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Getting It Write—the Scholarship Essay
By Kimberly Hardy, MSW, LGSW
Many organizations that provide scholarships to students have pretty stringent requirements in order for students to qualify for their limited funds. Typically, the basic information such as GPA, field of interest, and financial need will not be enough to narrow down the field so the providers seek out more personal and individual information. Often times this means writing the dreaded essay.
Seniors typically get accustomed to writing essays for their admissions applications and scholarship essays are not usually very different. Many admissions applications will ask students why they are choosing to apply to a particular school or what their professional aspirations may be after graduation. Essays for scholarships tend to differ only in that they usually ask a student to write about him or herself or a life-altering situation and that personalization can help the committee make their final decision.
Regardless of what the question may be, there are some basic tips that a student should consider when they are composing their essays:
- STAY ON THE TOPIC—Try to keep yourself focused and answer only the question that was asked. Anecdotal stories and scenarios can be fun and add personality to the essay, but it is easy to let the story take you off of the topic.
- REMEMBER YOUR AUDIENCE—Although you may have had a touching personal experience, remember that some information is TOO personal. Relationships with your boyfriend/girlfriend, a recent argument with your parents, etc. may not be well received by the decision makers. Also, remember that you are writing to adult professionals, not to your peers so you should remove all slang and colloquialisms from your essay.
- REMEMBER YOUR PURPOSE—You are trying to convince people you have never met to give you large amounts of money so be convincing and succinct in your essay. You want to be sure that your essay can answer any questions they may have, as they may not be willing or able to contact you if any questions should arise.
- DON'T FORGET THE FORMAT—Remember that you are typing an essay for scholarship money for COLLEGE; therefore, be sure to stay on top of the basic conventions-use paragraphs and punctuation and be sure to run both a spelling and grammar check. Your essay should be polished and professional-this is your time to shine so be sure to get it RIGHT!
It may sound like a lot-and it will certainly feel like a lot to remember in the moment-but it isn't impossible and, with practice, gets much easier. Keep these tips in mind when writing essays for your classes and when an essay for a scholarship or admissions application should come up, the steps will become second nature
FAQs about Scholarships
Students can frequently fall prey to unscrupulous companies promising to give or find them lots of money for college and if you aren't careful, you can end up with nothing more than unfulfilled promises and a lot of wasted time.
Here are some frequently asked questions-and their answers-about scholarships.
- "I received a letter that said if I paid a fee, they could find me lots of free money for college! Is this true?"
Absolutely not! First of all, if you pay a fee then it isn't really FREE money is it? Also, there are lots of legitimate companies and organizations that do provide scholarship money and all you have to do is fill out their application and meet their requirements. If a company says that you have to send them money for them to find money for you-don't do it! If you had that much money to give away, you wouldn't need a scholarship!
- "Can I get a scholarship if I'm not a straight-A student or star athlete?"
You certainly can! Millions of dollars each year in scholarship money is never used because students believe that scholarships are only for the academically- or athletically-gifted students. There are literally thousands of scholarships for students who have lower grade point averages and who have a demonstrated financial need. There are also scholarships for students based on race/ethnicity, gender, field of interest, community service, affiliation with a particular organization, and geographic location. So don't think that you have to be a Rhodes scholar or star quarterback in order to get a scholarship-there is something out there for everyone.
- "Do I already have to be accepted to a college/university before I can receive a scholarship?"
Well, that depends. If you are going to receive a scholarship from a particular school, then your acceptance is definitely necessary in advance. However, there are many scholarships for students that are simply based on your interests and needs and if you are accepted for the scholarship, they will forward the money to the school that you are ultimately accepted to.
- "When can I start applying for scholarships?"
The sooner the better, but usually not before your junior year. You should start researching scholarship opportunities in your sophomore year and take advantage of any that you may qualify for even though you're not a senior. There are lots of scholarships that are solely for juniors and they will hold onto to your award amount until you enroll in the college/university of your choice and then forward the money to that school for you. So start looking soon and keep track of the ones you may not qualify for immediately, but can apply for later.
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