Scholarship Essay Prompts That Can Help You Write A Distinct Application Essay

Published by Adam Waugh at 10/06/2023

Scholarship essay: An overview

A scholarship is a kind of student financial assistance that does not require repayment until they meet the terms of the award and utilize it as per instructions. They are generally awarded based on merit through financial need, academic excellence, or by meeting particular requirements set by the institution awarding it.

The structure and format of the scholarship essay may differ depending on the rules laid down by the institution awarding the essay. It may be based on specific scholarship essay prompts or require a particular word count. Despite the requirements, it is crucial to follow the instructions to be entitled to the scholarship.

How do I begin the essay?

At the beginning, study the essay question(s). Acquaint yourself with the scholarship essay prompts and start contemplating how to address the questions. For a typical scholarship essay, there are some questions you might consider before you begin writing:

Why am I applying for the scholarship? How will it create a difference in my life?
What are my hopes and goals? What have I done towards achieving them in my academic and professional career? What have I planned to achieve?
What makes me a good choice for the scholarship? What makes me distinct from other applicants?

How do you approach the scholarship essay prompts in a better way?

There are three ways in which you can approach the scholarship essay prompts better, and they are discussed below with the aid of an example. The sample under the heading weak demonstrates an incorrect way to write and address scholarship essay prompts. In contrast, the sample under the revised heading signifies the correct way to address the prompts.

Remain positive, be particular, and true self:

Weak- ‘As a freshman in my college, I faced many hardships because I was hesitant to talk with people.’

Revised- ‘I battled when I shifted to college and while making friends; however, in the autumn of my first year, I began volunteering with the Pantry Food on campus. I came across individuals who cared about the same things I did, such as reducing food wastage and assisting others.’

Reveal, do not tell:

Weak- ‘I like supply chain management and studied everything concerning it during my internship.’

Revised- ‘Last winter, I was employed as an intern in supply chain products at ASDA. I learned how to conduct market surveys, evaluate, design, and adopt logical distribution center processes to minimize costs, enhance income, and meet customer demand. Initially, I understood the value of applying an effective strategic supply chain framework to business and customers.’

Stay away from clichés:

Weak- ‘Since I was 13, I always contemplated assisting everyone.’

Revised- ‘When I was 13, my grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I assisted my mother in caring for her by visiting her doctors, giving her medicines, and staying with her in her last days. The involvement made me realize I wanted to actively associate myself with providing care and comfort to others during challenging times. Therefore, I decided to follow nursing as a profession.’

How do you answer common scholarship essay prompts?

Every essay question in a scholarship essay is distinctive, so applicants must think differently. There is no holistic approach that can give all the answers to the questions mentioned in this blog on scholarship essay prompts. Applicants need creative thinking to achieve a scholarship for their further studies. In the below section of this blog on scholarship essay prompts, we will list 11 topics generally found in scholarship essays.

Inform about yourself: Nearly all scholarship essays ask applicants to say something about themselves before proceeding with the other questions. Though the question may seem too simple, summarizing your life into a few paragraphs is not simple. Many applicants cannot recollect their initial experiences worthy of mentioning, or they cannot differentiate between relevant and irrelevant details under pressure.

Consequently, some applicants only provide basic details about themselves that do not fit the scholarship program. To escape this situation, consider the crucial life events that marshaled you to this point. Try to mention the following:

Old experiences that encouraged you to select your field of study
Successful events and relevant achievements
Values you have that are supported and applauded by the scholarship institution
Long-term and short-term goals

How the scholarship benefits you: Each applicant is looking for financial help from the scholarship institution. However, the ultimate decision rests on how you plan on disposing of the funds. The authorities selecting the scholarship winner want to choose a qualified and successful applicant and those who can benefit most from the financial assistance. For that, you need to indicate all the probable benefits the award can bring to you like:

Go to an expensive college which was not affordable otherwise
Pay off for a special internship that can increase your knowledge and refine your skills
Purchasing finance book, learning equipment, or laptops
Reimburse a house rent if going to a college remote from your primary residence

Reveal some instances when you failed and what you learned: On seeing this question, many applicants hesitate to share their initial mistakes because they fear they may look bad. They did not know that revealing such incidents could do wonders for them in this situation. It permits applicants to reflect on their initial errors and learn from them.

To answer the question accurately, you need to remain honest. The most effective approach is to demonstrate self-awareness and personal growth that you attained from the situation. You could include the following:

Concisely explain the event and what made you fail
Reflect on the mistakes and errors that you committed
Describe your learning experience and how it assisted you in growing
Offer a better solution if you encounter the same situation

Talk about a situation where you took a leadership position: Leadership is a vital trait a college student must possess. Therefore, it is typically one of the common scholarship essay prompts, too. In this question, you can discuss any event or activity where you were assigned the role of a leader, apart from being a passive member.

It is your ticket to success, whether you were a captain of the cricket team, head of a project, member of a volunteering activity, or in charge of anything else. If you believe that you had a small role, still include it. Scholarship institutions are not interested in the significance of the role but how the role influenced you. Ensure you address the below points:

Select school-based or work-based projects
Concisely describe your leadership role
Discuss what the experience furnished you with
Discuss how you can utilize the obtained leadership skill at the time of your education

Mention your ambitions for the coming five years: Scholarship institutions want to finance applicants inclined to complete their education on time and get into their desired profession immediately after it. The institutions want to make sure that the applicants succeed in the professional world. These scholarship essay prompts help establish the applicant’s ambitions and plans after education. You must demonstrate your long-term goals, dedication, and plans to transform your dream into reality.

Conduct proper research about your plans
Write about how you plan to achieve them
Demonstrate how the scholarship can assist you in getting to your goals
Demonstrate to the scholarship committee that you are committed to pursuing the course

Explain an addition you have made to the community: Scholarship institutions are concerned about your academic success and look to know more about you as a person and determine your fitness for the award. Informing about community contributions is valuable to discover more about the applicants. What additions you made to your community, how you improved it, and what you achieved from the experience are not the only purpose of scholarship essay prompts. The institution can ascertain how you will utilize your initial experiences for future occasions by reading the answers. The following points must be covered:

Refer to activities like community, charity, or volunteer work are the ideal options
Reflect on the additions you made to the community with the project or community
Write what you studied during the course
Discuss how you will constantly support the community

State your academic and professional goals: Though it is one of the easiest scholarship essay prompts, you still have room to be creative. A clear list of plans and goals will help you demonstrate your ambition. A distinctive way is to inform about what prompted you to select a particular goal. For example, you can share a passion that led to establishing your professional goal. You need to address the following points:

Address your professional goals and how you plan to attain them
Reflect on the initial experiences that led to the goals
Address the values that could assist in attaining your goals
Mention how scholarship can further assist you in achieving your goals

Strongest inspiration for you: Informing the scholarship institution about yourself and what you do is not the only thing the institution wants to know. They also need to know about their inspirations. You can inform the institution about your biggest inspiration that shaped your thoughts, values, priorities, goals, and motivations. You need to address the following points:

Address the main attributes and events concerning your inspiration
Concentrate on how your inspiration encouraged you
Describe what you learned from your inspiration
Contemplate how the learning can help you in your academic and professional life

Things that make you distinct: You can adopt different paths while addressing such scholarship essay prompts. Remember that being distinct is highly valued and appreciated by scholarship committees whether you discuss your background, education, characteristics, ways of thinking, experience, skills, etc. You must address the following:

Inform what makes you distinct
Discuss how it transformed you into the person you are at present
Explain how it will help you attain your short-term and long-term goals
Write the methods in which the scholarship can help you build and develop your distinct traits

Mention the reasons for studying in a college: Many students struggle with such scholarship essay prompts as they attend college only to gain a degree or are pressured to do so. In contrast, some students are passionate about attending college and learning something new daily. Addressing this question can help the scholarship committee note your views and determine your genuineness for the award. When addressing this scholarship essay prompts, mention the following:

Initial experience that marshaled you to this point
What encouraged you to attain a degree?
The role of scholarship in achieving your passion
What are your plans after acquiring the degree

Why are you the rightful choice? It is one of the most challenging and common scholarship essay prompts. Here, you must inform the committee members why you are the rightful choice for the award. The secret to success is answering the question without being arrogant. You need to mention the following things:

Establish why you are the most deserving candidate with the assistance of your knowledge and skills
Inform about your initial accomplishments that support your claim
State what makes you distinct and different from other applicants
Remain respectful by identifying the competitive nature of the essay

Suggestions for writing a scholarship essay

Awareness of the general ideas concerning the scholarship essay does not help you prepare for writing an essay on any of the prompts. You need to put in much effort to write an effective essay. Certain steps can help:

Brainstorming the ideas
Study previous winning samples
Practice writing techniques

Wrapping up

Only a few individuals are good at expressing themselves on paper, and they can write impeccable scholarship essays. They have a command over addressing various scholarship essay prompts. Do you think others cannot win?

With our scholarship essay writing help, you can get a high-quality and winning essay at reasonable rates. You can select a writer and communicate with them to determine their abilities and understanding. Contact TotalAssignment.com to achieve your desired scholarship essay with the assistance of scholarship essay prompts.

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Adam Waugh

Adam is our resident blogger, who specializes in matters concerning International students, immigration processes, visa rules, student accommodation, university rankings and reviews. Adam has done his post-graduation in mass communication from the university of Melbourne and has been an active blogger since 10 years.