The experience of applying for a scholarship often ranges from something simple to something tedious and hard. The reason why most applicants and scholars find the experience to be either of the two is because of the essay involved with the application process. Some scholarships require you to do tests in conjunction with essays or just the essay alone. Both cases both require you to be good in writing which is a skill not everyone is gifted with.
Scholarships such as the one recently launched by Karen Corcoran-Walsh tackle a variety of topics that require your intimate knowledge or good writing skills to ace it. Writing essays for the scholarship is extremely difficult but very important which is why we have gathered several tips and advice for writing a scholarship essay.
Picture your Audience
The first tip we have to prepare is to imagine the kind of audience you will be writing your essay to. Think that you are writing a letter to them in a more formal tome to keep things natural and not too stiff. Knowing the people who will be reading your essay will give you a huge advantage over applicants as it can give you a good idea of the type of candidate they are looking for.
Try to match the expectations they have for an ideal candidate and how you fit into that. This will make it easier for them to picture you as a person as well as generate interest in you. Just make sure not to add too many flowery words as it can have the opposite effect instead.
Follow a Standard Essay Structure
Everyone likes to have a sense of organization and structure. This statement is also true in essays as having good and proper structure is key to making your essay better and easier to read. Make sure that there’s a proper flow of things throughout the essay and your ideas and opinions are not scattered around.
A good practice is to keep everything in one place and avoid going back to an old opinion you’ve written. This makes you look more organized to the scholarship committee and can remove any confusion caused by poor structuring.
Understand the Essay’s Theme
A large majority of essays follow a certain thematic to be addressed or written about. The best way to ace it and secure your scholarship is to have intimate knowledge of the theme. Spend some time researching recent information and news about the theme and also read others’ essays and opinions about it as you can integrate them into your essay and give you a clearer picture.
Recount your Experiences
In addition to the previous tip, rather than giving examples done by other people, recount your personal experiences that relate to the essay’s theme. Adding your personal touch to your essay will make it more unique than other essays making it easier to leave an impression on your readers.
Keep your Tone Light and Chipper
The last tip we have is to make sure to keep the mood of your essay light and easy to read. Keeping a too formal atmosphere makes your essay bland and unimpressionable compared to an essay that’s bright and cheery. It also makes it easier to read and retain attention which helps in the long run.
