sample admission essay

Writing a scholarship essay can be a breeze as long as you follow a theme around which your essay will revolve. Having an outline will also help put structure in your scholarship essay and make it easier for you to write in an organized manner. You know how much work people put into writing their their admission essays and personal statements? Well, for a scholarship essay, you might have to put in more work because your aim is to convince people that you’re worthy of their investment.

How to start your scholarship essay

Writing a scholarship essay requires effective storytelling skills, concise writing skills, and a convincing tone. You can start your scholarship essay by stating your name, and the specific scholarship program you’re applying for. Then, give a backgrounder on who you are before you discuss your career goals and objectives in applying for a scholarship. The backgrounder part in your scholarship essay should be written in a personal, sincere manner. Let the committee get a glimpse of who you are as an individual and as a student.

In this part of the scholarship essay, you can include your extra-curricular interests and hobbies, or any interesting tidbits about your personality that would make you stand out. From here, you can then insert your academic accomplishments, the subjects you’ve taken, and a brief mention of your stellar GPA. Be careful when talking about your accomplishments, you don’t want to sound like you’re simply bragging and showing off in your scholarship essay. Instead, state your achievements in a clear and concise manner. Try to connect this part of the scholarship essay to your educational objectives, and how you came to the decision of choosing your particular major.

Other types of content of your scholarship essay

Once you’ve stated your chosen major and your reasons for choosing it, your scholarship essay should then also touch on the topic of what you intend to do once you get a degree in that field. What are your long-term goals and how will that degree help you realize these goals? As much as possible, give concrete plans of action so that the committee will get a clear idea of where you’re headed in terms of career. It would also help if you elaborate in your scholarship essay how you think these plans of yours will benefit other people in the community.

Once you’ve covered all the mentioned bases, your scholarship essay should now discuss your financial situation and why you need the scholarship. Paint them a picture of what your everyday life is like, and explain how a scholarship grant would make a difference to you and help you fulfill your long-term goals. If you’re employed, tell them about the kind of work you do and the number of hours you spend working. You must be able to tell your story in your scholarship essay in a way that would make them listen. Your scholarship essay should appeal to their logic, and not pity. Don’t whine about how you’re having financial trials. Instead, write your scholarship essay in a  way that shows them your determination to get that degree and why you deserve their scholarship grant.

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While more and more educational opportunities for minorities are opening up, there is still a significant percentage of African-Americans who do not have affordable access to a college education. There are a number of institutions that provide African-American student financial aid, but a lot of students don’t know where to find them, and what processes are involved in acquiring African-American student financial aid. Institutions like the United Negro College Fund has been giving African-American student financial aid for decades now, as well as some colleges and universities that have specific African-American student financial aid programs for specific majors.

Some institutions that provide African-American student financial aid are also sometimes based in areas with a significant percentage of African-Americans population. An example of such an institution is the Coleman A. Young Foundation , which provides African-American student financial aid to students who live in the Detroit area.  Check local organizations and associations that operate within your area or region if they provide African-American student financial aid. For those who are looking for African-American student financial aid programs, below is a list of some institutions which you can consult:

The United Negro College Fund

The UNCF is one of the longest running institutions that provide African-American student financial aid services, and has paid for the education of almost half a million youths. The UNCF has tie-ups with 39 public and private historically black colleges and universities in the United States, where the recipients of African-American student financial aid can choose their majors and study.

Thurgood Marshall College Fund

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is a non-government organization dedicated to raising college tuition money to provide African-American student financial aid. The organization currently has 54 partner colleges and universities all over the US and has partners with companies from different industries such as Ford, Costco, HSBC, and MTV. The Thurgood Marshall College Fund awards an average of US$ 2,200 per semester to students enrolled at historically black colleges and universities.

In order to be eligible for the African-American student financial aid, the applicant must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, recommendation from the previously attended high school, and demonstrated financial need.

This website also lists a lot of affiliated scholarships with differing requirements.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP )

The NAACP offers five African-American student financial aid programs: Earl G. Graves Scholarship, Agnes Jones Jackson Scholarship, Lillian & Samuel Sutton Education Scholarship, Roy Wilkins Scholarship, and the Hubertus W. V. Wellems Scholarship For Male Students. These African-American student financial aid and scholarship programs are differentiated by the amount of money they grant.

The NAACP requires a minimum GPA of 2.5 for undergrads and a 3.0 GPA for graduate students. Some of the scholarships that NAACP offers require applicants to be members of the association, and have specific guidelines to demonstrate financial need.

These are just three of the institutions that can provide African-American student financial aid to those who need help financing their college education. With the wide range of options available for funders and providers of scholarship grants , more African-Americans of good academic standing should be able to pursue quality college education.

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