Page 82 - Scholarship Guide Feb 2020

80 HOW TO ACE YOUR SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY

This will help you formulate a coherent piece, axe bits that are not Get their input on your writing, fl ow, and general advice on improving
relevant, and highlight parts that you really want to shine. the document, having a second or even third set of eyes on your work
can help tremendously with perspective and change the essay for the
Make sure you address the question better.
2 Generally scholarship questions run the gamut, but the most
common questions would range from a personal statement to topics Be prepared to do this at least two or three times. Do not be
like your professional inspiration and why. disheartened if you have to go back to the drawing board and start
from scratch after your feedback sessions.
Utilising your essay skeleton, add on the fl esh and details to truly bring
your personality to life on paper. Do not procrastinate
4 Deadlines are there for a reason. Stay way ahead of them and
you are golden. A 1,000 to 1,500 word essay may seem like a lot of
It may be tempting to throw around big fancy words to come across effort and quite daunting at fi rst glance, try to break the work up into
more impressive, but there is nothing more obvious than hot air. A different sittings by formulating a step-by-step timetable.
candidate using a load of superfl uous adjectives to disguise the fact
that there is neither structure nor substance to the essay, is easily called
out and like a balloon; defl ates rather quickly. Perhaps on day one, you’ll come up with your skeleton draft and on the
next day, commence turning it into a fully fl eshed out idea, which then
turns into a full-on draft – so on, and so forth. Little by little, the essay
In a nutshell, keep things concise, coherent and professional. Big fancy will take shape. Don’t forget to leave enough time for feedback and
words are fi ne, but just use them in moderation and always in the right advise from your advisors.
context.

Ask for advise and feedback Have at least three days to spare from the actual submission deadline.
This is to ensure you have everything in order before hitting ‘send’.
3 There is no shame in asking for more help. After all you are trying
to impress a panel of judges from just words on paper. Seek help from
your professors or career counsellors in school on the essay. After all that back and forth, make sure you have a fi nal read through
of your work for typos and sentence structure. Read the essay out loud
to yourself to catch all errors for the perfect submission.
Your teachers have seen many a scholarship essay and can give your
tips and pointers for success.