SCHOLARSHIPS Finding the Funds for your Future!

Types of Scholarships  University/Institution Specific  Go to the school you are applying to and look at their financial aid/scholarship webpage.  National Scholarships  Large database websites such as FastWeb or Scholarship.Com advertise ways to get information about national scholarships  Local Scholarships  These are through local companies or organizations who have ties to the community.

Scholarship Essay Quick Tips  Don’t avoid scholarships that have an essay component.  Make sure you answer the question they have asked.  Be sure to follow the instructions. If it says no more than two pages, then do not turn in three.  Analyze the organization before writing your essay. What are their values? Why are they giving the scholarship? Understand their mission statement.

The Writing Process  Begin by writing down the essay question highlighting key words and instructions.  Break the prompt down into sections looking for the specific elements required in each prompt and the required information.  Determine if the essay should be based on research or self-analysis.  Identify the purpose of the topic and what the audience (judge) is looking for.

Essay Writing 101 – Getting Started  Create a strong introduction that pulls the audience in by raising a question or creating surprise. Here is a possible opening for a discussion of a student’s work with a Habitat for Humanity Project.  “I am a Habitat for Humanity volunteer. I did not decide to do this work because studies report that 444,000 may experience homelessness or because 39% of these people are children. My reason for becoming a Habitat for Humanity volunteer was much simpler; I was one of those children.”

Essay Writing 101  Use present tense and optimistic phrases to demonstrate community and civic involvement and highlight your personality. Weak: I have worked with several health care agencies. Stronger: I currently enjoy interacting with patients as a volunteer Nurse’s Aide at Flower Hospital and delivering food for Meals on Wheels.

Essay Tips 101  Use active verbs, precise nouns, and be concise. Weak: I really like medicine, so for a long time I have worked with the Red Cross and at the Toledo Hospital. Stronger: I am passionate about medicine, so for over three years I have volunteered thirty hours a month, administering screening questionnaires at the Red Cross Blood Bank, and conducting patient orientations at the Toledo Hospital.

Essay Tips Continued  Create logical transitions  Show the reader where he or she is going next and why it’s a logical next step.  Don’t use standard transitional phrases like, “Secondly” or “As a consequence.”  Try repeating the prior thought and connecting to the next task.

Concluding an Essay  Develop a compelling conclusion as in the introduction; don’t summarize.  Re-emphasize the main point or circle back to the beginning and tie the loop. “I continued my weekly visits to the ten shut-ins for over two years. Over that time period I became very attached to the men and women on my route and looked forward to listening to their stories. Through my visits, I learned the importance of giving, but more importantly the value of the human contact.”

Make it F-U-N  Your essay should be fun to read.  Take time in between revisions.  Get a couple of people to read and edit your essay.  Get started early. Deadlines sneak up!

FCHS Counseling Webpage   Click on “Student Services”  Click on “Counseling”  Click on “Scholarships & Opportunities” tab

Credits  Information for this power point was taken from this website.