How to write the perfect essay to obtain a scholarship

Are you planning to apply for a scholarship? Learn to write a good essay to apply for a scholarship.

Either to obtain financial aid in the university or to fulfill your dream of studying abroad, writing an essay that argues why you deserve the scholarship can be decisive when it comes to defining if you will be one of the chosen ones. It is for this reason that you must make sure that the text transmits your abilities and merits in the best way. Ken and Gen Tanabe, authors of book of advice for university students, write in Super College some tips on how to write an essaydestined to obtain a scholarship.

1. Write an essay aligned with the objectives of the scholarship

Some scholarships are intended for "leaders of the future", leading scientists or people dedicated to community service. For this reason, you should make sure that what you write is closely linked to this vision, which shows that you are exactly what the organization is looking for. You must choose which aspects of your life are relevant to who grants the financing. No matter how well written the text is, if you transmit the opposite it is very unlikely that you will obtain the scholarship.

2. Answer the background question

The purpose of the essay is to convince the organization that you are the best choice for the scholarship. So, if the essay question is, for example, "Why do you want to study medicine?", What they really want to know is "Why will you be the best doctor and why should we give you our money?".

Remember that many people from contexts and objectives similar to yours probably postulate. Therefore, saying why you want to be a doctor is not enough, since everyone will say the same thing. What you must do is stand out from the rest of the candidates and prove that you are the most worthy of the prize.

3. Presents a central argument

Your essay should have - yes or yes - a central argument, that is, express a clear idea to the reader. If you are not sure about whether your essay has it, try summarizing it in a single sentence. There should be something like "Growing in the field taught me to be an independent person" or "The treatment of addictions is the only way to win the war on drugs." If you can not condense your essay into a central idea, your text may not be entirely clear or may simply lack a main argument.

4. Show a part of your life

In addition to listing the reasons why you deserve the scholarship, you must also expose some part of your life. It is important that you focus on one aspect and not on all facets of your person, otherwise your essay will lose its impact. This text should not be like a resume or detail all your achievements. By focusing on a single aspect you can provide more depth and provide valuable information about who you are.

5. Broadcast your passion

This essay is not like any of the ones you wrote as a student, since it is about showing what you are passionate about and why you are doing it. Make sure the theme of your essay really excites you and let your words reflect that enthusiasm.

6. Be concrete

Instead of using such broad and impersonal phrases as "education is the key to success", define the influence of education on specific aspects of your life. If you are writing about your desire to be a writer, explain that this originated after listening to the stories your grandmother told you at four years old. In this way the reader can feel identified with your experiences and will not forget your essay after five minutes.

7. Develop your achievements

Surely you have specified your qualifications and merits in detail in the application form, so it is not recommended that you repeat everything in your essay. Instead, take the opportunity to delve into one or two achievements that have really marked you, put them in context and share the true meaning they had in your life.

8. Save yourself the melodramatic story

Delving into your personal tragedies with the aim of moving the jury will hardly make you get the scholarship. Your central argument cannot be "I deserve the scholarship because I have suffered a lot in life", since you will only be focusing on the problem and not on the solution. Focus on transmitting what you have achieved despite your difficult circumstances, how you have overcome. Remember that probably many candidates try to appeal to emotion and perhaps several of them have gone through situations equal or more painful than you. Emphasize how you managed to overcome those obstacles to differentiate yourself from the rest.

9. It shows a positive vision

Avoid that your essay has a pessimistic, cynical, antagonistic or too critical atmosphere. The organization wants to give the scholarship to a person who is excited about the future and what they can achieve. This does not mean that you should pretend that everything is good and happy, but every time you present a problem

10. Get a second opinion

You cannot do this alone. If you want to achieve an excellent essay, it is essential that you read it from people you trust. People who can express their opinion with sincerity about what you have written. Teachers, counselors, academics, family and friends, all can provide a valuable contribution to improve the quality of your text, both in terms of form and content.