How To Create An Outstanding Scholarship Essay
Writing an outstanding scholarship essay can be the difference between earning thousands of dollars toward your higher education. It’s worth all the time and effort excellent writing requires. However you’ll be competing with hundreds, if not thousands, of other scholarship essay applicants. So how can your essay stand out? Great question.
Superb writing isn’t a gift: it’s a skill that anyone can master. However like any skill, it takes practice before acquiring mastery. Writing is a process, and should follow certain steps in order to meet the standards expected by scholarship committees. Many committees are looking for essays that meet three key standards: adherence to the topic, organization, and grammatical mastery. Let’s take a look at 5 key ways to create an outstanding scholarship essay.
- Select an Interesting Topic
- Adhere to the Guidelines
- Write Actively
- Avoid Repetition
- Edit for Correct Grammar
Selecting a relevant topic is very important. Remember: many other applicants will be writing on the same topic, so it’s important to select an innovative approach. Instead of beginning the essay immediately, brainstorm at least five different possible topics or approaches and then weigh the pros and cons of each. After you’ve brainstormed and considered each topic, select the best one and create an outline.
Be sure you understand and adhere to the guidelines set forth in the scholarship application. Look for deadlines, word count limits, and any other special instructions. Do not exceed given word counts as doing so could disqualify your scholarship essay.
Avoid passive wording in favor of active wording. Active wording engages the reader while passive wording can bore the reader. Active phrasing additionally reduces your word count, allowing you more flexibility to create an amazing essay. Need a quick refresher? The ball was thrown by the boy is passive; the boy threw the ball is active. Place subjects at the beginning of sentences and use active verbs—the scholarship committees will be looking for this good writing practice.
Scholarship essay readers reviews hundreds of essays. Avoid boring them by avoiding repetition in your writing. Writing without repeating words, phrases, or ideas not only allows you to showcase a strong vocabulary, but shows a mature writing style.
Adhere to the rules of English and review your essay for correct grammar. Check for common issues including sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and correct comma usage.
Remember: writing is a process. Follow these steps and your essay will be outstanding!
