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Scholarships - Applications

Scholarships - Introduction
Scholarship criteria and tasks
Winning scholarship applications
Scholarship essays
Scholarship scams
Searching for scholarships with automatic notifications
Don't apply to every scholarship
Focus on "matching" scholarships
Scholarship and Grant Summary Chart

Scholarship Essays

 

Most scholarship applications require at least one essay.  These essays are usually shorter and less difficult to write than college admission essays.

 

Scholarship essays should be written to let the selection committee get to know WHO you are, to make a lasting impression, and to encourage members of the committee to care about you.  Scholarship judges want students who will best represent their organization’s values and ideals.  Use the essay to present yourself as the best representative of their organization and a deserving winner of the scholarship.

 

An excellent scholarship essay will captivate readers and have them get to know the real you; winning essays involve the reader

 

Winning essays will be original, clearly state why you deserve to win, do not include meaningless information, and successfully conveys a main idea or point.  More importantly, winning essays allow readers to get to know the student who wrote it; readers get to know the student’s character and values, talents and interests.  In other words, successful essays paint a vivid “portrait” of the student.

 

Your essay should present ideas and themes through an effective essay format and should have a clear focus and address the essay question or topic.