Scholarship Essays & You

Strong Dr. Wolf Student Handbook

Lynn

Section

Introduction

This is you, or at least your plans after you graduate high school. There are just a few obstacles standing in your way. Applying for college is not the hard part. Deciding where you want to go and how to pay for it is where things get interesting.

College tuitions are constantly increasing, and most students require some type of financial aid. Not all aid is merit or aptitude score based. Some factor scholarships or grants factor in several variables such as GPAs, ACT or SAT scores, along with required essays on detailed subject matter. The determination committees may award a student with lower test scores over a higher scoring student based on the quality of their application essays. These essays are assigned “prompts” or use key phrases to guide applicants on the required subject matter.

Individual schools, scholarship committees, as well as the Common Application use generic essay prompts for students to

discuss themselves and their goals. This is taken to another level when applying for endowments, financial aid, grants, and

scholarships. Students must know how to understand the given prompt, analysis their audience, and create a well balanced essay that provides a rhetorical analysis of themselves as a student and provides the prospective determination committee with requested relevant information.

After this module you will:

❖learn to read an application/scholarship description

❖determine the audience you are writing to

❖after given 5 essays prompts be able to identify the themes in all 5 prompts

❖in each essay prompt or description, be able to recognize key phrases or words to focus your writing on

❖be able to determine type of essay requested-informative, reflective, or analytical by reviewing other essays and prompts

❖be able to understand and replicate the essay requirements formatting, grammar, and length

❖be able to submit essay as requested- copy& paste or upload accepted file types

Section One:

What is a themed essay?

An essay is written communication that is meant to promote an idea, analyze a moment in history or historical figure, reflect its authors emotions and thoughts, or answer specific questions or research. Essays can be fiction or nonfiction and used for educational purposes to entertainment. You have been writing academic essays for a while. Now we are going to concentrate on what is a themed essay, its components, and writing scholarship essays.

Essays are written in many styles and lengths. Scholarship essays are typically 500 words minimum in length. Every essay you write should have a thesis statement: the main point you are making in your essay. The thesis statement should tie all your thoughts together and keep you on track.

Think of a thesis statement as a road map. It will help start your journey and can be referred to throughout your writing to make sure you arrive at the desired destination or conclusion. This is very important in a scholarship essay. With a strong thesis you can complete the given prompt and write a concise effective essay. Each section or the body of your essay breaks down your thesis statement and supports each element as well as provides the requested information. Make sure your body stays in shape and follows a clear path to the conclusion. Let’s look at a scholarship essay and identify each part of the essay.

Opening

Body

Body Body

Body

Essay Practice: Identify the parts of the essay

“As a child, my life had structure. Coloring books had lines, letters took on very specific shapes, and a system of rules governed everything from board games to the classroom. I found comfort in the fact that my future had an easy to follow template: elementary, middle, and high school, college, job, family retirement, “happily ever after” ending. When I graduated from elementary school, I was told I completed 25% of my education. During my middle school graduation, I was told I was halfway there, and I know I’ll be told I’m 75% done when I throw my cap in the air this June. College was always factored into the percentage and the overall formula for life, and I never questioned its importance. I always figured it is important because it is necessary.

Going to college makes sense. From helping my parents land stable jobs after coming to America to giving my brother the chance to gain work experience at some of the top financial firms, college educations have shown their worth in my family. Yet I didn’t think about what goes on inside the magical universities until I entered high school. Applying to the Academy for Math, Science, and Engineering was the first time I had actively decided in my education. With the encouragement of my parents and favorite science teacher who recognized that I would excel in the

Why do you want to go to college? Why is it important to you?

Thesis Statement lets audience know what the author is going to say

challenging environment of like minded students, I applied. Four years later, I can confidently say they were right.

BodySupporting Statements

My class of twenty-six has shown me the benefits of a collaborative rather than a competitive environment, especially the impact that camaraderie with my peers has on our collective learning experience. Each student has an inspiring level of passion and motivation that made me excited to learn, work on projects, and participate in discussions both in and out of the classroom. I used my education to gain skills and open doors for myself such as an internship at my local hospital. I gained confidence in my abilities to communicate with individuals from strangers my age to practicing professionals. I was thinking longer and harder than I ever had before to solve individual problems and large scale challenges. In all honesty, I was having fun.

Body

Looking back on my years at the Academy I realize how big of an impact the school made on how I view education. I wasn’t coming to school to mark another day off my calendar and inch closer to finishing the next 25%. I came to school to learn and question and push myself. Now, as a senior, I’m excited. I’m thankful for the sample that my high school gave me of what learning is supposed to be like and thankful that it left me wanting more. I’m entering college in August with a new understanding of

Supporting Statements-author uses a personal reflection to give details about life

its importance. It is important because it is what I want for my future.”

Conclusion-ties in thesis along with supporting statements

Being able to know the parts of an essay helps you remain focused. Make sure each part fits together and transitions smoothly. An out of place sentence or stray thought could distract your audience from the points you were making. Like a machine, every cog has its place. A strong themed essay is the same concept, except the machine you are building can help you pay for college! Keep it functioning and well oiled!

Learning Activity One

What am I trying to say? Do my thoughts build on each other and make sense? Look at each part of this essay. Now take the following sentences and make a concise and complete paragraph from them. Number them in correct order.

He did not know what to do with him.

Danny and Copper went to obedience training. Danny worked hard to train his dog.

Cocker spaniels have a lot of energy and loveable.

Danny’s and Copper’s hard work and determination paid off and Copper no longer ate everyone’s shoes.

Danny is an active young man who is leaving home and going to college. He and decided he wanted a pet to take to with him for company. Copper chewed his roommate’s new shoes.

Learning Activity Two:

Make me an essay!

We have reviewed what an essay is, comprised of, and what it should say. Next you will identify the parts of an essay, and how to put them together in the correct order. Use the blank lines to number the correct order. Underline the thesis statement. My drive to achieve and focus on the quality of my work transformed from getting by to thriving. This could be a factor of being a “nontraditional” student due to my age, but I believe it was a shift in my values and core beliefs. Before I had no focus and a strong safety net to catch me and wipe away the tears. Now, my village of supporters is even stronger, but I am accountable, and failure is never an option.

When I consider the term “development,” I immediately think of evolution or maturation. I do not know if this reflects my age and the steps my life has taken to this point but, both words are appropriate and effective. My collegiate

career timeline is not traditional or linear. It offshoots to various branches that loop around and return to a focal point at Auburn University. This is also indicative of my definition or standpoint on development, its formations, foundations, and finalization.

I need a few more tools in the box and instructions on how to use them. The desire is there it has not faded. Now, I need someone to give me the magic words and point my shoes in the right direction. They are ready and so am I.

________I set smart obtainable goals instead of unrealistic pressure and assumed failure. I listen. Not just hearing but listening, a deep comprehension and absorption of data and information that will factor into my constant state of flux. My apex is in the classroom. When an instructor is enthusiastic not just about the subject matter but me, I find my stride and pace. Learning is no longer synonymous with a grade. It is the reproduction and projection of what is given to me. It is what I am given and where I go with it.

Types of essays:

Scholarship essays are typically analytical, informative, or reflective. This means you will either review a person, thought, or historical moment and provide insight on this subject, discuss, and instruct your audience on something your accomplished or participated in, or share personal experiences that have shaped your opinions or future. These all sound a little overwhelming, but they do not have to be. Once you can determine what the required or requested information is, you will be able to decide the type of essay you need to write.

For example, if your essay prompt asks you to discuss the importance of social media on today’s politics, you could write an analytical essay. This would require research and academic resources and quotes but often very effective because it proves to your audience your willingness to work hard for this scholarship. If you are not familiar with the topic that is requested, it is imperative you research! Nothing looks worse than talking about something you know nothing about.

Blah blah blah

If your essay prompt asks you to describe a leader you admire and their qualities, this would be an informative essay. This theme could also ask what your desired career path and college major is. Known as a “what could I do with...” essay, your audience is wanting to be informed about what your interests and academic goals are. Informative essay’s subject matter can be about you too!

Reflective essays are written from your standpoint or point of view. Usually, these prompts ask you to think about what has happened in your life, someone that influences you, or your goals and dreams. Sometimes easier to write, they can also cause the writer to ramble. These scholarships are the perfect gateway for drama or hardships, but the point is how you overcame the struggle and your desire to make a difference in someone else’s life. Adversity can build character and the concept of community. This type of essay is a great way to give your audience the best idea of who you are, what you want in life, and how hard you are going to work to achieve your goals.

Learning Activity Three:

Look at the examples of these thesis statements and select which type of essay was written. Match the letter, Iinformative, R-reflective, and A-analytical for each one.

Naval aerospace engineering not only instructs future aviators, but this program also builds future leaders, naval officers, and continues research opportunities for future scientists.

Who is someone that influences you and why?

______

Does social media have a psychological effect on today’s student?

Should student athletes be held to the same academic standards as other students?

______

What defines a leader and what leadership roles have you held?

______

Food insecurity is a growing problem. How do you define food insecurity and can it be solved.

Is

______

SAT

You may notice that sometimes your essay prompts can be multiple styles. In other words, they may fit different writing styles. That is okay! Read the scholarship description, essay prompt, and if possible, look up past winners. All of these can help you write your essay.

How could your school better prepare its students for college?

the ACT or

still a fair depiction of how a student will perform in college?

Assessment:

Write a brief essay (250-300 words) that illustrates your comprehension of essay components and styles.

Talk about the differences between and analytical, informative, and reflective essay. Copy and paste below.

Section Two:

Identifying themes

Think of your favorite amusement park. It may have sections that are themed or based on favorite characters or movies. When you are walking around or on a ride, you can associate the experience with the familiar reference.

Themed essays are very similar. With a themed essay, you are given a reference and asked to expand or explain it. Most collegiate scholarship essays are themed. They are asking for information or a reflection from you, the applicant. These themes are given in detailed prompts. Essay prompts provide some information about the subject, and/or can ask a question that requests students to write about a certain topic in the form of an essay. Reading the prompt, a couple of times will provide a clearer understanding of what information is being requested.

Notate any words you may not understand. Read their definitions and then place in the prompt using your own words for their meanings. This will help garner a stronger

understanding before you begin your writing plan. As you read the prompt ask yourself these questions:

❖What am I being asked to do?

❖Who is my audience?

❖What sources or ideas do I need to include?

❖What concepts do I need to understand?

❖What do I already know on the topic?

Once you can answer the questions, you can start writing. Start with an outline or a mind map. These will help you keep your essay concise and focused.

Learning Activity Four:

Identifying Essay Themes:

For each prompt you will identify the theme or required information for the essay. Write a few lines describing what you would write about this theme.

1. The DeElla Wiley Triumph Scholarship was established for students with multiple interests and skills that excel in many areas.

If you are applying for this scholarship, what would you write about?

2. Kyra Pfeiffer is a pioneer in technical editing and writing. This scholarship is for the advancement of women in this field.

If you are applying for this scholarship, what would you write about?

3. Sister Linda dedicates her life to serving others. This scholarship awards students that serve their community.

If you are applying for this scholarship, what would you write about?

4. Raksha Deshpande overcame many obstacles to achieve her goal of studying at Auburn University. This scholarship is awarded to determined students. If you are applying for this scholarship, what would you write about?

Learning Activity Five:

What “type” of essay am I?

Think about something you had to overcome. Did this keep you from participating in activities? Was there a loss of income or financial stability in your household? Did you or a family member have physical impairments that created limitations? All of these are considered hardships and this theme is used in many scholarship essays. Briefly talk about this hardship from your point of view. Be thoughtful and REFLECTIVE.

Priyanka Chopra spoke on recent events in developed countries that are unable to provide equality between men and women. Numerous countries give more priority to men than women. Eventually, women are deprived of their basic right to education. Is this an issue in your country? How can changes be made? What are the long-term effects?

Answer briefly below:

Key Phrases:

Key phrases or words are identifiers to help with comprehension in reading. These are very important in scholarship essays. If your prompt talks about leadership and core values, you wouldn’t write an essay about what football means to you. Looking for key phrases or words will answer questions you have and keep your writing relative.

Let’s look at some key phrases in scholarship essay prompts:

1. What are your career goals, and how will earning a college degree help you achieve those goals?

The prompt uses the word goals twice and emphasizes asking how a degree will help you achieve desired outcomes. In this essay, do not discuss what you don’t want to do. This needs to focus on what you do love to do, how you are going to achieve it, and how their school can help you.

2. What is the most challenging aspect of attending College for you? What have you done to overcome that challenge?

The prompt uses the words challenging and overcome. It also asks what you have done to overcome the challenge. This could also lead to explaining how you have or want to help others from facing the same struggles. Be sure to detail how you handled the

situation(s), recognized how this could be a problem for others, and what you have learned from the journey.

3. Why should you be selected for a scholarship? Please describe any academic achievements, community service activities, examples of leadership, or other personal characteristics that make you deserve this scholarship?

This essay prompt is asking about you. What have you accomplished, where have you served, and how will your personal values make you a good candidate for this scholarship.

Keys unlock things. Word keys or phrases help unlock essay themes and promote creativity. Watch for these words and phrases to guide your writing! The keys will open the drafting doors!

Writing to an audience:

Who are you writing to?

Knowing your audience is one of the most important aspects of writing a good essay. If you can identify the audience, you can create a tailored essay that will be easier to relate to. You want to bring your audience into the experience you are sharing. Whichever rhetorical method you use (ethos, pathos, logos), make the best choice based on your audience. They may be nameless and faceless but are still a major part of this process. They decide whether your scholarship could be awarded. When you are writing, illustrate that you are writing to them and have considered their needs, and what they want from you.

Scholarship committees vary. Some are school financial aid counselors; others are board members or part of an endowment. Your application and essay can be reviewed by a committee. Scholarship committees are generally tasked with evaluating applicants and the scholarship package. A strong essay will make your scholarship package stand out and impress the committee.

If your application asks for a letter of introduction or interest, address them as To whom it may concern or if you have the name of the corporation or endowment, The Always Strong Scholarship Committee.

Example:

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Bob Smith, and I am applying for the “Flying Strong Scholarship.” A college education is very important to me, and I consider it a priceless commodity. In my application and attached essay I have listed my qualifications and interest in this scholarship. For many years I have maintained STEM related education and feel strongly about your mission and goals. These mirror a lot of my interests as well. I appreciate the opportunity to apply for this scholarship and your consideration. If you have any questions, please contact me at your convenience.

Think of yourself as an audience member. If you go to a rock concert and a philharmonic symphony takes the stage, you will not have the experience you were expecting, nor will you be satisfied. Place your readers in this same scenario. Do your best to identify them and write what they would enjoyreading.

Assessment:

So how do you read prompts? Answer each of these prompts in a few sentences that form a thesis statement or direction for your scholarship essay. Also, identify the audience. This will help your writing.

1. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? For this prompt you would think when you formed a new opinion on something. This could be faith based, political or a current event. What led you to change your original opinion and what do you stand now?

2. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. How does this accomplishment fit into our program at Auburn University. Did this spread inclusivity and diversity in your community?

3. Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards? The CJ Strong Memorial Scholarship was formed to honor a young man that believed in helping others. From a special needs baseball league to classroom assistance, CJ Strong worked not for himself but others in his community.

Section Three:

Formatting

Most of the essays you will write have formatting rules. These detail how the essay should be written, but most importantly how it should “look.” Scholarship essays are the same. Usually, you will have inside your prompt parameters that tell you how the essay should be written, saved, and submitted. If there are not provided parameters, then it is best to use APA formatting. APA is the most common and is easy to use. These are APA requirements:

❖Typeface: 12pt Times New Roman

❖Spacing: Double-space

❖Margins: One Inch margins on all sides.

❖Page Numbers: Insert a header at the top left of every page

❖Title Page: Title of the paper, author’s name, and purpose

Google docs has become very popular with current students. Due to COVID, many of you had online classes and used Google Classroom. Google Docs is a great program, but most people find writing with Word to be more convenient and easier to format. Look at the toolbar on a new Word document. 1. Home button-you use this to move between review, layout, design, etc.

1 2 3 4 5

This is review but it is best to make sure you know where each tool is to help the appearance of your writing. Even if the content is amazing, if it is difficult to read the committee will not read it. Follow the rules and give yourself the best chance possible by showing off your work.

Learning Activity Six:

Format me!

Take the paragraph below and copy and paste it into Word. Using the above rules for APA, reformat the paragraph to meet APA parameters. Paste your formatted paragraph under the original.

Auburn University with all it has to offer makes the choice easy for deciding which school in Alabama to choose. With around 23,000 undergraduate students it is a medium sized school that has a college town feel. There are many schools and majors available with state-ofthe art classrooms and laboratories. Combining school, social life and great sports makes it one of the best colleges in the nation.

With over 150 majors, many of them nationally ranked, and nearly 600 organizations, you’ll be challenged and supported at one of the nation’s 50 best public universities no matter where your bold vision for your future takes you. There’s so much to explore at Auburn. Auburn does everything in our power to ensure you can afford a college experience unlike any other. *

One of the biggest mistakes we make as writers is we do not edit ourselves or ask someone else to review our work. Simple spelling errors such as red or read can change how your essay is received. Spellcheck will not catch this type of error so careful purposeful reading is necessary.

Do not let a simple mistake that could be caught and fixed in a few moments cost you a valuable scholarship. This is a competitive field, and the average scholarship has 100 times the applications than awards. Larger corporate and school-based scholarships have even more. Make yours the best-that takes time and effort, but you can do it.

Editor is a tool in Microsoft Word. It will check more than spelling. It helps with tenses and conciseness as well as clarity. Utilize every tool you have available before you submit your essay!

Learning Activity seven:

Go through these simple sentences and make the correct word choice. Highlight the error and rewrite:

1. I am a accomplished student who loved studying.

2. She liked school and never go.

3. Harry red her book to me on yesterdays class

4. My parent, who are hard workers, making little sacrifices ever day.

5. One factors in mine skool choices is classrooms sized.

These are obvious errors but when we are writing sometimes our passion takes over our typing. Little errors can place your paper on the wrong stack.

Submitting

How your paper is submitted will have an overall affect on how it is viewed by your audience. Even if you read your prompts, satisfy the writing requirements, edit and revise, and double check your formatting, if you do not submit it correctly all your work is lost.

Some scholarship essay portions are copy and paste textboxes ready for you to add you work. Even though you can directly type into the boxes, it is recommended that you type your essay in a writing application such as Word, use the formatting and editing tools in application, and then copy it from the Word document into the textbox provided.

Others allow you to upload your submission directly to the scholarship application.

If it is a direct upload, it is crucial that your essay opens like you have written it. Everyone has different preferred settings, document programs, or operating systems. All of these can make your essay appear a mess no matter how hard you worked.

After you have written your essay, edited and revised, it is time to convert it to a PDF. PDFs are opened the same way no matter what operating system or preferred software is used. A PDF will preserve your work exactly as it is written and will open as a more legible document.

Once your essay is ready for submission, select “File” at the top of your Word file. Select “save as” and from the selection bar choose PDF.

Add the title of your essay and then save. This will save your essay as “Scholarship Essay. pdf. ” Below you can see the difference between a Word file open in Google docs and the same file saved as a PDF and opened the same way.

Saved as a docx or Word document

Saved as a PDF. The clearer choice is the PDF. It only takes a second to convert and it could make the difference in being awarded or thrown out.

Assessment:

Write a brief evaluation of this module. Has it helped your scholarship planning? Did it explain the difference between the different types of essays? What is your understanding of essay prompts? Do you see how important revision and conversion are to your final submission? Find a meme that expresses your feedback on this module and add it to your answer. Format this in APA style as an essay, with each question being a new paragraph. Write an introduction, thesis statement, and conclusion as part of the essay. After it is written save it as a PDF. Copy and paste.

If this is offered online, upload your submission below.

Conclusion

As you can see, it takes a lot to be awarded a scholarship. It is not only the application, but the very important essay. Both need to be clear, concise, neat, and well written. Answer all questions that are asked and be thorough in developing your essay. Think about the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It is not the same on crackers, bland without jelly, and although people with nut allergies leave it off, in most opinions worthless without peanut butter. You wouldn’t put the peanut butter on the bottom of the bread and jelly on top. The perfect PB&J has two slices of bread opened with peanut butter on one side and jelly on the other. They are then placed together, and a timeless snack is delivered.

Apply this to your scholarship essay. Read the prompt, reread the prompt, highlight, and research words or topics that are unfamiliar, decide the writing style, and compose. After you have written your essay, you can revise and submit. Like the classic PB&J this is a solid standard approach that will help garner your best results. Good luck, good writing, find that funding!

Attributes and References:

❖Images used are Adobe Stock images used with permission and/or purchased.

❖Aubie image used with permission Auburn University

❖Scribblr.com essay body parts example

Your path to academic success. Scribbr. (2022, September 6). Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/