Scholarship Essays

Nowadays many young people whose parents can’t afford to pay tuition view scholarships as the only opportunity to receive higher education. Actually two factors are vital in the process of obtaining a scholarship. The first of them is naturally the academic achievements of an applicant. The second factor that often becomes crucial consists in writing a scholarship essay. Such an essay may either convince the scholarship committee to grant you the scholarship or destroy all your hopes, close this single door leading to your possible bright future. Scholarship essays vary greatly in subject, matter or theme. However, most of them require describing personal experience. For a scholarship essay one is free to choose the subject oneself. It is recommended to devote a few weeks simply brainstorming different ideas, since an interesting, original subject creates a good prerequisite which will positively effect the decision of the scholarship committee. While thinking over the subject and the stuff of your essay it is necessary to muse on the following things:

Try to recollect your major accomplishments, give persuasive reasons for considering them accomplishments? Your achievements shouldn’t be restricted to the ones which have been formally recognized by others. Do not limit yourself to accomplishments you have been formally recognized as the most interesting essays often are based on accomplishments that may have been commonplace but become crucial when placed in the context of your life. Such an approach is especially expedient if the scholarship committee receives a list of your credentials anyway.

It is desirable to ponder over your personal qualities. Does any attribute, quality, or skill distinguish you from everyone else? How did you develop it? Recall your favourite books, movies, works of art, etc. Have they influenced your life in a meaningful way?

One of the efficient ways to expose your personal qualities and strong sides is to describe the most difficult time in your life. Mention how you managed to live it through and what changes it caused in your perspective on life. Personal experience of intense striving for something is always welcomed. It doesn’t matter whether you succeeded or failed.

Another good idea is to reflect on the things you are anxious to do in future, focus on your future profession, ambitions and the reasons why you chose it. How does this particular scholarship fit into your plans for the future? What have you done outside of the classroom that unveils qualities sought