unique scholarship essay questions

unique scholarship essay questions

Unlocking Opportunities: Answering Unique Scholarship Essay Questions

1. Introduction

As an organization that is committed to helping students acquire scholarships to further their education, and being founded by Duane Williams, someone who can personally relate to the struggles of obtaining financial aid for college, Urban Light believes we can effectively target and assist students in overcoming obstacles to acquire funding for higher education through this guide book. Duane Williams grew up with a challenging background. However, this didn’t deter him from excelling in school and pursuing worthwhile passions such as music. He was accepted into St. John’s University and after being told by his counselors and teachers that he wouldn’t be able to financially support himself to continue his education, he still took the initiative and attended college. Although he loved what he was learning in college, he felt like he was burdening his family members by paying tuition. Out of the sheer and pure determination to complete what he started, Duane sought his own scholarships throughout his time at college. Along the journey of his quest to acquire scholarship money, he discovered that it was quite difficult to find scholarships that were not specifically GPA oriented and these types of scholarships were usually based on essays with unique yet simple questions. Duane scoured the campus center bulletin boards and different internet listings and found some opportunities but it was always a mission trying to find these non-traditional scholarships. Well into his final year of college, he realized he had amassed enough information and knew of a plethora of non-traditional scholarship opportunities, and by sharing this knowledge he could help students that are struggling through similar financial situations. Duane shared his information with a friend of Urban Light, a web designer who was particularly interested in what Duane was doing and decided to support the cause by creating this website with scholarship listing and other tools for college students of similar situations. This guide book that you are viewing now is the physical embodiment of spreading this useful and hard to find information. Through hard work, dedication, and perhaps a little bit of luck finding this guide book will be a turning point for many students in need of financial assistance for higher education.

2. Section One: Embracing Unconventional Scholarship Essay Questions

Embracing unconventional scholarship essay questions Alright, so this section exists for a very specific, and potentially peculiar, reason. The truth is, many of us have stumbled upon strange or wacky scholarship essay questions (i.e. “If you were a kitchen appliance, what would you be and why?”). Common thought surrounding these types of questions includes responses such as “How am I supposed to secure an award by answering that?!” or “They must be kidding me.” Because these questions exist in a wide variety, we cannot specifically map out the most efficient way to approach them. Instead, we hope to provide general insight and well-rounded advice. First and foremost, do not reject the question. This is the first mistake often made. Students will see an essay question that strays far from the comfort zone of standard “five paragraph” essay composition, and instantly assume it is unfeasible to answer. Consequently, they will reply in brief summary lines or simply with apologies. These types of questions exist for two purposes. The first is to provide a chance to lighten up. Panel members are sifting through thousands of essays, many of which are standard reiterations of a student’s qualifications. At times, it can become quite tedious. Consider the applicant faced with another essay that begins “Throughout history, people with courage and clear vision have changed society’s course.” Daunting. Now consider what happens when this essay is placed beside one that states “If a Panda attempting to escape from the Toronto Zoo had to rely on your intelligence to guide it to freedom, how many top Canadian government officials would it take to detain you from encumbering this mission?” See where the second essay gains a slight edge in reader interest?

3. Section Two: Crafting a Compelling Narrative

In this section of the book, we shift out of the theoretical and get into practical strategy and tactics to crafting a compelling narrative. All of the information in this book has been discussed and refined with my students, but the ideas here are especially tried and true. Craft and telling your story is often the best chance you have to stand out and win hearts. Common below are some of the more effective methods I’ve come across making a compelling story. This is not an end all be all recipe or outline to follow, but it provides good guidance on things that have worked quite well and have helped students receive scholarships from full tuition to full rides. Creating an effective narrative may take many drafts. Be ready to put the time in and bounce ideas off friends, family, and professionals. Getting considerable feedback is an important part to crafting an effective narrative. Also, if any essay is required to be written, it goes without saying it should mirror the content of the narrative. Few things irritate me more than seeing a bland short answer writing that makes no attempt to match the effectiveness of the narrative provided. This is a mistake often made by students and also a great opportunity squandered. Short answer essays (if written effectively) often leave a very vivid image in the reader’s head and can greatly affect how the reader perceives the narrative.

4. Section Three: Showcasing Personal Growth and Resilience

Your essay must be able to tell a story of a time when you really made sense of the world around you, how you understood your culture and saw how you fit into it, how you understood how you can create change for yourself and those around you, and how you showed great resilience when facing various barriers. From there, approach each question with a time that best exemplifies your response. Understanding each question thoroughly and responding as accurately as possible is the best way for a reader to get to know your character and how you deal with certain situations. After responding to all of these questions, analyze the theme of these responses. Try to find patterns and similar experiences to connect these responses and form an overall theme to your essay. Once you have a full understanding of what you want your essay to portray, take some time to brainstorm some possible introductions, more content, and conclusions to your essay. When writing your introduction, it is important to remember that a reader will gain interest in your essay based on the introduction. Try your best to quickly capture the attention of a reader and give them an understanding of what your essay will entail. Your content should focus on telling a story about a few experiences that you have chosen to answer the questions with and explain how they have changed you to more align with the theme of your responses. Be sure to follow the advice of showing, not telling. You want your descriptions to be as vivid as possible in order to allow a reader to feel as if they were present. This will create a deeper understanding and connection to your experiences, and a reader will better be able to understand how these events have shaped you. At the end of your essay, it is important to have a conclusion that briefly summarizes your experiences and how they will continue to shape you in the future. Be sure to readdress the theme of your responses and restate an overall mentality that you have taken from these situations.

5. Conclusion: Securing Your Scholarship Success

When most of us think of a “scholar”, we think of someone who is studying in their selected area of interest, with a goal to obtain the career of their choice. But researchers have studied talented high school students who obtain college scholarships and have found that the profile of these students fits the federal definition of gifted individuals. While some scholarship awards are based on merit, others are awarded to students in specific areas of study, minorities, or those who demonstrate financial need. Understanding the federal definition of gifted individuals and knowing specific areas of awarded scholarships can help college students effectively secure funds to initiate their career. Unlike student loans, scholarships are essentially free money. They are most commonly awarded to students who have a strong academic record or are involved in extracurricular activities. Since scholarships can be specific to an individual’s characteristics, such as race or cultural background, there are a vast number of different areas of study. For example, teaching-specific scholarships are available for those who plan to be educators in their future. Knowing what makes you unique, as well as searching for awards specific to your characteristics, will increase your chances of being awarded a scholarship. Applying for any and all awards for which you are a match will increase the amount of free money you receive.