writing a scholarship essay

writing a scholarship essay

Writing a persuasive scholarship essay

1. Introduction

The introduction of an essay is a chance for a writer to grab the reader’s attention immediately. Within the first few sentences, the writer needs to introduce the topic and then follow up with a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a writer’s position on the topic, and the following information in the essay will discuss the subtopics which support this position. In a persuasive essay, the writer needs to provide some strong evidence in the form of examples or detailed reasons to back their thesis. After the thesis, the rest of the essay essentially acts as an elaboration on the thesis’s validity. It is pertinent to provide the reader with some background information or tell a story. This will make the reader more interested in the topic. As previously mentioned, it might be more effective to provide some background information. If this is the case, the writer would have to introduce the topic at a later point in the essay.

2. Highlighting achievements and goals

One of the golden rules for a compelling, winning scholarship essay is to build a strong connection between your achievements and future aspirations. This involves expanding on the specific achievements that have shaped your thinking and subsequent plans, and detailing exactly how your experiences thus far have shaped your goals for the future. Take some time to brainstorm what you believe to be some of your most important achievements since beginning high school. Try to avoid simply listing or regurgitating a resume, as this is not the place to be filling your reader with a drawn out account of what you’ve been doing. Instead, you want to dig a lot deeper. What were the pivotal moments? When were you the proudest? What was the most compelling thing you did? Thinking about these questions with up interesting individual stories which can set you apart, and make your essay a lot more memorable to read – and meaning more on the way towards your future. From considering this pivotal achievement, you will then want to consider how it has influenced the direction of your future, and what you have learnt about yourself through this process. Tailoring this back to your course/future of study will give the admission staff or scholarship selection committee an understanding of the interests and personal values which drives your goals, indicating a clear link between your various experiences and the route you have chosen to take. By illuminating your achievements, you can convey to the committee that you are a motivated, driven individual with a high value on your personal education and future.

3. Demonstrating financial need

If you have no idea what your financial need might be, then you probably do not have a very good idea if you will qualify for this kind of scholarship. No one has a crystal ball, and sometimes a person’s financial need can change by the very time of day. Is there a chance that this person’s generosity will open more opportunities in the future? Let’s say that you are currently working for decent wages as a single parent, but know you will have to quit your job in order to go back to school full-time. Your income status is low now, but it will be far worse just a few months from now. Articulate your estimated financial need in the short-term as well as the goals you hope this scholarship will enable you to achieve. A well-documented change in income status can be a persuasive case. Applicants that are borderline qualified for a specific scholarship, but have special circumstances may qualify for help in the future they can foresee. An example would be a person with a physical disability that is working on an advanced degree in a field that will benefit others with similar disabilities. They may not currently be in dire straits, but the potential increase in income after their education will likely not make up for the high cost of tuition. Demonstrate how the lack of a scholarship will be a hindrance to achieving your personal and professional goals. This is also a good time to ask about the eligibility of need-based financial aid. A percentage of scholarships funds are set aside for students who demonstrate the greatest financial need. These qualifications are usually less stringent than merit criteria, and can be just as crucial in the final decision of awarding the scholarship.

4. Articulating future plans and impact

This essay will describe the long-term goal pathway and the change of plan and ideas that will impact the career decision.

Continuation in taking further qualifications on top of my Bachelor’s degree is my short-term goal. I hope that it will help me generate great new ideas and improvements to benefit companies as a whole. This pathway of generating ideas and using these qualifications to the best of my ability in building and establishing software development and system analysis is a flexible long-term goal. It can be a lifetime career or can be near the retirement age. The result of the career can impact the method of how I plan to return the favor to my family, but the overall goal will not change.

For me, my long-term goal is about contributing back to my family. This has always been burning at the back of my head because my parents have given up so much for me and my brother, and the only way I can ever repay them is by returning the favor when they are at an old age and I am in a stable position financially and with much time on my hands. I will only consider myself being successful once I have achieved this long-term goal, and the nature of it won’t change even when I have reached it. But the path in getting there may differ and take me to different destinations along the way.

Future plans and goals play a major role in identifying a person’s potential. They both share the same characteristic that helps identify the kind of person you are and prove to employers how you may project your persona in their company. Both of them are subject to change, but the nature of the change is what separates the successful people from the not so successful.

5. Conclusion and call to action

Included on the following page is a short example of a well-written scholarship essay. This essay may be used through pre-writing and editing, and its relatively short length should provide you with a good start in the application process. Remember, the strength of your essay will determine the success of your application.

Essays are often required for scholarship applications. Therefore, it is wise to have five to seven pre-written, edited essays before beginning to apply for scholarships. This will not only help speed up the application process, but will also allow you greater time and preparation to apply for more scholarships. It is easy to fall into a circular pattern when applying for a scholarship, with one essay always requiring a slight adjustment to make it fit the criteria of a new scholarship. An early preparation and application timeline will help you avoid this.

You have a lot to gain from writing an effective essay for your scholarship application. The difference between an outstanding essay and a sloppy mess is often the difference between success and rejection. A well-written essay can be the most persuasive part of a scholarship application, which is why much time and care should be put into its preparation.