Planning And Composing An Outstanding Scholarship Essay

With fewer scholarships being available, scholarship committee have been turning to essays to help them make decisions about their awards. Most scholarship committees have similar requirements that can include a range of standardized test scores and grade point averages, as well as personal requirements relating to race, religion, and other background details. Since so many students are applying for the same scholarships and many of them have exemplary resumes and histories, scholarship committees are asking their finalists to write essays. If you have been tasked with planning and composing an essay, then you should learn what makes them outstanding.

Prove You Can Write

The first thing you want to show the committee is that you can actually write. Your essay should be absolutely flawless, which is all done with expert editing. One of the best ways to get your paper in flawless condition is to ask your teachers to help you edit. Language arts teachers are some of the best editors because they know what to look for and they know the students they are helping.

Show You Need the Help

The second thing you want to show the committee is that you are in need of the scholarship. Committees want to give their scholarships to students who are dedicated to advancing their education and who need the money. If you are unable to show that you need the money in a subtle way, then you will most likely not win the award.

Follow Instructions

Next, you want to be sure to follow the instructions. Scholarship committees will set rigid instructions to level the playing field. If the rules state the essay should not exceed 500 words, then do not write 501 words. Stick to the rules, otherwise your essay could immediately be disqualified. If there is a specific topic, do not stray from it. Being able to follow directions is one of the most important aspects of college life and scholarship committees want to see that their money will not be wasted by someone who cannot follow simple instructions.

Be You

As you plan your essay, try not to be cliche. Many students will write about special trips they took where they worked with poor people. This topic has been done too many times and scholarship committee are over it. Meet the topic head on and write about something that shows your amazing personality, as well as your strengths, and weaknesses.