself look as good as you possibly can, all while maintaining a humble manner. Are you the president of five school clubs, captain of the soccer team, and/or a first-place spelling bee champ? If you are . . . write about it, even if you think you sound like you’re bragging. But don’t just tell them what you do; tell them why you do it and how it has changed you and/or your community for the better.
When I was a senior in high school, I was writing an essay for a full-tuition scholarship at my first-choice school, and I almost didn’t include the charity work I did with orphanages and children’s homes around the United States. I thought I was making myself sound too good, but under my mom’s advice I included it. The admissions board that interviewed me later brought it up and asked me to talk about it, which lasted like five minutes alone. They could see the passion I had for it, and that alone almost single-handedly won me the scholarship. Include anything that sets you apart from the crowd in your essay, even if you feel like you’re bragging about yourself. They want to see everything you do; otherwise, you might be costing yourself a lot of free money.
In terms of the essay, whether it’s for a scholarship or for college admission, the thing that will attract them the most is voice. Depending on what you’re applying for, the board making the decisions could read up to thousands of applications. Not only do you have to make yourself stand out in terms of content, but also in the way you write it. The essay almost always comes before any type of interview to make a final decision, so this is the way they get to know the real you. It is important to learn how to put yourself into a paper without having to be constantly talking about yourself. This might sound contradictory, but use your experiences to shape what you write so the board gets an understanding of your perspective. Out of all of the scholarship essays I’ve written in the past two years, this is my best advice for you:
There are many scholarships you could apply for and be awarded. Don’t limit yourself to the scholarship program for which you are currently applying. As many scholarships as possible!
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