short scholarship essay examples

short scholarship essay examples

Importance of Scholarship Essays in Securing Financial Aid

1. Introduction

Scholarship essays are vital when you are applying for a scholarship since it provides the scholarship committee a better understanding of which candidate is best suited for the scholarship. Scholarship essay ranges between topics such as the significance of the scholarship to the applicant to why the applicant is most deserving of the scholarship. These essays are a way for scholarship committees to know each candidate and really dig into the applicant’s personal life. Scholarship essays are a huge factor in proving that you are more than just a student who needs money. If the essays on the scholarship are well written, it increases the likelihood of the applicant getting the scholarship. These essays are recommended for the reason being that scholarship committees are looking for certain criteria in the candidates to see who best deserves the scholarship and which person will put the scholarship to good use.

2. Showcasing Academic Achievements

To illustrate your strong commitment to academics, it is essential to present a clear and comprehensive explanation of your pursuit of an area of scholarly study. What led to your interest in this subject? What further enrichment activities were pursued? What academic accomplishments were attained and how might a scholarship assist said accomplishments? Thinking about these motivations will help to craft a clear articulation of both your past and future in a particular field of study. Remember, the goal is to not simply explain your past, but to explain the development of your academic future through attaining your studies in a particular subject. This will often lead to higher levels of awards, considering that you will be targeting money specific to your field.

Your academic performance is the most important criteria for consideration in most scholarship applications. While your post-secondary institution may also consider factors such as leadership and volunteer work, they are always interested in your GPA. The reviewer will also analyze the difficulty level of your course load, the trend in your grades, and the rigors of the curriculum you have pursued. They are looking to associate themselves with high caliber students, and any documentation of academic inadequacy will raise a red flag to the reviewer. Therefore, it is extremely essential to place the focus on your most recent achievements.

3. Demonstrating Leadership and Extracurricular Involvement

Relaying this information in terms of writing should be simple enough. Remember, in your essay you want to be persuasive. Don’t assume that the person reading the essay has any idea what your extracurricular involvements are. Carefully let them know why you are involved and the importance of what you are doing. It is helpful to the reader if you can provide specific examples of what you have done and how it benefited you and/or others. When describing your leadership involvements, again be very specific. When it comes to leadership, the details are what matter most. You should explain the basics such as what your position was, when it started, when it ended, and what it involved. Why was it important? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? How did you go above and beyond your position’s expectations? What did you learn? How were you changed? Whose life did you impact most and in what ways? What can you attribute to your involvement? How has who you are and/or your life changed as a result? Hindsight reflection is always great, and the reader would love to hear your thoughts now looking back at your experiences. How is it valuable now as you move forward and how has it paved the way for your future. This should be a lengthy reflective process. As I’m sure you are aware of how you have been impacted, the essay can be a little harder for you. This is why it is essential that you write this outline for the feedback of someone who was directly involved in your involvements, whether a coach or a team of some sort. You may know what it meant to you, but they may know firsthand the impact that you had on their program and will be able to inform you what exactly they perceived from your involvement. This is an integral essay progression as it outlines exactly what the benefit of your involvements has been to others. This is crucial in the decision-making process for scholarships offered by specific programs you are involved in. Ok, I may have gotten a little bit ahead of the game… If you’re expecting to do this methodically and fill out some sort of an info sheet you need to cut me off right here. But my point is that a method exists to the madness and you can’t possibly be too thorough. This reflection should be a long and grueling process developing over the span of a month. It should never be forced and should always be revisited to gain new perspectives and ideas. This is, in fact, very beneficial to the fact that often times the best ideas come to mind randomly during practice and game time where a pen is not accessible and most ideas are lost by the time it comes to it. During the reflection process, you should have a rough outline of what you would like to include and a list of various examples of your impact. As it progresses, you will develop many more ideas than you can use all at once, so the best of them should be outlined throughout the month and written up at a later time. A rushed essay will not deliver what you are capable of creating.

4. Highlighting Personal Challenges and Growth

It is important to show growth, even in your scholarship essays. Trustees aren’t looking for the perfect student, rather a person who can help better their institution, and will continue to do so for the rest of their lives. Your practical examples of hardship (whether a physical condition, family problem, financial burden, etc.) can help everywhere this, by explaining how you’ve overcome this obstacle, and what you’ve done as a result of it. If it has contributed to your decision to become a doctor, a scientist, an accountant, etc., make that clear. Tell how to use that to reciprocate the reality that you never want to face this problem again, and the only way to ensure that is by having a strong career in your prospective field. This will appeal to trustees who see a 5-10 year commitment at their company from you, hoping that you will be a valuable asset. This is a step that many students often find to be too difficult, and thus resort to taking large student loans to get them through school. Another way to exhibit growth and prove yourself as an asset would be taking the direct approach. Explain to the trustees that having a strong career in your desired field is the only way to conquer the obstacle which you have outlined. Because of a strong sense of commitment, or relative experience to what the job may entail, you may already know how to ardor track. An internship is a very valuable method of getting ahead in your business, preprofessional students especially are encouraged to look for internships in their field as an undergraduate. If dynamics favor, you may be able to land a paid internship in the company, but don’t stop there. During your interview with the company bring up scholarships, they are often a step on owning internship position, or a program to further foster an employee’s education. The company may be willing to sponsor you, or even pay for the education outright providing that the scholarship doesn’t stipend that it’s nontransferable. Finally for the more mature or experienced students, and a very rare occurrence, it is possible to obtain a scholarship from a company offering a guarantee of future employment. In this case, the student will be put in contact with the company and/or industry reps through their school career center. Make sure to always keep track of any employment prospects in connection with your financial aid situation. This may well avert any questions regarding growth or job security when the education is completed. Keep in mind that these methods may require some research and interpersonal skills, but they provide an alternative solution for students who are not able to obtain a full ride scholarship.

5. Conclusion

It cannot be overemphasized that the importance of a scholarship essay in securing financial aid. Much has been written regarding the writing of a scholarship essay that stands out – consisting of telling a story in the essay that is uniquely your own, providing information on your academic, personal and extracurricular achievements, and including the life circumstances that makes your experience unique – the addendum that is often missed is that the essay must convince the selection committee that you are the most deserving of the award. Whether or not you receive a scholarship can come down to your essay, here are some writing tips to take into consideration. Many scholarship programs will give you a specific topic to write about. It is going to be much easier to write a good essay if it is a subject you are passionate about. Normally many scholarships require you to write essays that accompany your application. The topic varies greatly depending on the scholarship, but normally includes short information about past experiences, your personal goals, your future plans and why you deserve the scholarship. This is your chance to let your unique talents shine through. Defining experiences or life changing events can be a great way to get a point across and make your scholarship essay stand out from the crowd. A deep comprehensive story can speak a thousand words. It is said that a defining moment in a person’s life can have a profound impact on their character.