Writing
Successful Scholarship Essays-
Step One: Brainstorming
Scholarship
essays vary dramatically in subject. However, most of
them require a recounting of personal experience. These tips will
be more helpful for writing personal essays, like for the National
Merit Scholarship, than for writing academic essays.
The
most important aspect of your scholarship essay is the subject
matter. You should expect to devote about 1-2 weeks simply to
brainstorming ideas. To begin brainstorming a subject idea consider
the following points. From brainstorming, you may find a subject you
had not considered at first.
-
What
are your major accomplishments, and why do you
consider them accomplishments? Do not limit yourself to
accomplishments you have been formally recognized for
since the most interesting essays often are based on
accomplishments that may have been trite at the time
but become crucial when placed in the context of your
life. This is especially true if the scholarship committee
receives a list of your credentials anyway.
-
Does any attribute,
quality, or skill distinguish you from
everyone else? How did you develop this attribute?
-
Consider your
favorite books, movies, works of art, etc.
Have these influenced your life in a meaningful way? Why
are they your favorites?
-
What was the most
difficult time in your life, and why?
How did your perspective on life change as a result of
the difficulty?
-
Have you ever
struggled mightily for something and
succeeded? What made you successful?
-
Have you ever
struggled mightily for something and
failed? How did you respond?
-
Of everything in
the world, what would you most like
to be doing right now? Where would you most like to be?
Who, of everyone living and dead, would you most like
to be with? These questions should help you realize what
you love most.
-
Have you
experienced a moment of epiphany, as if your
eyes were opened to something you were previously blind to?
-
What is your
strongest, most unwavering personality trait?
Do you maintain strong beliefs or adhere to a philosophy?
How would your friends characterize you? What would
they write about if they were writing your scholarship
essay for you?
-
What have you done
outside of the classroom that demonstrates
qualities sought after by universities? Of these, which means
the most to you?
-
What are your most
important extracurricular or community
activities? What made you join these activities? What made
you continue to contribute to them?
-
What are your
dreams of the future? When you look back on
your life in thirty years, what would it take for you to
consider
your life successful? What people, things, and accomplishments
do you need? How does this particular scholarship fit into
your
plans for the future?
If
these questions cannot cure your writer's block, consider the
following exercises:
1.
Ask for Help from Parents, Friends, Colleagues, etc.
If you cannot characterize yourself and your personality traits
do not automatically leap to mind, ask your friends to write a
list of your five most salient personality traits. Ask your
friends why they chose the ones they did. If an image of your
personality begins to emerge, consider life experiences that
could illustrate these particular traits.
2.
Consider your Childhood
While scholarship and aid officers are not interested in reading
about your childhood and are more interested in the last 2-4
years of your life, you might consider events of your childhood
that inspired the interests you have today. Interests that began
in childhood may be the most defining parts of your life, even
if you recently lost interest. For instance, if you experienced
extreme poverty, the death of a loved one, immigration, etc.,
you might want to incorporate this into your scholarship essay.
Analyze the reasons for your interests and how they were shaped
from your upbringing.
3.
Consider your Role Models
Many applicants do not have role models and were never greatly
influenced by just one or two people. However, for those of you
who have role models and actually aspire to become like certain
people, you may want to incorporate a discussion of that person
and the traits you admired into your scholarship or financial
aid application essay.
4.
Read Sample Scholarship Essays and Admissions Essays
Before writing a poem, you would certainly read past poets.
Before writing a book of philosophy, you would consider past
philosophers. In the same way, we recommend reading sample
application essays to understand what topics other applicants
chose. EssayEdge maintains an archive of over 100 free sample
application essays. View
150+ Sample Admissions Essays 
5.
Goal Determination
Life is short. Why do you want spend 2-6 years of your life at a
particular college, graduate school, or professional school? How
is the degree necessary to the fulfillment of your goals? When
considering goals, think broadly. Few people would be satisfied
with just a career. How else will your education fit your needs
and lead you to a fulfilling life?
If
after reading this entire page you do not have an idea for your
essay, do not be surprised. Coming up with an idea is difficult
and requires time. Actually consider the questions and exercises
above. Without a topic you feel passionate about, without one that
brings out the defining aspects of you personality, you risk
falling into the trap of sounding like the 90 percent of
scholarship applicants who will write boring essays. The only way
to write a unique essay is to have experiences that support
whatever topic you come up with. Whatever you do, don't let the
essay stress you out. Have fun with the brainstorming process. You
might discover something about yourself you never consciously
realized.
Good
Luck!
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EssayEdge
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Step
Two - Selecting an Essay Topic
STUDENT RESOURCES
