We understand the stress that comes with essay writing. So, to assist you with your scholarship application we have come up with some of the most important tips to keep in mind while writing your essay. First, if you are selected as the winner, your essay will be published on our scholarship page, so remember that what you write will be made public for anyone to view. Though you might have a lot to say on the given topic, remember that the word count is between 300-500 words. It is important to take your time to make sure you are submitting something worthy of the scholarship. Here are some of the ways you can do that.
- Fill out the online form correctly and as requested. Give your full name and the full name of your school, as well as phone number and email. Without this information – even if your essay is impressive – we will not be able to select you as the prizewinner. Also, make sure you are submitting the correct document. (We have had students send us blank documents and essays not related to the topic.)
- Create an outline. Understand what you want to share, ask yourself why it is important, and make an outline that helps you describe that in the best possible way. It might seem strange to make an outline for such a short essay, but it really helps you focus on the main points. In such a short essay, every sentence matters, so make them count.
- Check your grammar. You’ll never go wrong reading your essay over before submitting it. Ask yourself if your essay is grammatically strong. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable submitting it to your English College teacher, then you probably shouldn’t send it in without having someone else look it over for you.
- Cite your sources. If you make a statement such as, “1 in 5 individuals are impacted by vehicle collisions each year,” then be prepared to cite your source. Not only that, but make sure the website you have chosen to gather information from is a legitimate reputable source. By citing your sources, you demonstrate that your work is reputable. To learn more about what is important to cite, read this article at Temple University. If you know what to cite, but are having difficulty knowing how it should appear Easy Bib is a good resource. You can put in all the relative information and it can create the citation for you. It is up to you how you choose to cite your sources, it can be APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. All that we ask is that you do it correctly.
- Make it logical and reasonable. The scholarship prompt may ask you to include your suggestions for improving road safety. Make sure your suggestions are plausible and reasonable. One way to do this, is to focus on one specific local problem. Then do your research. Have other regions, states or countries faced this same problem? How did they handle it? Is their solution working? This is one way you can find and present a reasonable solution to a problem that needs to be addressed.
- Be creative. With many of the essays so similar, if you are going to be the prizewinner it needs to stand out. Make it interesting and engage the reader.
For a final thought, with the word count between 300-500 it is truly about quality over quantity. By presenting a scholarship that exemplifies these tips we have given, you demonstrate an eagerness to learn. Here at the Advocates we want to support those eagerly searching to learn and to improve the world.