Scholarship Essay Tips to Make Your Application Stand Out

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Plan in advance – If you wait until the last minute to write your scholarship essay, quality is likely to suffer. Make sure you give yourself enough time for brainstorming and proofreading!

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Know Your Audience - Figure out who their ideal candidate is and how you fit into that picture. But be careful not to cater to their expectations too much.

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Follow the Instructions & Answer the Prompt - Double-check to make sure you’re responding thoroughly to all parts of the prompt and that you’re following the correct scholarship essay format.

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Choose a topic that interests you and is passionate about - try to choose a topic that you are passionate about or that interests you in some way, like your personality, and enthusiasm in your writing can shine!

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Consider using an existing essay - Many scholarship essays use the same essay prompt. Some scholarship providers even use the ones from the Common App or allow you to choose your own topic.

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Create a Strong Introduction - Since the introduction is what draws the reader into your essay and convinces them to keep going, it should be one of the strongest parts of your essay.

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Keep a Good Structure - After the introduction, it’s important to make sure that your reader can follow along with your essay without too much effort. Creating a basic outline is a great way to make sure this happens.

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Show Emotions - Showing your emotions is a great way to do that and to get the reader personally invested in your essay. Showing emotion can help the reader see you as a person, rather than a faceless author.

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Use Real-Life Examples - Instead of telling your reader about your experiences, show them. Don’t be afraid to provide real-world examples of your experiences and/or how you’ve changed as a person.

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Keep the Tone Inspirational & Positive - One of the most important scholarship essay tips is based entirely on your perspective and tone. Nobody wants to read a depressing and self-pitying story.

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