If you don’t play an uncommon sport and don’t have uncommon achievements to write about, a great way to stand out is by making uncommon connections. Why? With a common topic that makes common connections and uses common language (i.e., “Basketball taught me hard work and discipline”), you’re likely to blend in. Instead, you want to generate insights others won’t have thought of. How? There’s a game for that:
Here’s an essay that describes a failure (which I’ve highlighted in bold below so you won’t miss it) that was written using the resources above:
What impact has sports had on your life? (Or some other athletics-related question)
Another potential use of your extracurricular essay is to expand on something you only mentioned briefly in your personal statement. In this case, the author mentioned in his personal statement that he’s “a numbers guy” and, in the fourth paragraph of this essay, expands upon why numbers are meaningful to him.
The "Tell us about you" scholarship essay
Want the short version of the guide? Complete this 15-min exercise and you’ll have your outline.
How are you unique? (Discuss your background, identity, interest, or talent) [Similar to Common App prompt #1]
It was Easter and we should’ve been celebrating with our family, but my father had locked us in the house. If he wasn’t going out, neither were my mother and I.My mother came to the U.S. from Mexico to study English. She’d been an exceptional student and had a bright future ahead of her. But she fell in love and eloped with the man that eventually became my father. He loved her in an unhealthy way, and was both physically and verbally abusive. My mother lacked the courage to start over so she stayed with him and slowly let go of her dreams and aspirations. But she wouldn’t allow for the same to happen to me.In the summer before my junior year I was offered a scholarship to study abroad in Egypt. Not to my surprise, my father refused to let me go. But my mother wouldn’t let him crush my dreams as well. I’d do this for myself and for my mothers unfulfilled aspirations. I accepted the scholarship.I thought I’d finally have all the freedom I longed for in Egypt, but initially I didn’t. On a weekly basis I heard insults and received harassment in the streets, yet I didn’t yield to the societal expectations for women by staying indoors. I continued to roam throughout Egypt, exploring the Great Pyramids of Giza, cruising on the Nile, and traveling to Luxor and Aswan. And before I returned to the U.S. I received the unexpected opportunity to travel to London and Paris. It was surreal: a girl from the ghetto traveling alone around the world with a map in her hands And no man or cultural standards could dictate what I was to do. I rode the subway from Cambridge University to the British Museum. I took a train from London to Paris and in two days I visited the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, and took a cruise on the Seine. Despite the language barrier I found I had the self-confidence to approach anyone for directions.While I was in Europe enjoying my freedom, my mother moved out and rented her own place. It was as if we’d simultaneously gained our independence. We were proud of each other. And she vicariously lived through my experiences as I sent her pictures and told her about my adventures.Finally, we were free.I currently live in the U.S with my mother. My father has gradually transformed from a frigid man to the loving father I always yearned for. Life isn’t perfect, but for the moment I’m enjoying tranquility and stability with my family and are communicating much better than ever before.I’m involved in my school’s Leadership Council as leader of our events committee. We plan and execute school dances and create effective donation letters. I see this as a stepping-stone for my future, as I plan to double major in Women’s Studies and International Relations with a focus on Middle Eastern studies. After the political turmoil of the Arab Spring many Middle Eastern countries refuse to grant women equal positions in society because that would contradict Islamic texts. By oppressing women they’re silencing half of their population. I believe these Islamic texts have been misinterpreted throughout time, and my journey towards my own independence has inspired me to help other women find liberation as well.My Easter will drastically differ from past years. Rather than being locked at home, my mother and I will celebrate outdoors our rebirth and renewal.
After identifying the key themes, it is important to understand what each of these ideas really means, beyond the initial level. For instance, I acknowledged that the meaning of ‘leadership’ involved identifying the effects my leadership had – the actions taken and results achieved under my leadership – and not simply describing the position I held and my responsibilities. The more depth you bring to your understanding of the meaning of each theme, the more examples you will be able to identify to demonstrate your abilities.
I won the 2013 QS Leadership Scholarship, so will base my guidance on my own thought process when shaping my application essay. However, the basic principles that I highlight with this example can be extracted and applied to other scholarship essay writing processes.
If you are struggling to start your scholarship application essay, why not include a quote or statement that relates to your intended course, and which you can later link to the main body of your text. Showing wider knowledge and aptitude for your subject will help convince the judges that it is a worthwhile investment to support you in your chosen course.
From my own example, the essay statement was: ‘Where I have demonstrated responsible leadership, or innovation, and how it made a difference either in my community or in my work’. I identified the key themes as ‘leadership’ and ‘community impact’.
3. Fill your scholarship essay with keywords/synonyms of keywords used in the scholarship statement.
Hayley Capp is the winner of the 2013 QS Leadership Scholarship. Covering up to US$10,000 of course fees for a graduate program, the scholarship is awarded to the applicant best able to demonstrate his/her ability to use entrepreneurial and leadership skills to make a positive impact on a community.
Hayley Capp, winner of the 2013 QS Leadership Scholarship, shares her top tips on how to write a winning scholarship application essay.
This article was originally written in September 2013. It was updated in November 2019.
Below are three examples of real essays that won our scholarship. We’ll walk you through why we chose them, and we’ll teach you the lessons they offer to maximize your chance of landing a scholarship award of your own.
Because of this, Kaycee succeeds in what she’s writing about, but she also succeeds in how she’s writing about it. The essay is grammatically flawless. It contains no typos. It’s written with elegance and illustrates — with concrete examples — exactly what we’re looking for: that Kaycee is an achiever who has overcome obstacles to make her dreams and the dreams of others come true.
Kaycee’s essay is a perfect example of how important it is to find a scholarship that matches your qualifications.
All of the applicants did the work to find the right scholarship. When they submitted their essay, they were competing against many other impressive candidates. However, their unique qualifications matched up with the qualifications we were looking for.
How to write a scholarship essay
Similar to Kaycee, Ian responds to our essay prompt in a way that demonstrates that he meets all of the criteria we use to evaluate candidates. In the first paragraph he tells us about what he’s overcome:
At OppU, we carefully review hundreds of essays to choose the next recipient of our scholarship. For the applicants, there’s a lot on the line — $2,500 to be exact. We’ve seen some good essays, but we’ve also seen some common mistakes.
In the second paragraph, Keniece describes the obstacles she’s overcome:
No matter what type of essay you are writing, you will want to ensure that the very first line grabs the attention of the reader. One of the biggest mistakes that students make when starting their essay is simply restating the prompt. This is bland and boring.
Keep on reading to learn more about how you can nail the very first sentence and start your essay off right!
As a next step, you can check out these guides for writing different types of essays:
“I look outside my bedroom window and see Henry, my favorite chicken, pecking at something in the dirt.”
Engage the reader with the first sentence
We hope that you have a better understanding of how to start a scholarship essay so you can maximize your chances of winning scholarships!
As shown, there are many questions that we as readers will have after reading an engaging essay opening such as the one just shared
There are some very simple things that you can do to ensure that your essay is engaging from the very first sentence. In fact, beginning your essay with an exciting opening is one of the most important things you can do, because it will immediately distinguish your essay from the others.
Hayley Capp is the winner of the 2013 QS Leadership Scholarship. Covering up to US$10,000 of course fees for a graduate program, the scholarship is awarded to the applicant best able to demonstrate his/her ability to use entrepreneurial and leadership skills to make a positive impact on a community.
After identifying the key themes, it is important to understand what each of these ideas really means, beyond the initial level. For instance, I acknowledged that the meaning of ‘leadership’ involved identifying the effects my leadership had – the actions taken and results achieved under my leadership – and not simply describing the position I held and my responsibilities. The more depth you bring to your understanding of the meaning of each theme, the more examples you will be able to identify to demonstrate your abilities.
Based on my own experience, I have outlined what I believe to be the key criteria used by scholarship committee judges for evaluating scholarship application essays on the themes of leadership and community impact. My advice would be to address all of these areas in your essay, whether the question explicitly asks for it or not.
I won the 2013 QS Leadership Scholarship, so will base my guidance on my own thought process when shaping my application essay. However, the basic principles that I highlight with this example can be extracted and applied to other scholarship essay writing processes.
What to include in scholarship essays about leadership:
If you are struggling to start your scholarship application essay, why not include a quote or statement that relates to your intended course, and which you can later link to the main body of your text. Showing wider knowledge and aptitude for your subject will help convince the judges that it is a worthwhile investment to support you in your chosen course.
This article was originally written in September 2013. It was updated in November 2019.
You can browse our various scholarship listings here, and QS also offers its own scholarships. Also, you can download our free guide for more advice on how to find scholarships to study abroad.
This uniqueness is the key, and the first point to remember when you pick up your pen to write. Make your scholarship application essay exclusive to you, personalize it, delve deep into your passion and drive to study your subject, and create a response that could only ever relate to you. It is this individuality that stands out, and that’s exactly what catches a judge’s eye and defines a winner.