The tuition cost is no longer what it used to be in the past. With the increase of interest in high education due to the big competition on the market, students now need financial support more than ever. Thankfully, there are plenty of scholarship choices on the table – you just have to submit a brilliant application to get one.
If you are planning on applying for a scholarship, you probably already know about the importance of the scholarship essay in terms of your application. Below are the 5 typical mistakes you simply must avoid when writing your essay.
Maintain Your Focus
One of the biggest mistakes in scholarship essays is trailing off topic. In order to get a clear idea of the focus of your essay, you can start by reading the instructions in the application. Furthermore, you can always speak to a mentor to clarify the details. After all, scholarship essays are very personal and should serve to express oneself, which is why the focus is not an easy decision to make.
Once you have made your choice about the focus of your essay, you must pay special attention to it. Do not meander into other topics and ramble about unrelated things.
The best way to avoid trailing off the topic is to make an outline and focus on the major points while writing.
Proofreading is as Important as Writing
Even if you have written the best essay there is, no board will accept your application if your grammar is not correct. This is a general rule that applies for all academic papers, but carries much bigger importance in terms of this essay.
If you wish to make the best possible impression, a single spell check is simply not enough. Use all the time you have to proofread and edit your essay until the point where it is perfect. After all, your chances of getting the scholarship are not higher if you submit the essay early. Use all the time you have to make sure that there is not a single mistake in the content.
It is always a good idea to ask people to read your essay and give you some tips on what you can change. As the writer of your essay, you can easily let mistakes slip through, so make sure to ask for some help. Another option is to send your paper to the best essay writing service and to ask them to give some practical recommendations. A second pair of eyes can easily detect sentences that are confusing or minor mistakes in the content.
Do Not Exceed the Word Count Limit
The word count limit is there for a reason, which is why the board finds it unacceptable when students exceed it. If the scholarship application provides you with a word limit of 500 or 700 words, your job is to express yourself in this range.
Good writing must be concise, so choose your words wisely. Also, pay attention to the minimum word count since you would not want the board to think you did not take the time to write your essay. Exceeding the limitations can get you eliminated, regardless of the story you tell.
Know Your Audience
Of course, the information you have about the company of the scholarship or the organization that offers it differs depending on your choice, but make sure to research a bit before starting to write your scholarship essay. The values and goals of the organization or company can help you achieve your own goal, only if you know how to use them to your advantage in the writing.
Knowing your audience will allow you to determine what the ideal candidate for the organization or company would be like. Once you know this, you will have better chances of making a good impression.
Never Brag or Complain
Showing your personality and humanity in a scholarship essay is highly recommended, but this piece of writing is not a place where you should brag or complain. Ranting about a topic is never a good idea, since the main goal of your essay is to show you are passionate about a certain thing.
Do not brag or complain about experiences you have had. Your essay should tell the board how you overcame an obstacle, not how you felt in the process.
As you can see, there are several things you must avoid when writing your scholarship essay. Give yourself plenty of time, since this is not an easy task. The biggest recommendation experts have on the topic of writing a scholarship essay is to take time to write the content, while storing everything in notes or folders.
Organization of the content is the best way to make sure that your essay is brilliant, which is the goal of every student who applies for a scholarship. However, you must always pay attention to the common mistakes done when writing scholarship essays, too.