Applying for a scholarship is about more than just numbers. You need to show universities that you're a good fit for their culture and campus environment. But how do you do that? Here are five tips to help you stand out from the crowd and boost your chances of winning a scholarship.
Scholarship applications are a lot like job applications. They want to know what you've done, how it's impacted other people and the school itself, and how your academic achievements and experiences make you uniquely qualified for their program. I suggest you to write a master essay which is as detailed as possible, listing all your achievements and extra curriculars. Pick and choose your best experiences for the final essay.
Some universities want students who will contribute to their community and make a positive impact on campus. If you have done volunteer work or been a part of an organization where you have helped others, this is the time to highlight it. Ensure that your work is genuine and have your supervisor issue certificates or letters of authenticity for your work.
Your essay will set the tone for your entire application, so make sure you take time to write something that is both compelling and true to yourself. Think about what makes you unique. Do you have a special talent that sets you apart from other applicants? Is there something specific about your background that makes you stand out? Your application should show that you have the intellect, motivation, and character to succeed at your chosen university.
Tell your story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It’s important to tell your story in a way that will be compelling to admissions officers. This means focusing on your achievements, not just the obstacles you faced.Talk about what has shaped who you are today, why do you want to pursue this degree? How does your background or personal experiences influence your academic and career goals? The best way to answer these questions is by writing from the heart.
Recommendations are the most important part of your application. If you have a mentor, teacher or someone who has seen you in action and can speak to your character and academic abilities, they will be asked to write a recommendation letter on your behalf. Your references should be able to describe you in a way that paints a positive picture of who you are as a person, student and future colleague.
Sample Scholarship Essay:
(Please DO NOT copy. This example is just for your reference. If you are caught plagiarizing, it will cost you your admission and possibly lead to legal repercussions)
New York University College of Arts and Science $39,500 Scholarship by Ana
Prompt: Explain something that made a big impact in your life.
“If you can’t live off of it, it is useless.” My parents were talking about ice skating: my passion. I started skating as a ten-year-old in Spain, admiring how difficulty and grace intertwine to create beautiful programs, but no one imagined I would still be on the ice seven years and one country later. Even more unimaginable was the thought that ice skating might become one of the most useful parts of my life.
I was born in Mexico to two Spanish speakers; thus, Spanish was my first language. We then moved to Spain when I was six, before finally arriving in California around my thirteenth birthday. Each change introduced countless challenges, but the hardest part of moving to America, for me, was learning English. Laminated index cards, color-coded and full of vocabulary, became part of my daily life. As someone who loves to engage in a conversation, it was very hard to feel as if my tongue was cut off. Only at the ice rink could I be myself; the feeling of the cold rink breeze embracing me, the ripping sound of blades touching the ice, even the occasional ice burning my skin as I fell—these were my few constants. I did not need to worry about mispronouncing “axel” as “aksal.” Rather, I just needed to glide and deliver the jump.
From its good-natured bruise-counting competitions to its culture of hard work and perseverance, ice skating provided the nurturing environment that made my other challenges worthwhile. Knowing that each moment on the ice represented a financial sacrifice for my family, I cherished every second I got. Often this meant waking up every morning at 4 a.m. to practice what I had learned in my few precious minutes of coaching. It meant assisting in group lessons to earn extra skating time and taking my conditioning off-ice by joining my high school varsity running teams. Even as I began to make friends and lose my fear of speaking, the rink was my sanctuary. Eventually, however, the only way to keep improving was to pay for more coaching, which my family could not afford. And so I started tutoring Spanish.
Now, the biggest passion of my life is supported by my most natural ability. I have had over thirty Spanish students, ranging in age from three to forty and spanning many ethnic backgrounds. I currently work with fifteen students each week, each with different needs and ways of learning. Drawing on my own experiences as both a second language-learner and a figure skater, I assign personal, interactive exercises, make jokes to keep my students’ mindset positive, and never give away right answers. When I first started learning my axel jump, my coach told me I would have to fall at least 500 times (about a year of falls!) in order to land it. Likewise, I have my students embrace every detail of a mistake until they can begin to recognize new errors when they see them. I encourage them to expand their horizons and take pride in preparing them for new interactions and opportunities.
Although I agree that I will never live off of ice skating, the education and skills I have gained from it have opened countless doors. Ice skating has given me the resilience, work ethic, and inspiration to develop as a teacher and an English speaker. It has improved my academic performance by teaching me rhythm, health, and routine. It also reminds me that a passion does not have to produce money in order for it to hold immense value. Ceramics, for instance, challenges me to experiment with the messy and unexpected. While painting reminds me to be adventurous and patient with my forms of self-expression. I don’t know yet what I will live off of from day to day as I mature; however, the skills my passions have provided me are life-long and irreplaceable.”
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