Scholarship Application Essay Tips

Take the outline and begin with the first sentence (which may be the most difficult) and then just write to include everything you think is important. Don’t worry about the length of the essay at this point. Use your outline as a guide.

1. First Sentence (the most difficult part)

• Who, What, Where, When, Why
  Example: My name is Paula Henson and I am (applying, seeking, asking) for a scholarship for the Fall Quarter 2015.
  My educational objective is to graduate in 2016 with an Associate Degree in Marketing (or transfer to the University of Washington and obtain a degree in Business to pursue a career in Accounting).

2. Now go back and look at what you’ve written.

Read it for content and organization of the information. At this point, it is probably too long. What can you eliminate and/or incorporate? Are you redundant? Are you too brief? Does this essay paint an accurate picture of YOU?

3. Spell check, spell check, spell check

4. Have someone else read your essay. Is it you? What do they think?

5. Do you like what it says about you? Reread it one last time and spell check it again!

Remember: The essay is your chance to communicate your needs, accomplishments, goals, etc. The scholarship reviewers should be able to read your essay and feel as if they know you personally.