While writing an essay can be the most difficult part of a scholarship application process, it is also the most important. Adequate attention, therefore, needs to be paid while penning down your writing.
The scholarship essay gives you the chance to make a case for yourself and to show the committee in charge why you deserve to win. Your scholarship application should not only inform, but it should also persuade. Scholarship committees read hundreds or even thousands of essays, so making your application stand out from the rest is crucial.
Today, I will be sharing some recipes on how to ace your scholarship essays.
Plan your Scholarship Essay!
Planning is very important when you are about to start your writing journey. Questions like “What are you writing on?”, “Do I understand this topic?”, “How do I make my points known?”, “What practical examples can I cite?”, “Who are my audience?” and so many more should be asked. Proffering answers to these questions will open your brain faculty to how to tackle them. You can draw a chart and pen these questions down. Make sure you create a deadline for yourself.
Make a lot of research
Make a research on the topic given and jot down your points. This works a lot for me. Researching makes you more knowledgeable about the given topic. You can read a book related to the topic, ask questions from people or even go online. However, do not plagiarize. Plagiarism scores you down and reduces your chances of winning. Plagiarism is a whole topic on its own and it will be discussed in detail later.
When you have gathered enough points, you can now go into the writing phase. This phase is where you elaborate on your points and organize your ideas.
Create a strong introduction
Since the introduction is the first point of contact with the reader, it has to be captivating so that it will keep the reader going. The introductory part should be the strongest part of your essay. You should use an “arresting” introduction.
You can start by defining the topic, or start the essay with a question and then develop the question further. You can also start with a quotation that suits what you’re writing. For instance:
“He who steals my good name steals that inseparable part of me which neither enriches me but makes me poor indeed”.
This kind of introduction keeps the reader going. They want to know what happens next. Overall, you’ll want to give your reader a quick preview of what they can expect from your essay – think of it as the written version of a movie trailer. Why should they keep reading?
Keep a Good Structure
After the introduction, it is important that the structure of the essay has a pattern easy for readers to follow. The ideas should be arranged in a logical order. It must possess what is technically referred to as a thought-flow pattern. This directs the readers on how to read your essay and gives it a simple outlook.
To achieve this, organize your thoughts into various sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. After the introduction, comes the body, which is where the major content of the essay lies. Here, you pick your points one after the other and discuss each in a paragraph. Refrain from discussing two or more ideas in a paragraph. It makes your essay look clumsy. Your ideas can either be in sentence form, short phrases, or simple words – whatever you prefer!
Use factual, statistical, or historical statements
Instead of using the method of telling, show your readers instead. Cite examples they can relate with. Giving examples makes the essay more interesting. It makes the readers curious. It makes them pick interest in your essay.
They want to know what and how everything happened. Nearly every applicant will have a somewhat similar response to the essay prompt and your personal examples are your ticket to transforming your scholarship essay from generic to unique. Showing instead of telling makes your essay stand out and increases your chances of winning that scholarship.
Have an assuring conclusion
While concluding your scholarship essay, make sure you think outside of the box. Some applicants conclude their essays abruptly. This is not encouraged. Give your conclusion life. Make every word count. Make it striking and assuring. Employ creativity!
One great way to bring your conclusion to the next level may be to leave your readers with an interesting question for them to think about.
Edit and re-edit your essay
After getting your ideas down, the next phase is the editing phase. Be sure to proofread your essay. We are humans and we are susceptible to making mistakes. Editing it yourself may not be enough; you can seek help from someone more knowledgeable than you are.
Avoid plagiarism
This is very important. Plagiarism is the representation of another author’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one’s original work. It is important that you, as someone seeking a scholarship opportunity through essay writing, avoid plagiarizing someone else’s work. If you need to make use of someone’s work, be sure to reference it at the end of your work. Otherwise, your work may not be accepted.
Writing is an art; therefore, ensure you employ creativity in the usage of your words.