10 Ways to Make Yourself Stand Out on Scholarship Applications

1. Hard Work Don’t hide the fact that you’ve been putting in extra hours of practice, training, or studying to achieve your goal(s).

2. Overcoming Obstacles Overcoming obstacles involves coming back from defeat, conquering a debilitating fear, or shoring up personal weaknesses, health conditions, economic circumstances, serious family problems. Scholarship committees respect those who tackle their obstacles. They look for how you have responded to the obstacles in a positive way.

3. Teamwork From the playing field to workplace, and the schoolhouse to the statehouse, scholarship committees value on people working together in pursuit of a common goal. Pick any activity in which you work together with other people, and emphasize the team aspect.

4. Perseverance Usually, before you can succeed at something, you first have to pay your dues. And that’s what perseverance is all about: sticking with a goal when others quit or give up. Don’t hide the struggles that have helped you get where you are.

5. Individual Initiative Initiative means taking action. If something is needed or doesn’t exist, you make it happen Discuss a project that you helped initiate, either on your own or as a group Find a problem that needs a solution and then propose an initiative to solve the problem

6. Passion & Enthusiasm Describe your activities with a sense of excitement and wonder. Example: “As far back as I can remember, a love for language and a passion for expressing ideas have been integral parts of who I am.”

7. Responsibility Responsibility demonstrates maturity, self confidence, and trustworthiness.

8. Community Service Discuss significant community service projects you have been a part of. Discuss how you plan to give back to your community as an extension of your future career

9. Purpose Purpose is the inner compass that helps one define goals and gives life a sense of direction Share where you want to go and how you might get there.

10. Character Character deals with a person’s core ethical and moral fabric including qualities such as honesty, integrity, loyalty, and courage Letters of recommendation are often a great way for you to show your character as seen by another person

Source

On Your Own