Writing for Scholarships… tips for writing an essay.
IDEAS
 Be clear and concrete—use examples, don’t generalize.
 Keep it simple—focus on a small, easy to manage topic.
 Use credible, solid information from experience or research; avoid personal philosophies.
 Find a fresh perspective; avoid trite phrases or overused examples.
 Don’t generalize—avoid words like “good, exciting, fun, special, nice.”
ORGANIZATION
 Outline, follow a logical order
 Have a strong lead—get the reader’s attention (use a quote, personal example, comparison, play
on words, anecdote, comic statement).
 Have a main idea and make clear connections, all pieces should connect
 Avoid filler – if your words don’t add something new, take them out
 Ideas should be easy to follow, but not too predictable.
 Plan a graceful ending.
VOICE, VOICE, VOICE—the biggest factor in getting the money!
 Write to your audience; be sensitive to their perspective. Make the tone and purpose fit their
needs. Ask yourself, “who are they” and write to them.
 Be yourself. Sound human—no technospeak; make sure the reader can connect with you.
 Bring the topic to life, use examples.
 Think of your essay as a letter.
 An essay is the scholarship’s version of an interview—make sure they know you after reading it.
WORD CHOICE
 Never say, “I deserve this award because...” Lead the reader to that determination.
 Avoid over use of “I” pronouns; you are the author, there’s no need to say “I think.”
 Use strong verbs and precise nouns to create pictures and images.
 Simple language used well is better than “let me impress you” language.
 Watch for redundancy in word choice or phrases.
 Define acronyms—DAR, NHS, E-Award, H-Club—assume they don’t know.
SENTENCE FLUENCY
 The essay should be easy to read aloud.
 Vary sentence length—some short, some long.
 Watch for wordy sentences and cut the excess.
CONVENTIONS
 Proofread. Set it aside. Proofread again.
 Unless otherwise specified, paper should have 1-1 ½ inch margins, double spaced, size 12 font,
and no script or decorative font (Arial, Times New Roman are preferred).
 Essays should be titled, include your name at the top, or at the bottom with your signature.
Essays written on an application from should follow the application’s directives.
Heath, Chip, and Heath, Dan. Made to Stick: Why some ideas survive and others die. New York: Random House, 2007.
Addison Wesley Longman. Creative Writers, 3rd edition. 2001.
VanDoorn, 2007
Essay Guidelines
Use these guidelines for writing scholarship essays:
 12 font size
 Do not use script fonts for body of essay
 Double spaced
 1- 1 ½ inch margins
 Disregard word limits—essay should be ¾ to a page in length.
Do not go over 1 page.
 List your name, and scholarship title (Lion’s, etc.) on top of page.
 Title to your essay is optional.
 Sign your essay (at the bottom). This confirms that it is your work.
Follow these guidelines for all local scholarship essays.