Writing an Effective College/Scholarship Essay
What is a scholarship essay?
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Want some real advice? Write an essay that feels true to you. Haven’t started a dentistry non-profit that offers care to underserved populations and just so happens to dovetail nicely with your interest in pre-dental studies? Guess what: hardly any other teenager has either.
In fact, in my experience reading college applications, write what you actually care about. Take a small thing – a moment, an object, a person, a memory, a favorite book, whatever – and use it as a vehicle to tell a bigger story about yourself.
I’ve read a great essay about a pair of socks. Or a morning routine. Or a special relationship with a sibling. An essay about Costco was good enough for five of the Ivies and Stanford. Of course these essays weren’t just about socks or routines or siblings or big-box stores. They leveraged something simple and personal to point to other truths about the applicants. I’m not saying you shouldn’t write an essay about some hugely impressive thing you’ve done; I’m saying you don’t need to have accomplished hugely impressive things to write a remarkable essay.
Tyler Sant�Director of College Counseling�Holy Innocents' Episcopal School
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GOOD SCHOLARSHIP ESSAYS
ARE CREATIVE WRITING.
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A FRAMEWORK FOR
A GOOD ESSAY
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Framework for an
effective scholarship essay
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WHAT’S
IT ABOUT?
You can literally write about anything...
...given enough time, rewrites and thought.
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EXAMPLES OF SOME SUCCESSFUL ESSAYS
My Big Feet�
Told from the foots point of view
Losing the Big Race
Loser of the race realizes they are lucky to even have competed. Reader didn’t expect that.
Grandma’s Kitchen
Use of literary techniques (assonance and alliteration)
Spiders
�
There’s a spider farm…
in my closet!��Sometimes the essay is enough.
Record Collection
�Each record corresponds to a weakness in the application and explains the value.
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WHAT’S IT
REALLY ABOUT?
A great essay connects to a something unique, powerful, or essential to who you are...
...what do you want to say about yourself?
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THE REAL STORY IN SUCCESSFUL ESSAYS
My Big Feet�
Told from the foots point of view
Losing the Big Race
Loser of the race realizes they are lucky to even have competed. Reader didn’t expect that.
Grandma’s Kitchen
Use of literary techniques (assonance and alliteration)
Spiders
�
There’s a spider farm…
in my closet!��Sometimes the essay is enough.
Record Collection
�Each record corresponds to a weakness in the application and explains the value.
Being comfortable with myself
Recognizing my privilege
How I was raised
Why I LOVE science
Significant life events
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GIVE IT A �TWIST
A memorable essay does something interesting, often that the reader doesn’t expect.
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NARRATIVE TWISTS IN SUCCESSFUL ESSAYS
My Big Feet�
Told from the foots point of view
Losing the Big Race
Loser of the race realizes they are lucky to even have competed. Reader didn’t expect that.
Grandma’s Kitchen
Use of literary techniques (assonance and alliteration)
Spiders
�
There’s a spider farm…
in my closet!��Sometimes the essay is enough.
Record Collection
�Each record corresponds to a weakness in the application and explains the value.
Told from the foots point of view
Loser of the race realizes they are lucky to even have competed. Reader didn’t expect that.
Use of literary techniques (assonance and alliteration)
There’s a spider farm…
in my closet!��Sometimes the essay is enough.
Each record corresponds to a weakness in the application and explains the value.
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USE A
HOOK
To make sure they see your twist, you’ve got to hook them in!
...we know, we sound like your English teacher...
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HOOKS FROM SOME SUCCESSFUL ESSAYS
My Big Feet�
“I’m ALWAYS tripping over myself.”
Losing the Big Race
“I was the state champion.”
Grandma’s Kitchen
�“Paprika, pastries and perfume mark my childhood.”
Spiders�
“I keep a spider farm in my closet. Please don’t tell my mom.”
Record Collection
“I have hundreds of records; four of them saved my life.”
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WRITE MORE
ABOUT LESS
If you remember one thing from this presentation...
...REMEMBER THIS!
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WRITE MORE
ABOUT LESS
Word Limits have a Purpose�
Don’t write a book when they want a short story. ��But do fill the limit!
Don’t Try to Cram Your Life into 500 Words�
You are too complex and important for that.
Pick One Event, Stick With It
Be focused in your writing. Be able to sum it up.
Go �Deeper�
Flesh out details, connect back to your point.
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OTHER TIPS TO CONSIDER
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The (seemingly) obvious...
The less obvious...
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Let’s eat Grandma
Let’s eat, Grandma
What About ChatGPT?
FIRST…
BUT MY TAKE IS…
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What About ChatGPT?
FIRST…
BUT MY TAKE IS…
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What About ChatGPT?
Read up! → Seniors Can We ChatGPT?
WHAT IS CLEAR
then copy pasting the responses is NOT a great way to get noticed
or convey authentically who you are.
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BUILD YOUR SUCCESSFUL ESSAY
TIP: If you aren’t sure about an accomplishment, characteristic or value that is essential to you, ask a parent, friend, teacher, or influential person in your own life what they think!
What is it really about?��An accomplishment, characteristic, or value that is important to who you are.��______________________________________________________________________________________________________
What twist could you use?��What might be a way to make the story you’ve chosen a little more interesting?��______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set your �hook��Try out some ways to engage your reader. What first sentence will make them read it all?��______________________________________________________________________________________________________
What story captures that?��Think of an interesting event or experience that captures what you want to share about yourself.��______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Good Luck!
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