As a recent High School graduate, I have survived the insanity known as application season. As October ends and November starts, many college and scholarship applications come due, and many students are scrambling to start, finish or refine their writing. Out of all of the essays that students do during the fall; the scholarship essay will get you money. Successfully writing these essays will also help ease the financial burden and sting when you get that first semester’s bill. Here are a few tips:
Research the topic.

Not all essays simply ask you to tell them why you deserve their money. Many topics are generally geared towards the organization or program the group is coming from. Look not only into the topic and how it has an effect on your life, but also the company. See what they look for in employees, what their values are and try to get a feel for their corporate culture. Browse their website if you have to. This can reveal to you what type of person they’re looking for in a scholarship candidate, giving you the advantage.

Be honest.
Research is good, but stretching the truth to be the perfect applicant is not. Most companies know that they can’t find the perfect person. Usually, they’re not even looking for the perfect person, just the best fit, and anyone claiming to have everything they ever wanted is simply too-good-to-be true. Be honest, be sincere and show them why they should reward you with a scholarship; not the person you are inflating yourself to be.

Be yourself.
The reason behind all these essays is so that these organizations can learn more about you. Students, myself included, often write to say what the selection committee wants to hear, but often at the cost of losing their own personal voice. Needless to say, those were more often the ones that resulted in a rejection, while the essays I submitted that had a glimpse of who I really am seemed to have a much higher reception rate. You want to have an unforgettable essay, not just a stock piece of words that sounds exactly the same as much of your competition. Your voice is what sets you apart, why let yourself lose that advantage?

Be professional.
Every essay this season is meant to reveal you and your personality, but that doesn’t mean it is a time to show silly mistakes. Just like not dressing the part can be the kiss of death during an interview, grammar and spelling mistakes can hurt you just as much. These mistakes can turn a potential winner into another forgettable paper. Check your work when you are done. Leave it alone for a day. Then proofread it again. Have your parents read it. Have your teachers read it. Have anybody available read it. The more eyes on the paper, the better off you are.
These are but a few things you can do to improve your writing, but the most important thing is that practice makes perfect. The more writing you do, the better you’ll become overtime.

For tips on how to get free money for college, click here.

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