Writing Scholarship Essays
Good personal statements are vital. But they are tough to write. Here are three ideas to help you keep the task in perspective:
Space constraints are often frustrating . . . but your competitors face them too.
A good personal essay comes in handy. You can rework it for many settings.
Many students find that writing the personal statement helps them clarify who they are and where they are going. This is inherently good.
In a Nutshell
Most good personal statements share three core elements. You need to:
Share your goals. People are looking to invest in your potential so they need to know your plan. They need to know that you have a sense of purpose.
Connect your goals to the opportunity for which you are applying. Demonstrate the synergy between their goals and yours
Share your story. The reader needs to know:
How life experience has formed and shaped your goals . . . to see your commitment.
How you have pursued and prepared for those goals thus far . . . to see your potential.
Good Storytelling
Good museums arrange interesting artifacts and/or exhibits into a coherent floor plan. And history unfolds as the visitor walks through. Personal statements aim for the same thing. You need to present telling details about your life in a logical narrative order.
Telling Details
You should not rehash your resume. Strive to make you and your life experience vivid in ways that complement the resume instead. Provide details that reveal important things about you:
What has led you to embrace your future goals.
What makes you care about those goals right now.
What personal traits you possess.
What items on your resume and transcript actually mean.
Why you are ready for the opportunity at hand.
What personal challenges you have faced.
What has shaped your identity and/or outlook.
Narrative Order
Organize those telling details to help you articulate the core elements sketched above. Develop a logical narrative thread that will tie the paragraphs together. Several samples to illustrate:
Sample One
I hope to do X in my career.
A was my first encounter with X.
B and C confirmed my desire to work in X.
I believe your opportunity will help me accomplish X because . . .
I feel that D and E have prepared me for this opportunity
Sample Two
I experienced A recently.
It changed my mind about career X.
It got me thinking about career Y.
B and C confirmed that Y was right for me.
D and E will prove valuable even though they were related to X.
Your opportunity is the right next step because . . .
How to Generate Detail
Anecdotes help you share telling details. They are specific slices of personal experience that help the reader get a mental picture of you in your world. And they make the essay more memorable and more fun to read. Here are five