1. Simplified Anne Homan ahoman@sfccmo.edu Communication Studies and Wellness, Division Chair

2.  Consider who your audience is  Determine what they expect to find in your essay  Develop a thesis—a sentence that identifies the controlling idea of your essay  Support that thesis with evidence

3.  Go beyond the ordinary and obvious scope of words to communicate your unique situation and convince others that you are worthy of scholarship dollars  http://www.studentnow.com/collegelist/ essayexample.html http://www.studentnow.com/collegelist/ essayexample.html

4.  An audience in a specific department?  An audience with a specific agenda?  An audience who expects you to meet certain criteria?

5. Read the question carefully!

6.  Does it ask you to Explain? Use specific examples and apply them to general principles. Illustrate with details what, why, or how.  Does it ask you to Define or Describe? Explain what something is by discussing the details that make it unique, analyzing its parts or functions, describe what it is not, compare it with the familiar and the unfamiliar.

7.  Does it ask you to Compare? Explain its similarities or its differences.  To Evaluate? Determine its value or worth by setting standards and explaining how it meets up to or falls short of these standards.  To Discuss? Choose any of the verbs above to develop your response.

8. It should make a judgment about the topic. It should be unified It should be precise; no cliches or vague words It should be restricted; that is, it should be narrow enough to be adequately developed in the brief format required of most essays

9.  This essay is about why I want a college degree.  I want a college degree and I want a good job to help me reach my goals.  I want a college degree so that I can live life to the fullest.  I want a college degree for many reasons.

10.  Not only will a college degree provide me with knowledge in my field, it will help me achieve the means to contribute to my community.  I have come to realize that a college degree is the foundation for the success I hope to one day achieve.

11.  I recently came to the realization that if I hope to achieve my goal of______________, I must ______________.  My goal for the future can be expressed in simple terms: _____________________.  When I reflect on my accomplishments, the one that I value most is ______________.  When I reflect on my past experiences, the most valuable in regard to learning was _____________________.

12.  What example(s) can you provide as an illustration?  What personal observation can you share that is relevant?  How can you define or describe it?  With what can you parallel or compare it?  What process must you go through to achieve it?  What quote can you borrow to inspire someone to believe it?

13. Proofread and revise!

14. The Anna Margaret Lewis Leadership Award is granted annually to two students who have demonstrated leadership potential through their positive impact on the quality of life for others. The funds are applied to the cost of the leadership journey, a requirement for the SRVE (104) Service Learning and Leadership course offered each spring. Anna Margaret Lewis (1920 -1986) born in Boonville, Missouri, was a beloved matriarch and a source of inspiration for three generations of family members. A devoted wife, mother and grandmother, Anna Margaret never earned a college degree herself, but her emphasis on integrity, the value of an education, and, in particular, the constructive effect that kindness and caring can have on others, remains a guiding influence for her children and grandchildren today. The fund has been established by her grandson, SFCC business major, Jermaine Lewis. Candidates for this $500 award should compose a one to three paragraph essay describing the specific project in which they were or continue to be involved. A letter of recommendation from a teacher, employer, or organization leader confirming their involvement should accompany this short essay.

15.  http://www.collegescholarships.com/ap plication-essays/scholarship-essays http://www.collegescholarships.com/ap plication-essays/scholarship-essays

16.  Follow directions.  Try to make the essay stand out.  Type as much as possible.  Proof read and do not use text lingo.  Always sign application with blue or black ink only.  Do not fold or get food stains on applications.