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Scholarships are the best form of financial aid for college because they provide students with free money that never has to be repaid. But in reality, completing scholarship applications, especially essays, can seem like a daunting task.

The Pick A Scholarship team has compiled everything you need to know to write an award-winning scholarship essay.

We have also compiled examples of past scholarship essays that have won money. These examples cover the following:

• Scholarship Essay Examples About You
• Scholarship Essay Examples of Career Goals
• High School Scholarship Essay Examples
• Scholarship essay examples of why I deserve this scholarship.

A good number of scholarships, be it high school, undergraduate, master’s, or Ph.D. , require their applicants to write an essay while applying. Only a few programs rely solely on the use of an application form or transcript.

The essay is often the most important part of your application. This gives the scholarship committee an idea of ​​who you are and your dedication to your goals.

However, most organizers of scholarship applications involving essay writing face the problem of choosing which applicant is more qualified. They have to choose the applicant(s) to receive the award from a large number of applicants who submitted applications.

More About Scholarship Essay Examples That Won Money

Even if you meet the criteria for a scholarship, chances are there will be someone among the candidates with similar qualifications, achievements, community commitments, and aspirations. This is where a great scholarship application essay becomes a must and the key to making money.

The scholarship essay gives the scholarship committee an opportunity to learn more about who is behind the application.

It also provides them with a much more detailed view of their school and family life. Also, the essay is the best. opportunity for you to shine and justify the reasons why you should receive the scholarship.

To make this a reality, we have compiled everything you need to write a great scholarship application essay and also increase your chances of winning.

Before looking at some of the scholarship essay examples that have won money, let’s look at the format of a scholarship application essay and how to write an award-winning scholarship essay.

Format for an award-winning scholarship essay

Scholarship application essays should use this format unless otherwise specified:

• Two to three pages long.
• Double space
• Times New Roman Font
• 12 point font
• One-inch top, bottom, and side margins

How to Write an Award-Winning Scholarship Essay

Before you enter or after you have shown interest in applying for a competition that involves essay writing, ask your classmates first.

You can also consult colleagues who have entered an essay contest on how to approach yours.

In addition to the advice you get from friends or colleagues, here are other tips for you.

Here are the tricks:

• Read the essay message carefully.
• Create an outline.
• It draws the reader’s attention.
• Always Surprise.
• Follow the test instructions.
• Stay focused on the scholarship essay topic.
• be concise
• Check your essay for spelling and grammatical errors
• Be careful what you are writing.
• Avoid redundant conclusions.

#1: Read the essay notice carefully

Before writing an essay for a scholarship application, follow the essay instructions, that is, read the essay question carefully. Read and understand the essay question before writing.

Try and understand the intent of the examiner for better essay writing. For example, the essay prompt is “Describe a book that has made a great impression on you and your life, and why?”

Ask yourself: “Are they really interested in my literary preferences or is there something more to this question?” They most likely want to get a better idea of ​​who you are. It’s not just the types of books you like, but also what motivates you and the types of stories or topics that interest you.

They may also be interested in understanding how promising a student is based on the type of book they choose and what they have to say about it.

#2: Create an outline

Before you start your essay, create a plan with all the points to consider, and keep in mind the word limit. Listing your main points will help you stay organized, as well as not leave out any of your central arguments.

#3: Get the reader’s attention

This is all about crafting a compelling introduction. Never underestimate the power of a strong introduction.

People reviewing scholarship applications will read dozens (or hundreds, if not thousands) of essays. After a while, these essays can be mixed. How can you make sure your writing is memorable? By writing a compelling introduction.

Look at these two examples of introductory lines. Can you see the difference?

• Example 1:  Strong leadership skills are important for many reasons.
• Example 2:  January 14, 2000, was the day I lost everything.

From the above, Example #1 is unclear, impersonal, and boring. But example #2 is personal, specific, and intriguing. This leaves the reader interested and asking for more.

#4: Always Surprise

Imagine the question is “Who in your life has had the most influence on you and why?” Don’t write about your mother or father automatically. Everyone probably does too.

Perhaps someone like Michelle Obama or Superman has had the biggest influence on your life. It may not be 100% traditional, but at least it is more personalized and therefore more interesting.

#5: Follow the essay instructions

Nothing turns off a scholarship essay reader faster than an essay that doesn’t apply to the contest rules. Do not write below the limit. Do not write beyond the limit.

There is a lot of money involved, so make sure you give them what they want.

#6: Stay focused on the scholarship essay topic

The judges will be reading a ton of essays, so make sure you write according to the topic. Don’t get sidetracked.

#7: Be concise

Concise writing is often the best writing. Many students believe that longer sentences are preferable, but this is not the case. Get your point across using only the words you need.

#8: Check your essay for spelling and grammatical errors

Make sure your spelling and grammar are correct. Place your verb tenses well and avoid misplacing words. For example, ‘tu’ for ‘es’. Also, check your score. The judges have a lot to read, so don’t give them a reason to reject yours.

You can also ask a friend, classmate, or tutor to review your scholarship application essay and make corrections.

TIP: You can install Grammatically in your browser for better work.

#9: Matter What You’re Writing

Try to write about what interests you, not just what you feel you should write about. Examiners can feel how genuine your scholarship application essay is.

#10: Avoid Redundant Conclusions

Make your thesis conclusion interesting instead of just rephrasing it, or worse, rephrasing your original thesis. His conclusion should explain why the rest of his essay was important.

If you follow these steps, your essay will be among the award-winning scholarship essays in the next competition you apply to.

Now let’s take a look at some of the award-winning scholarship essays!!

Scholarship Essay Examples That Won Money

The best way to get an idea of ​​what scholarship committees are looking for is to look at examples of scholarship essay winners.

Take the time to analyze your writing style, think about your strengths, and see how you can improve. This may seem like a tedious task, but luckily, we’ve already done some of the work for you.

However, most scholarship application essays come with their own message. Check out these essay tips and scholarship essay examples that won money.

Questions for a 2022 Scholarship Essay:

• Discuss a special attribute, experience, or achievement that sets you apart. How do you think that will help you succeed in college? (500 – 750 words) (Hint: We ask for ONE attribute, experience, or achievement, so choose only ONE to speak.)
• Discuss your plan beyond college. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Include what you are majoring in and how you plan to use that in your career. (250 words maximum).

The Award Winning Scholarship Essay Examples

So, here are a couple of examples of scholarship essays they won. You can go through them and see if you can format your scholarship essay in the same way.

SPECIAL ATTRIBUTE ESSAY OR PERFORMANCE – Winner #1

PLAN BEYOND THE COLLEGE ESSAY – Winner #1

North Coast Section Foundation Scholarship for $1000 by Christine Fung

Here is the winning essay for the North Coast Section Foundation Scholarship:

You can see other scholarship winners here:

If you want to read more about the NCS scholarship and apply, click the button below.

apply here

The book that made me a journalist

Quick: Describe a book that made a lasting impression on you and your life and why.

Winning Scholarship Essay:

Frequent questions

How do you write an award-winning scholarship essay?/

Start the essay writing process early.
Understand the mission and overall purpose of the scholarship provider.
Follow the scholarship essay instructions.
Stay away from essay topics that focus on negativity or pessimism.
Don’t be afraid to get personal.
Look for writing tips and feedback.

How do you start a scholarship essay?

Write a catchy first sentence.
Keep telling the reader why you are applying for the scholarship.
Conclude the introduction with the thesis statement of the body paragraph.

How do you start a scholarship essay about yourself?

Tell me about you.
Describe a challenge or event that made you who you are today.
What are your short and long-term goals and how do you plan to achieve them?
Write about a time you failed at something. How did it affect you?

How long should scholarship essays last?

Words 500

With these steps and scholarship application essay examples provided, be sure to produce an award-winning scholarship essay on your next test.

Good luck!