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Because we know that your time is valuable and not everyone is comfortable with writing, the required essay is very short and specific. Most scholarship recipients tell us it took them, at most, one hour to write, edit and complete their essay. The guidance on this page is meant to help you write a successful scholarship essay.
Not all scholarships require perfect grades or amazing test scores, and your GPA and school activities can only do so much to show what makes you you. Essays are your opportunity to stand out by talking about your everyday reality, and how it impacts your educational journey. Are you balancing school with a job? Taking care of siblings? Teaching peers while you learn? These may seem like ordinary responsibilities to you, but they also mean you can multitask, prioritize and handle being busy – just the skills you need to succeed in college. No matter what kind of scholarship you’re applying for, you can bet that there will be plenty of qualified applicants. Your goal is to stand out from the crowd, and essay questions are your best possible opportunity to do that. The Wake Tech Foundation scholarship essay is your best chance to express yourself and have a direct impact on whether you get a scholarship. While we look at application factors outside the essay to make award decisions, many of those factors are already set, such as your cumulative GPA and your financial need. Writing a scholarship essay gives us another way to evaluate you independent of those factors. Writing a stand-out essay can increase your chances of receiving a scholarship. To maximize your opportunities, don’t start from scratch every time you come to an essay prompt. Instead, take some time in advance—like, for example, summer break—to organize some basic thoughts and general responses. (Our can give you some guidance.) Fortunately, a little bit of preparation and some useful advice are all it takes to help you break through that potential writer’s block. Here are Scholarship America’s tips, drawn from more than 60 years of evaluating applications—and starting, most importantly, with your mindset. It’s likely that nothing has caused scholarship applicants more stress over the years than the open-ended scholarship essay. Even students who breeze through their application, boast stellar grades and list impressive accomplishments can be stopped in their tracks by that big empty space.

For more information on writing a killer scholarship essay, .

While this may seem like common sense, many students rush through the instructions section before they start writing their scholarship essay. Why? Because reading instructions isn’t fun and many students are fairly pressed for time.

Here are some tips to help you write a standout scholarship essay:

Writing winning scholarship essays isn’t as challenging as it sounds, as long as your student knows the best approach. To help them get started, here is an in-depth guide on how to write a scholarship essay that will grab the attention of the committee for all of the right reasons.

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The vast majority of legitimate and reputable scholarships are going to require an essay as part of the application process, which means your student needs to know how to write winning scholarship essays. Otherwise, they may miss out on exciting opportunities for free money to help pay for college, increasing the odds that they’ll need student loans to make ends meet.

Not sure how to nail the perfect scholarship essay format?

My old elementary school has a school garden, but it was neglected. I always noticed it when we passed by because it was such a mess. Finally I mentioned it to my mom, and she encouraged me to find out how I could make a difference. I reached out to the staff member in charge and learned that she was really overwhelmed and had no help. I volunteered to assist her. We met up one day and made a plan to advertise the garden, find more volunteers, and fundraise. We sent fliers home with students and quickly had plenty of volunteers to clean it up. Then we had a bake sale to fundraise for plants and soil, plus lots of people wanted to donate supplies when they found out what we were doing. Through this experience, I learned how to be a leader and really enjoyed the process.

Now, let's see how you should format your scholarship essay!

You may want to revisit your opening again after you write your whole essay. Sometimes seeing the finished product changes what you want to emphasize in the first sentence and/or title. Or maybe you discover that a particularly brilliant sentence could be moved or restated to make a great first impression. Really strive to make that first impression captivating.

Scholarship Essay Format Template

So, there you have it, a brief yet practical guide to crafting a winning scholarship essay. But remember, while these tips may increase your chances of being selected, the most important factor is your authentic voice and unique story. So, let your personality shine through and leave the scholarship committee with no doubt that you’re the right candidate for the award.