College Admissions and Scholarship Essays
Many of the UNT Writing Lab’s clients come seeking help for their admissions essays (whether they are for particular departments, graduate school, or transfer school) and scholarship essays. This page aims to clarify the purpose of such writing, outline a few points to talk about, and explain mistakes commonly seen in this type of writing.
Purpose
While the ultimate goal is different between these two essays, the purpose is the same: self-promotion. These essays are about selling yourself to the reader. A scholarship board wants to know that they are giving their money to a worthy recipient, so you should show them that you are worthy. The same goes for admissions officers: they want to know that they are accepting quality students to their programs. No matter what your major or field of study, you need to be a salesperson in these essays.
What to Talk About
There are certain things that will be asked of you in the prompt (i.e. grades, achievements, goals), and you will do well to answer the prompt. However, realize that an essay that does no more than report what your transcript and résumé already show is boring. A common prompt for many scholarships asks the applicant to write an essay that lets the committee know about anything not mentioned on the standard documents. This is a golden opportunity to show how unique you are.
You don’t have to use this opportunity make it seem as though you believe that you are the most interesting person in the world, but you can definitely talk about yourself. Explain the “whys” that relate to your educational choices. Why did you decide to apply to medical school? And better yet, what are you going to accomplish as a doctor? If you are applying for a scholarship, explain why you need the money, but don’t just leave it at “school is too expensive for me.” Explain why your education is so important to you personally. Make the reader believe in the importance of your success. In summary, you can talk about your grades, your volunteer work, etc., but they don’t mean anything unless you back them up with personality and a vision for the future.
Things to Avoid
Because so many students write these essays, there are a number of clichés that you want to avoid. For starters, don’t say that you are passionate. Everyone has a passion for what they are doing (at least they say they do), so when a reader sees “I have a passion for helping people,” they are only reading static on the page. Instead, tell what you hope to accomplish with this passion. Another problem for college admissions essays is talking about the school’s merit instead of your own. Remember that you are writing to a person who already works at the school you wish to attend and probably has a lot of pride in it. They don’t need to know about the school’s achievements, the great programs it has, or how many awesome students attend. They want to know how awesome you are so that they can be certain they are furthering this great institution. If you mention how great the school is, be sure to mention your place in it and how you can make it better.
Remember
You are seeking the reward, not the other way around. These essays are competitive, and the better you write, the better your chances. Sell yourself as much as possible. This isn’t the time to blend in. Anyone can fill out an application; now tell us who you are.
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