How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example
A good scholarship essay demonstrates the scholarship organization’s values while directly addressing the prompt. If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one essay for multiple prompts with similar questions.
You should apply for a variety of scholarships that match your background, values, and interests. Local scholarships with small dollar amounts may be less competitive and more relevant than larger national ones. It’s easier to write an authentic essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.
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Scholarships are a type of student financial aid that don’t require repayment. They are awarded based on various factors, including academic merit, financial need, intended major, personal background, or activities and interests.
Like college applications, scholarship applications often require students to submit their grades, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and an essay.
A scholarship essay shares your values and qualities in the context of a specific question, such as “How does technology affect your daily life?” or “Who has had the greatest impact on your life?”
Be wary of scholarship scams
While some applications may not require an essay, be wary of scholarship scams that do the following:
- Guarantee you scholarship money for a fee
- Claim scholarship information is exclusive to their company
- Ask for your bank or credit card information to hold the scholarship
Some legitimate companies do charge for releasing comprehensive scholarship lists or creating a tailored list of scholarship opportunities based on your profile.
However, you can always discover scholarship opportunities for free through your school counselor, community network, or an online search.
Apply for a wide variety of scholarships
Many students focus on well-known, large scholarship opportunities, which are usually very competitive. To maximize your chance of success, invest time in applying for a wide variety of scholarships: national and local, as well as big and small award amounts. There are also scholarships for international students.
In addition to charitable foundation and corporate scholarships, you should consider applying for institutional scholarships at your prospective universities, which can award money based on your application’s strength, your financial situation, and your demonstrated interest in the school.
Check with your guidance counselor, local organizations, community network, or prospective schools’ financial aid offices for scholarship opportunities. It’s a good idea to start applying as early as your junior year and continue throughout your senior year.
Choose the right scholarships for you
Choose scholarships with missions and essay topics that match your background, experiences, and interests. If the scholarship topic is meaningful to you, it will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay.
Don’t shy away from applying for local scholarships with small dollar amounts. Even a few hundred dollars can help you pay for books.
Local scholarships may be more tailored to your community, background, and activities, so they’re likely more relevant to you. Fewer students apply for these scholarships, so you have less competition and a higher chance of success.
Some places to look for local scholarships include
- Civic organizations, such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club, etc.
- Your church, mosque, synagogue, or place of worship
- Community groups, such as the YMCA
- Ethnicity-based organizations
- Your local library or local small businesses
- Organizations related to your intended major
- Your city or town
- Your school district
- Unions, such as SEIU, the Teamsters, CWA, etc.
- Your employer or your parents’ employers
- Banks, credit unions, and local financial institutions
Make a scholarship tracker spreadsheet
While researching scholarship opportunities, create a scholarship tracker spreadsheet to keep track of the following:
- Scholarship amounts
- Deadlines
- Required application materials
You can use our free Google Sheets template to track your scholarship applications.
Scholarship application tracker template
You can also include scholarship essay prompts in your college essay tracker sheet. By grouping or color-code overlapping essay prompts, you can plan to write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can also reuse or adapt your main college essay.
Tailor your essay to the organization and the prompt
Even if you’re adapting another essay, it’s important to make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, stays within the word count limit, and demonstrates the organization’s values. The scholarship committee will be able to tell if you reuse an essay that doesn’t quite respond to the prompt, so be sure to tailor it to the questions asked.
Research each organization
Before writing, research the scholarship organization’s mission and reason for awarding the scholarship. Learning more about the organization can help you select an appropriate topic and relevant story.
While you should tailor your essay to the organization’s values, maintain your authentic voice. Never use false or exaggerated stories. If the organization’s values don’t align with yours or you can’t brainstorm a relevant story for the scholarship, continue searching for other scholarship opportunities to find a more appropriate one for you.
Write a focused and relevant personal story
After researching the organization, identify a specific personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies why you will be a successful student.
Choose a story with the following criteria:
- Responds to the prompt
- Demonstrates the organization’s values
- Includes an authentic story
- Focuses on you and your experience, not someone else’s
A good scholarship essay is not
- A resume of your achievements
- A lengthy opinion piece about the essay topic
- An essay featuring a negative tone that puts down others
If appropriate, you can briefly address how the scholarship money will help you achieve your educational goals. You should also end with a brief thank-you.
Scholarship essay example
Take a look at the full essay example below. Hover over the underlined parts to read explanations of why they work.
Prompt: Describe how working for Chelsea’s Chicken restaurant has developed leadership skills that will help you succeed in college. Give specific examples of leadership characteristics that you have exhibited during your employment with us.
As a nervous 16-year-old, I walked into Chelsea’s Chicken for my first day of work determined to make enough money to put gas in my car and buy pizza on the weekends. My only previous job was mowing my neighbors’ lawns when they were on vacation, so I had no idea what to expect. I was a bit intimidated by my new responsibilities, especially handling money and helping disgruntled customers.
However, it didn’t take me long to learn my way around the cash register and successfully address customer complaints. One day, Roger, the store manager, asked me if I wanted to join Chelsea’s Chicken Leadership Training Initiative. He said he saw leadership potential in me because of my attitude with the customers and my enthusiasm for learning new job responsibilities. It surprised me because I had never thought of myself as a leader, but I quickly agreed, and Roger handed me a three-ring binder that was thicker than my math and science textbooks put together! He told me to take it home and read over it during the following week.
In that binder, I discovered that being a leader means taking the initiative, especially when the job is undesirable. One week later, I got to practice that idea when a little kid threw up in the bathroom and missed the toilet. It smelled terrible, but I stepped forward and told Roger that I would clean it up. My coworkers thought I was crazy, but I started to believe in my leadership potential.
That night as we closed the store, Roger pulled me aside in the parking lot and told me that he could tell that I had been studying the manual. He wanted to give me more responsibility, along with a dollar-per-hour pay raise. I was surprised because I had been working there for only a couple of months, but his encouragement helped me make a connection: good leadership helps other people, and it often is rewarded. I was determined to experience more of both.
Within a month, I was ready to take the Team Leader exam, which mattered because I would receive a promotion and a much bigger raise if I passed. But, when I got to work, two of the scheduled team members had called in sick. We were noticeably short-handed, and our customers weren’t happy about it.
I walked back to the lockers, put on my vest and hat, and took my place behind an open register. Customers immediately moved into my line to place their orders. Roger looked at me with surprise and asked, “Did you forget that you’re testing tonight?” I responded, “No, sir—but what’s the use of taking a leadership test if you aren’t going to lead in real life?” Roger smiled at me and nodded.
He stayed late that night after we closed so that I could leave early and still take the test. I noticed that Roger was always staying late, helping employees learn new skills. His example taught me that leaders take the initiative to develop other leaders. He gave me a clear picture of what shared leadership looks like, making room for others to grow and excel. When I asked him where he learned to do that, he said, “From the same leadership manual I gave you!”
Chelsea’s Chicken has offered me so much more than a paycheck. Because of Roger’s example, I have learned to take the initiative to care for my family and friends, such as being the first to do the dishes without my mom asking or volunteering to pick up my friend for our SAT prep course. Now, as I prepare to enter college, I have confidence in my leadership ability. I know I’m signing up for a challenging major—Biology, Pre-Med—yet I also know that Chelsea’s Chicken has helped me to develop the perseverance required to complete my studies successfully.
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Frequently asked questions about college application essays
- What should I write in a scholarship essay?
-
A scholarship essay requires you to demonstrate your values and qualities while answering the prompt’s specific question.
After researching the scholarship organization, identify a personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies how you will be a successful student.
- What scholarships should I apply for?
-
Invest time in applying for various scholarships, especially local ones with small dollar amounts, which are likely easier to win and more reflective of your background and interests. It will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.
You can find scholarships through your school counselor, community network, or an internet search.
- When should I start applying for scholarships?
-
You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year. Continue applying throughout your senior year.
- Can I reuse another essay for my scholarship essay?
-
Yes, but make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, respects the word count, and demonstrates the organization’s values.
If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one scholarship essay for multiple prompts with similar questions. In a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, you can group or color-code overlapping essay prompts; then, write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can even reuse or adapt your main college essay.
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Courault, K. (2023, May 31). How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example. Scribbr. Retrieved November 28, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/college-essay/scholarship-essay/
