Need to write a scholarship essay? Surviving essay

David Romero

Consejero Académico

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Activista estudiantil

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”

~Jesse Owens

You have worked hard to do well academically and have learned many things from all of the extracurricular activities you have participated in high school.  It is now time to take advantage of all that hard work and experience by writing an awesome scholarship essay and getting many scholarships to pay for college.  Don’t get me wrong – the purpose of your hard work and participation in clubs, volunteer work, and sports should not be only for the purpose of applying for scholarships but more about the great opportunity you have to develop your character.  However, college does cost money and there people willing to invest in your future.   Applying to scholarships will require your determination, self-discipline, and effort.  In this column you will find tips that will help you to write an awesome scholarship essay so you can take advantage and be rewarded for all of the great experiences you had during high school.  Keep in mind that your English teachers are your secret weapon in this mission.  Also you can ask your high school counselors for advice during this process.  So, let us begin the process of creating a great scholarship essay:

Step 1 – Identify a list of top 10 scholarships for which you wish to apply:

Ask yourself the question – How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.  So begin this process of applying for scholarships by creating a list of top 10 scholarships to start your process.  Set yourself a goal of completing at least one scholarship essay within the next week.  This will help you to gain momentum to reach your goals of paying for college.

Step 2 – The scholarship essay:

A common requirement for every scholarship - the essay is a way for you to tell others about why you deserve the scholarship.  A good strategy is to think of all the reason why somebody should invest in your education and then imagine yourself sitting across the scholarship donors and explain to them why you deserve their scholarship.  Your essay is an important aspect because it is the only way you have to tell others about why you are a great investment for their money.  The quality of your essay may close or open the opportunity to many scholarships, make sure you take the time to write a great essay.

Brainstorm the content of your essay by clearly focusing on the requirements of the scholarship.  Once you have clearly identified the requirements – How does your grades and extracurricular activities fit into those requirements?  What about your community service?  Make a list of all of the honors, organizations, service, volunteer service, and all of the positive characteristics you possess.

Step 3 – Ask your teachers/counselors for help writing the essay 

Let at least three or four of your teachers read your essay.  They will sometimes help you to catch errors that you may not have otherwise caught and they will be able to suggest improvements to your essay.  Remember these steps are only the beginning and are simply meant to be a guide to help you get started in the process of writing your scholarship essays.

During our next edition we will speaking about growth and fixed mindsets and how they can affect our performance at school.

Resumen en Español:

Es la hora de prepararse para aplicar para becas estudiantiles.  Esta columna se enfoca en como los estudiantes pueden crear un ensayo de becas.

El primer consejo es crear una lista de 10 becas a las cuales ellos quieren aplicar.

El segundo paso es pensar acerca de cómo las actividades en las cuales ellos han participado llenan los requisitos de las becas universitarias.

Finalmente – los estudiantes deben pedir consejos de sus consejeros y maestros para revisar sus ensayos.

Make the most of your time and continue to strive forward to reach the goals you have set for yourself.  

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