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Melvin Brewing Shares 10 Tips On Writing Your Best Scholarship Essay

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When you are applying for a scholarship, there is a lot of competition. You are going to have to ensure that your qualifications stand out, but they can only tell the decision committee so much. That is why most scholarships require an essay. This essay is a great way for you to show off your personality and argue why you should get the scholarship out of all the candidates. That is why the essay is so important. Here are 10 tips on writing your scholarship essay.

1. Read the prompt carefully

There will be instructions for the essay. It will tell you how many words to write, how to format the essay, and what to write about. Read and follow instructions carefully. You can be immediately disqualified if it appears as though you cannot follow simple direction. Also, you want the content to fit the prompt perfectly. Thinking too far out of the box can make it difficult to compare your essay with the competition.

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After reading the prompt, you should also get to learn more about the organization or person supporting the scholarship. Many philanthropic leaders in business like Melvin Brewing may offer different scholarships, and you want to learn about the company to help you pick the most relevant topic.

2. Give yourself plenty of time

You do not want to rush your essay. You need to give yourself ample time to write it. Notice the due date and start well in advance. The more time you have to work on the essay, the better it will be.

3. Create a suitable writing environment

It can be difficult to work on your essay with a lot of distractions. You need to create a suitable writing environment. Find a quiet place in your home with controlled temperature and a comfortable desk. Put your phone away and turn off any other electronics. You should also make people aware that you would like to have time to yourself for a couple hours or so.

4. Create an Outline

Before you get to writing, you should take the time to organize your thoughts. A quick outline can keep you on track throughout the writing process. Develop your thesis first. Then, clarify how each paragraph will support or refute your thesis. Even more informal essays require an outline to help you from veering off-topic.

5. Be specific and detailed

Many people make the mistake of sticking to generalizations when writing. It is important to be detailed and specific when writing. This will help paint a picture for the readers. This will make your writing stand out. Do not be afraid to make the words come off of the page with descriptions and detailed action.

6. Be thoughtful about word choice

There are over 1,000,000 words in the English language. That gives you a lot of options when it comes to word choice. Use your thesaurus to come up with elevated phrasing to demonstrate your extensive lexicon. Besides, words like “nice” and “good” are rather dull to read. Be vivid! Instead of saying your grandmother is nice, illustrate how congenial she is with an anecdote using colorful language. You will get much farther, and it will help fill up the word count. That being said, you also do not want your essay to sound forced. Instead of just using a thesaurus to change some words, focus on your story-telling skills and switch just a few words.

7. Evoke emotion

It is a good idea to pull at the readers’ heartstrings in your essay. Pick a somewhat heavy topic to prove you can take on complicated topics in an academic setting. If the topic is personal to you, the emotion will naturally spill onto the page when you write about it. Do not pretend to care about something you do not care about. Also, do not force the emotional aspects of the topic. Part of the point of picking the topic is to show that you can be objective and intellectual instead of letting the emotions take over your abilities.

8. Stay positive

There is a lot of negativity in the world. However, you are making positive changes to the culture by applying for the scholarship. Even if you are naturally cynical with a perpetual sardonic smile, you need to tap into your optimistic side. The decision committee wants to give the scholarship to someone with intentions to make the world a better place. Think of the possibilities and maintain a sunny disposition throughout the essay.

9. Proofread

You need to proofread your essay then proofread it again. Read through the essay multiple times to catch any errors. While reading through it, try to emphasize one grammatical issue at a time. For example, you can go through during one reading to focus on subject-verb agreement and then focus on run-on sentences the next time you read it. You want to show people that you pay close attention to detail by combing through the essay word for word to ensure you catch all of the little errors.

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10. Get a second opinion

No matter how talented of a writer you are, it is almost impossible to pinpoint every error in your own work. Sometimes you are not able to see the errors since you are so close to the work. The words all start to blend together at a certain point. Enlist the help of a trusted friend or family member to quickly read it for any errors. Naturally, you want to pick someone who has proven themselves to be knowledgeable in this area.

College is expensive. When you qualify for a scholarship from a charitable company like Melvin Brewing, you want to take advantage of the opportunity. In order to win the scholarship, you are going to need to write a great essay. Follow these tips to write an essay that takes you to the top of the list.  

 

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