Recognizing key phrases pages

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!