How To Write a Personal Statement for a Scholarship
Many college-level students apply for scholarships.When scholarships require personal statements or essays, some students may get overwhelmed.Scholarship essays give the scholarship committee an idea of how an application relates to their organization and the goals of their scholarship.A strong essay can help an application stand out.A critical eye for revisions is all it takes to plan the essay in advance.
Step 1: The prompt is a good one to read.
There are many scholarships that require applicants to submit an essay.Before you start writing, read your prompt to understand what your topic should be.Guidelines for things like essay length or word count can be given by Prompts.Check to see if the prompt says, "Write 500 words on the topic" or " write two to three pages."
Step 2: Look for more instructions.
Before you start writing your essay, make sure the scholarship's rules and guidelines are in the prompt.When the scholarship due date is, what kinds of students may qualify, and what, if anything else, you need to submit with your essay, make sure you read carefully.There are additional rules and regulations on the web page for the scholarship.If you don't know what the guidelines are for the scholarship, you can contact the organization and ask.
Step 3: There are a few ideas.
There are more than one way to answer it.Pick out a few ideas.Don't get to work on the first idea that comes to mind.Consider different ways to answer the question.Your first idea may not be the most cohesive, but you can still use multiple ideas to think outside the box and consider multiple aspects of the prompt.Jot down your ideas with no more than a few words.Give yourself a full day and night to clear your head, then come back and review your ideas with fresh eyes.Try not to answer obvious questions when reviewing your ideas.If the prompt is to write about someone you admire, avoid mentioning the President or philanthropist.Make your essay unique by turning to your own experiences.
Step 4: Pick a topic for your essay.
Once you have a topic, it's a good idea to outline key points of your essay.This will help you get down key ideas and concepts before you write.If you want to support your core point or idea, add two to three points to each concept.If you don't like traditional outlines, you may want to try other forms of visual organization.You don't have to write your essay in a five-paragraph format.You want to tell your story in a way that will be most attractive to other people.
Step 5: A thesis can be created.
This can be as simple as a topic sentence or it can take multiple paragraphs.The core concept that holds your essay together should be communicated in your thesis.All of the concepts you mention in your essay should be related to your thesis.Your thesis should be as concise as possible.Making your point clearly and meaningfully in as few words as possible is more important than fitting in big vocabulary words."Time travel theories may be supported by arguments such as."
Step 6: Write what you're aware of.
Your essay should reflect your knowledge and experiences.Make your essay personal and relevant by writing about something you are passionate about.Don't just provide a synthesis of what you have done if your prompt asks you directly about personal ambitions or experience.Discuss why your schoolwork and extracurricular activities are important to you.Talk about why your experience is important in your essay.If your prompt doesn't deal directly with personal experience, you can still talk about why the topic you choose to address is significant and meaningful.
Step 7: A rough draft is what you should start with.
If you want to call it a first draft or a trial essay, work up an initial draft for you to review and consider.It's a good idea to revise your essay several times before you submit it.Your first draft is a good time to get your ideas down.Don't worry about flow or formatting.The first thing to do is make sure the content is present.Between writing your first draft and revising your essay is a good time to give yourself a day or two.You are more likely to catch errors if you use this method.
Step 8: Your essay needs to be specific.
You should make your scholarship application essay specific to your audience.Every scholarship organization will stand for something different.To your reader, write an essay unique to you.It's important to avoid writing a general essay that you can use for all applications.If both ask, "What was an experience that changed your life?", take the time to tailor your essay to fit each scholarship.Two different kinds of answers are expected from an academic and a community service scholarship.
Step 9: Don't write an essay anymore.
Reread your essay with a critical eye once you've taken some time away.Rewriting your essay into a logical format and editing the content to be as clear and concise as possible after all of your concepts are together on the page is a good idea.If you can, read your essay loud to yourself.If you listen closely, you can see if it makes sense.If possible, working from a print-off with a computer screen.Before you change anything in your text document, make notes and edits on your paper.
Step 10: Take the time to read your paper.
After you have a revised draft of your essay that you're happy with, it's a good idea to check your paper for spelling and grammar errors.Go line by line to see if there are any issues that didn't grab your attention in earlier drafts.Try working one line at a time and covering up the rest of your essay with a blank sheet of paper to focus on what you are editing at that moment.Don't rely on computer spelling and grammar checks, as they often miss common mistakes such as homophones and alternating verbs tenses.
Step 11: Find an editor.
It is always better to have someone look over your essay.Ask someone you know with a strong command of the written word if they would be willing to read and help you revise your scholarship essay.They should be able to identify common spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as reading for the overall flow of the essay.If you want your editor to understand how you address your essay topic, you should let them see the prompt and essay.
Step 12: Adding identifying information.
If applicable, include your name and ID number at the top of your essay, even if you submit it with a cover sheet or application sheet.If it gets separated from the rest of the application, this ensures that it can be found again.Add your last name and page number to the footer of your essay if it is more than one page.
Step 13: Your packet should be submitted.
Your essay should be in the format requested by the scholarship committee.If you are applying for a print application, make sure your essay is formatted correctly on the page.If you are submitting electronically, make sure you know what type of documents may be uploaded with your application.If you don't get your application electronically, you have to confirm it.Call the scholarship office to make sure your application has been received.