JUNIOR ESSAYS
Please carefully, thoughtfully and completely respond to the following college application & scholarship questions:
(100-500 Words; double-spaced)
1. Write a short autobiography and include your family background and personal interests. (500 Words)
2. Of the activities, interests and experiences listed on your recommendation packet, which is the most meaningful
to you and why? (250 Word Minimum)
3. What do you have a passion for? Please explain in detail.
4. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you and describe that influence. (250-500 Words)
5. Write about the world you come from. For example, your family, community or school. Explain how your world
has shaped your dreams and aspirations. (250-500 Words)
6. Write about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What
about this quality or accomplishment are you most proud and how does it relate to the person you are? (250-500
Words)
7. Discuss your short and long term goals. Are some of them related? Which are priorities? Be specific in describing
short and long-term goals you may have. Provide examples from any aspect of your life. In addition, if you have
already accomplished some short and/or long-term goals you set for yourself in the past, you could discuss them.
8. How do you measure or define success? (250 Words)
9. Describe the single most important project or activity in which you have participated that has benefited your
community.
10. Why do you want to further your education? How do you plan to fund your education?
11. Are you working at a paid job? What skills are you learning? What are you doing with your income?
12. Why do you believe you deserve to receive a scholarship and what qualities you possess that will enable you
to be the ideal scholarship recipient.
13. What is your career goal and why have you chosen this path? Is there an individual or event that has influenced
you? (250 Word Minimum)
14. How do you feel you’ve prepared yourself for the challenge of attending a four-year college and successfully
completing college course work?
15. Briefly explain who/what has made the most significant impact on you regarding your decision to attend a fouryear college?
16. Briefly discuss your family’s economic background. Include information about your financial challenges.
17. What is special or unique about your family? What do you enjoy most about your family?
18. What hardships/obstacles have you and/or your family had to overcome in order to make it where you are now?
19. Briefly describe your academic background. Did you utilize any additional support at your high school, such as
tutoring? Do your grades in high school reflect your academic ability or potential?
20. Discuss one leadership role that you undertook during your years at PLHS. What personal strengths and skills did
you utilize and gain from this experience?
21. What class have you taken during your years at PLHS that stands out in your mind? What personal strengths
allowed you to be successful in that class?
22. Discuss the subjects in which you excel or have excelled. To what factors do you attribute your success? Use
specific examples to illustrate how you succeeded. (150 Words)
23. Discuss the subjects with which you had difficulties. What factors do you believe contributed to your difficulties?
How have you dealt with them so they will not cause problems for you again? In what areas have you experienced
the greatest improvement? What problems still remain? Explain how you identified your problems, and give
examples of how you made or attempted o make improvements. (250 Words)
24. What obstacles do you think you will face next year and how will you strive to overcome them?
25. Please describe your ideal college setting at this time.
26. I will be an asset to my college or university because…(500 words)
27. Write a personal statement that describes a character defining moment.
28. Write a personal statement that describes the cultural awareness you’ve developed.
29. Write a personal statement that describes a personal hardship or barrier you’ve overcome.
30. Write about the personal qualities and accomplishments that you feel are necessary to be a good student.
31. Describe your academic achievements.
32. Describe your involvement in community service.
33. Describe your leadership in school and/or in the community.
34. Describe your future career goals.
35. Describe how you are a positive role model.
36. What material possession do you cherish most and why? (250-500 Words)
37. Share one challenge your generation currently faces and ideas for dealing with the issue. (500 words) 37 or
38
38. Thirty years from now, how do you think the challenges our country is currently facing will be
remembered in history? (500 words) 37 or 38