I need to write a scholarship essay
Show what you've done, what you'll do with the degree and why it matters to the funder, with real examples instead of big claims.
In short
Start here, today. Copy the scholarship's selection criteria and essay questions into a document. Under each one, list two real examples from your work, studies or community that show it. This takes about 25 minutes.
After that, work through these steps. Choose one to jump to it.
Step by step
Tick each step as you finish it. Open a step for the how.
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Answer the question they asked
Many scholarships ask several short questions, for example about leadership, networking, your study plans and your career plans. Give each its own example rather than one long story, and use the scholarship's own words where it helps the reader see you've answered.
Open with a moment, not a summary
Start with a specific situation that shows what drives you: a problem you saw, a project you led, a decision you made. Skip quotes and phrases like 'ever since I was a child'. The first few lines decide whether a reader leans in.
Show evidence and results
For every claim, give proof: what you did, how many people it affected, what changed, and exactly what your role was. 'I organised a weekend clinic that screened 300 people' says more than 'I'm passionate about public health'.
Connect the degree to your plan
Name the courses, modules, researchers or skills that drew you to the program, and explain how they lead to the role or project you want next. Be specific about where you'll work and who will benefit. Realistic plans are more convincing than grand ones.
Make the funder's goals part of your story
Read the funder's mission and show how your plans serve it. If the scholarship expects you to return home, show what you'll do there. If it funds research in a priority area, show how your work fits. Panels want to see why you, and why their money.
Cut, then get an outside reader
Read the essay aloud and cut anything repeated or vague. Ask someone outside your field to tell you what they remember after one read. Check the word limit, the format and the questions one last time before you submit.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- Your draft says you're passionate, hard-working and a natural leader, but doesn't show it.
- You're reusing your statement of purpose and it doesn't quite answer the question.
- You have 500 words and three stories you love, and they won't all fit.
- You don't know what the panel is really looking for.
Why this happens
A scholarship panel isn't only asking whether you'll do well in the program. That's what admissions decides. Funders invest in people who'll do something with the degree that matters to them, whether that's leadership at home, research in a priority area, or building links between countries. Most publish their selection criteria, and the strongest essays answer those criteria directly, with evidence.
Panels read a lot of essays, often quickly, and the ones they remember are specific: a real situation, what you did, and what changed because of it. Big adjectives and long histories of your interest blur together. It usually takes several drafts and an outside reader to get from a general essay to a specific one, so give yourself time.
When to bring someone in
Your university's writing centre or careers service may read scholarship essays, and many scholarships publish advice from past winners on their official pages. A one-to-one session with Ify can help you choose your strongest stories and cut to the word limit.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify