Write Your Winning Scholarship Essay [plus Examples]

If you are applying to, or currently enrolled in post-secondary education, you might be searching for different scholarships. Higher education can be costly, and scholarships help ease the financial burden. While applying for scholarships, you are often asked to submit a scholarship essay, or at least a scholarship personal statement, in addition to other basic information. 

Scholarship essays are an important part of the scholarship process because they can help you stand out. A well-written scholarship essay can make a huge difference when you apply for financial aid. Apart from showing the scholarship committee your personality, goals, and interests, good scholarship writing also indicates you put time and attention into your application. 

While scholarship essays can feel like a big undertaking, there are some general rules to help simplify your scholarship essay writing process and make the task of crafting an essay more straightforward. Here are a few simple tips to guide you on how to write a good scholarship essay. 

✅ Research the scholarship provider and its vision.

If you are writing a scholarship essay, it helps to research the provider of the scholarship. Any information you can gather about the provider will help you write a better scholarship essay, since you can work what you’ve learned into your writing. 

For instance, if you are writing a scholarship essay for a financial literacy organization, you can write about how important good financial health is to you and give examples of smart financial decisions you’ve made. 

✅ Follow scholarship essay instructions.

While this may seem obvious, it can be easy to overlook the exact rules and instructions for your scholarship application essay. Elements like format, word count, and deadline are important to pay attention to. You should also be clear about the content of the scholarship essay and avoid deviating from their expectations.

If you’re writing a scholarship essay that’s too long or too short, or if you don’t use the right margins or spacing, it can immediately disqualify your submission, or at best, alert the scholarship committee that you didn’t pay attention to the rules of the scholarship essay format. 

✅ Seek feedback on your writing.

Even though you have likely written many essays over your academic career, it’s still crucial to seek feedback and advice from others on your scholarship writing. Even the best writers need editors and revision. 

Other people can notice things you may have missed, and it can help you to deliver a more refined finished product. Ask a friend or teacher to read your scholarship essay and give their honest opinion. 

✅ Revise and proofread.

After getting feedback from others, reread your scholarship essay a few times to look for mistakes or ways to make it better. It’s always best to leave what you’ve written for a few days and come back to it with fresh eyes and a clear head. Many schools also have writing resource centers with dedicated staff who help with proofreading and editing, and they could show you how to write an essay for a scholarship. 

Here are some general tips on how to write a good scholarship essay. 

✅ DOs:

• Make it personal and specific.

If you are writing a personal essay for a scholarship, you could be competing against many other applicants. The best way to stand out and get your scholarship essay noticed is to make it more personal. 

Reflect on your personal experiences if it’s relatable. If not, find other ways to show your personality in your writing. For instance, with a scholarship essay about leadership, you can talk about any clubs you managed, your experience as a camp counsellor, or any fundraising initiatives you took. 

• Tell a story.

Storytelling is what makes any writing compelling, and you can even use this technique in your scholarship personal statement. Telling a story helps the reader connect to you and invest emotionally. 

For example, if your scholarship essay prompt is “How are you unique,” you can tell a personal story that demonstrates your special qualities. 

• Show instead of telling.

“Show, don’t tell” is a writing technique that helps writers to elevate their work. In scholarship writing it involves using details or actions throughout the essay to convey a message instead of explicitly writing it. 

For example, in a scholarship essay about the impact of sports on your life, you can describe how you felt during or after specific athletic events or actions, instead of simply stating that you love sports. 

• Keep it focused and stick to the prompt.

It would hurt your scholarship essay if it deviates from your central idea. When writing your scholarship essay, it’s best to stick to the essay prompt as much as possible. Write a clear thesis and refer to it as you write to make sure you haven’t deviated. 

For example, if you are writing a scholarship essay about a time you learned from a mistake, you wouldn’t talk about where you were born unless it was directly related. 

• Be authentic.

Authenticity is a great way to get your scholarship essay noticed. Try to be as genuine as possible and write from the heart. The easiest way to do this is by writing about your personal experience. 

For instance, in a scholarship essay about why community is important to you, you could write about any volunteer work you’ve done. 

❌ DON’Ts

• Don’t sound negative.

Avoid using language that might evoke negative feelings in the reader. Aim for inspirational instead of pitiable for a more compelling read. 

For example, if you are writing a scholarship essay about the challenges you’ve overcome, focus on what you have achieved instead of just your hardships. 

• Don’t use cliches or platitudes. 

Cliches are vague and used so often that their effect is lost on the reader. When writing for scholarships, it’s always better to be specific and clear instead of ambiguous. 

If you are writing a scholarship essay about the importance of attending school, you can give specific examples of how you going to school helped you grow, not just academically but also personally, instead of using a platitude like “it’s important to always be learning.”

• Don’t be overly generic.

Scholarship writing that is generic will likely bore the reader, and the lack of personal detail won’t encourage the committee to invest in what you’ve written. 

For instance, with a scholarship essay prompt about how the scholarship will make a difference in your life, almost everyone will write about their need for money. Instead of just talking about your financial need in the scholarship essay, give examples of what it will specifically change, like more time to study or better mental health.

• Don’t use extreme statements.

Extreme statements can come off sounding dramatic in scholarship writing, so it’s better to be less blunt and more formal. To give an example, writing “without this money I will never be able to pay for college” sounds too extreme, and you could instead write about how the scholarship will make a positive impact. 

• Don’t use emojis.

Emojis are meant for informal conversation and never for formal writing, much less scholarship writing. It would harm your chances if you were to use any emoji in your scholarship essay. “I was so 😊 about my grades this year,” is much less effective than “I was thrilled to achieve the highest score in class.”

There are some basic components to every essay and scholarship writing is no different. A well-written scholarship essay should be broken down into a few general sections with clear ideas and form. Follow this scholarship essay format to help guide your writing. 

📝 Introduction

It’s tough to know how to start a scholarship essay. Use the first part of your scholarship essay to outline your central thesis or establish the topic of the essay and your main points. A concise and well-written introduction will encourage the reader to continue reading and set the tone of your scholarship writing. 

📝 Body Paragraph(s)

Depending on the word count of your scholarship essay, you could have one or several paragraphs for the body of your work. Use the body to elaborate on the central topic and give evidence of your specific ideas. Each paragraph should stick to one point and provide clear evidence in support of that point. 

To illustrate, if you are writing a scholarship essay on why you deserve this scholarship, paragraph one could be about your scholastic achievements, and you can use paragraph two to write about your drive and ambition as a student. 

📝 Conclusion 

If you are wondering how to end a scholarship essay, keep in mind the concluding paragraph is not the time to introduce new information. Summarize your main points or thesis, and avoid using words like ‘in conclusion,’ or ‘in summary.’ A strong closing paragraph will leave a good impression on the reader and elevate your scholarship essay. 

If you are struggling to write a strong and persuasive scholarship essay, it could help you to review a few examples online to get some ideas. Scholarship essay examples also show you the level of organization and clarity you need in your own scholarship writing. 

Here are three winning scholarship essay examples to help guide your writing process. 

💡 How the Vietnam War Affected my Grandfather by Oscar Lahti

In this scholarship essay for a veterans’ organization, the author avoids being generic by writing about his grandfather’s experience, so his scholarship writing comes across as very authentic. 

Although the topic of this scholarship essay is intense, the author does a great job of emphasizing some more positive emotions throughout the essay, so the reader doesn’t feel despondent. 

💡 If It’s Worth It, It Won’t Be Easy by Yana Obiekwe

This scholarship essay example is about immigration in America. The author makes her scholarship essay very compelling by telling a story and making it personal and specific. Each paragraph has a clear topic, and she doesn’t wander from her main ideas. 

💡 Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association Partnerships by Courtney Holt

This winning scholarship essay example works well because the author sticks to the prompt and provides clear, related examples to support her ideas. She also lays out her thoughts in a clear and organized fashion. She is obviously passionate about snowboarding, so her voice feels authentic and genuine, making it a very strong scholarship essay. 

--- Originally written by Tiffany Quinn ---