After you submit your application for a scholarship, it will most likely be reviewed by a committee. This committee will decide whether you have enough merit to be awarded the scholarship. They will typically read both your application and your essay. Here are some quick tips on how to impress the committee that holds your future in their hands.
1. Be completely honest. If you have some bad grades, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a bad person. Explain to the committee why you have had some problems in certain areas and how you plan to address this in the future. Don’t go overboard and try to over-explain, or you’ll look guilty. Just be forthright and level headed in your explanation.
2. Show your personality. A piece of paper may be all that stands between you and 5000 other candidates. You need to have that piece of paper speak for you, since you won’t be there in person. Try to express your personality in a positive way through your essay. Again, don’t go overboard, but it should be a window into the person that you really are.
3. Include a few well placed anecdotes. If your essay calls for a funny little anecdote, don’t be afraid to include it. This adds a personal touch to your essay and makes the reader feel as though they know you. Keep your humor light and don’t try too hard. Never use an inappropriate anecdote or try an off-color joke. Even if this is your real personality, they don’t need to know that.
4. Try to provide answers to questions they might have. If an application doesn’t go into enough depth for you, try to provide the committee with more insight into your personality. For example, share what your goals are or where you see yourself in the next ten years. Ask someone else to read your essay and then have them ask you questions on it. You can incorporate the answers into your essay before you turn it in.
5. Proofreading. By far, the most important thing to remember is that your essay and your application should be free of spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes. Take several passes and ask someone else to read it for you. That extra pair of eyes can help you find something you may have missed. Don’t ever rely on your computer’s spell checker to catch a mistake.
