Writing a Scholarship Essay | Alamo Colleges, Exams of Business

Download Writing a Scholarship Essay | Alamo Colleges and more Exams Business in PDF only on Docsity! Writing a scholarship essay can be the most nerve-racking part of an application process. Students struggle with the writing process because the competition is intimidating, or they’re worried they won’t win. Although writing an organized, error-free essay is essential, what’s most important is that you focus on the content. Judges who read your essay would like to get to know you—your ideas, experiences, and aspirations. The scholarship essay is the one opportunity to sell yourself to the judges; in order to, convince them that you deserve the scholarship more than the other applicants. Scholarship Essay Tips: Getting Started: 1.) Know enough about the scholarship’s sponsors.  Who founded the scholarship?  What is the organization’s mission?  Do I qualify for the scholarship?  Who do they target as applicants?  Who are the judges? Understanding the scholarships requirements will assist the purpose of applying. If there is not enough information on the website, call and ask. Funders propose their services dedicated to help applicants, so don’t be afraid to call and ask for assistance with the application. Remember: Your GPA is not the only indicator of your potential. 2.) Understand the purpose of the prompt by analyzing.  Consider how many questions the prompt has?  Does the prompt require a response order or word count?  Should I do some research?  Is volunteer work required?  Is this a contract?  If I were a judge, what would I expect out of a prompt such as this? Remember, the scholarship is not only about the money the funders will provide you; they want to know if you have experience in their topic of choice. Now that we understand our prompt, let’s move on to the brainstorming process. EssaythE scholarshipWriting pecific easurable ction-Oriented ealistic ime-Bound S 3.) Create goals (S.M.A.R.T):  Make a list.  Look for application deadlines.  Consider obstacles you may have to overcome.  Contribute to the requirements.  Schedule dates for when you’d like to work on/complete the essay. Completing the scholarship essay in a timely manner is crucial, but your overall goal should be to sell yourself to the judges. 4.) Make an outline.  This will ensure that you present your ideas in a logical order.  Create a web graph or a list of points you want to discuss.  Doesn’t have to be in chronological order. This step is important to assure you have all the main points you’d like to present, and it will be easier for you to sequence your ideas or story that lead up to the main purpose. Writing the First Draft: Next, tell your story. The trick to writing the first draft is that it is not going to be perfect. Simply get your story on paper. You have the basics—goals and outlines to work from. DO NOT worry about grammar or spelling. Revising and Rewriting: 1.) Carefully read your prompt and essay. Check for the details and specific examples you set to answer the prompt. Adding vivid examples and details allows, them to live the information with you. 2.) Search for plagiarism. Recognize if you are using your own work to write your essay. Academically, you could self-plagiarize. Don’t use a similar scholarship essay you’ve written in the past for the current scholarship essay. Note the differences are in the prompt, requirements, and the funder’s organization. 3.) Write in the present tense. This strategy allows the judges to be right in the moment of your essay. Ex:) Instead of: Try this: He was a brutal man. He is a tyrant. He ran quickly. He sprinted. M A R T Main Idea Topic #1 Topic #3 Topic #2