Whether you are an incoming university student or an adult student who has been away from school for a while, thinking of pursuing your academics at a higher level may feel overwhelming considering the costs of school fees. However, the best thing you want to do for yourself is to hunt for scholarships. While you get to undergo some processes to win a scholarship, for example, you may need to search for just the right scholarships that meet your needs, gather necessary documents, and all that, your personal statement is undeniably the most important aspect of a scholarship application. Of course, you want to stand out from the hundreds of other students who are applying for the same scholarship as you are and that’s why this article is for you. Here you will learn with examples how to write a personal statement that increases your chances of winning scholarships.
What is a Scholarship Personal Statement?
It means exactly what it sounds. One can say it is a statement, paragraph, or essay that talks about your persona. To go on further, this statement should describe who you are, your place of origin, goals, and dreams, accomplishments, and just any more information that makes you up. The aim is to tell the scholarship committee in one piece the kind of person you are and why you think you are the best candidate for the scholarship. Hence, the reason you should focus on your strengths and position yourself as the right person they are looking for to give their money.
What is a Scholarship Personal Statement Prompt?
If you apply to some scholarships you may be asked to write your personal statement following a specific topic and many times it could be an open ended question as simple as “Tell us why you need this scholarship opportunity”. This is what a scholarship personal statement prompt looks like. A personal statement prompt is a brief to help guide you in writing your personal statement. It is usually concise and straight to the point as seen above. Some scholarships may not require you to follow a prompt and in that case, it is up to you to come up with a stellar idea for your personal statement. But for the sake of this article, we will discuss common scholarship personal statement prompts you may likely come across and how you can create your statement surrounding them. In the end, you would have learned how to keep things simple yet persuasive enough to win scholarships.
Common Prompts to Write Personal Statement for Scholarships
1. Why do you deserve the scholarship?
You might have come across this question when applying for scholarships as it is one of the most commonly asked prompts on online portals. The sponsors know why you want the scholarship, but they ask this question to know why exactly you think you are the right person to be selected. If that rings a bell, the next thing you want to do is to answer this question in the best way possible. If necessary, breathe in and out before you continue. You don’t want to start telling the committee you are applying because you need the money, that can be awkward. Instead, tell them the reason you need it at all. Both may sound the same but they are different. For one you are telling them why you need it and for the other, you are telling them why you deserve it. But here is the catch, with this prompt, you are expected to explain both at once and you can do that easily by following these examples.
| Sample | Why I Need the Money (Scholarship) | Why I Deserve the Money (Scholarship) |
| 1. | I come from a low income family, and my parents cannot afford to cater to the full cost of my education. If selected, this scholarship would help me achieve my dreams of studying Medicine. | I am a dedicated student with a solid GPA of 4.5 to back up my claim. I have a strong passion for learning. In the first and second year of my department, I consistently ranked in the top 5% and won a couple of academic competitions for my school. |
| 2. | At the moment, I support myself through school with the little money I get from my part time job, but the income is not enough to cover my bills. | Over the years, I have shown great leadership skills by organizing community clean up projects and mentoring junior students to follow suit. I bring a sense of responsibility and initiative that aligns with the values of this scholarship. |
| 3. | My family is facing unexpected medical expenses and it is taking a toll on me as I’m unable to prioritize my education. This scholarship would ease that burden. | I’ve never let financial challenges constrain me from giving my best in my academics. Despite the odds, I’ve earned several prestigious awards and maintained a remarkable academic performance in my field of study. |
Now you can easily spot the difference between the two. It is worth noting that the reasons you need the money (scholarship) shouldn’t be seen as you are “begging for help” or “need pity.” These are reasonable reasons and are valid enough to put you in the spotlight of your application. As for why you think you deserve the money (scholarship), it shouldn’t be seen as bragging rights, rather they are solid points to make your statement stand compelling enough for the committee to select you as a winner. The goal is to stand out from the crowd and that’s what these reasons are about.
2. Tell us about overcoming your greatest challenge.
This is another common scholarship personal statement prompt that many committees attach to the application requirement. If you look inwardly, you can tell that this prompt is not so different from the previous one, the only noticeable change is the construction and that’s to say you can answer them similarly. You could explain how the loss of a parent, or loved one, or a physical or mental disability almost shattered your dreams of pursuing higher education. This is the time to be as honest as you can be. Look for a real life event that was a tough one for you and share how you made it through.
3. Why do you want to attend college? Why is education important?
In a case where you are given this prompt to respond to in an application, the committee seeks to know if you have obtainable goals as you apply for the scholarships. They are interested in knowing what you think about education before they can give you the money you are looking for. Don’t just write anything that comes to your head, think it through, or better still take a pause and rethink your thoughts. One silly reason you give might just be the end of your application as it only implies that you have no intent for the scholarship even if you are selected. Now back to it, to answer this question, you can discuss how hard your parents strived to provide you good life and quality that they were not privileged to experience and how you want to honor their sacrifices. If your parents did attend college this can be a plus for you to write something. And if they did, maybe you would want to talk about your discipline and how the classes you will attend will make a difference for you. Tell the committee why you want to go for the college you are applying for and let them know how the scholarship will help you become the person you want to become.
Some Random Personal Statement Prompts for Scholarships
As much as the above discussed are some of the most common personal statement prompts you are likely going to come across when applying for scholarships, there are still a handful you might not even expect to see, yet some committees ask them to test your creativity. A typical example, the University of North Carolina asked those seeking scholarships “What do you hope to find over the rainbow?” If you think this isn’t random enough, wait until you find out Lehigh University wants to know, “What is your favorite riddle? And why?” The questions can be just as random as these. These prompts are way different from the old usuals like we discussed above, in each scenario, the committee wants your ideas to run wild. They want to find out how creative you can get with words. The prompts are not always going to be predictable, sometimes it could be something out of the blue.
How to Write Personal Statement for Scholarship Applications Without Prompts
Writing a personal statement without prompts might seem challenging especially if you initially haven’t come across this blog post. You may not know how to start or how to conclude your essay. The key however is to treat it as a mini autobiography, carefully highlighting your achievements, life challenges, and future goals. Below is how to go about it if you are still clueless about the whole process.
1. Highlight your accomplishments
When writing your personal statement or essay even without prompts it is best that you highlight your accomplishments be it in academics, extracurricular, or personal. In the same vein, include those challenges you faced while growing up and most importantly how you overcame them. If there’s a particular hardship that shaped you, don’t shy away from it. Discuss them alongside your strengths. However, position yourself as the deserving student for the scholarship and point out how winning the scholarship will help to make your life better.
2. Keep things simple
Although you should put out your best, you do not necessarily need to sound like a professor. It is better and preferable if your writing is as simple and detailed as it should be. To begin track, keep your essay organized, clear, and focused around one or two main themes so you don’t sway around. Avoid overcomplicating things. Simplicity and sincerity will always leave a better impression. We don’t encourage you to use fancy words to impress the committee. Instead, captivate them with an honest, engaging story about who you are and what you aim to become.
3. Be specific about your goals.
Don’t state your goals and ambitions vaguely and don’t go back and forth about them. The scholarship providers want to see purpose and direction and doing otherwise may just mean you are not serious. For example, saying you want to become a civil rights lawyer would show much more commitment than listing several other unrelated options. In fact, let your thoughts sync together. It would be so wrong to state clearly one thing while meaning another.
4. Let your writing follow a pattern
You may want to follow a general rule of thumb while writing your personal statement of essay. The format style is simple yet effective. Comply with all standard guidelines; Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, one-inch margins. Proofread and spell-check your work before handing it in. If in doubt about anything, get a trustworthy friend to read it. Your statement should then end with a kind of tie of all these ideas together. Reaffirm your goals, explain how the scholarship will help you achieve those goals, and most importantly, thank the committee for their time and consideration.
Wrap Up
Now that you know the do’s and don’ts of writing a personal statement you can go ahead and implement the tips shared here to increase your chances of winning a scholarship whether local or international. Remember that your personal statement is your voice. It should convey your passion, clarity, and readiness to take full advantage of the opportunity you’re seeking. If you find this article helpful, you may want to follow us for more content like this one. You can also do well to check out our previous post on 7 tips to apply for scholarships.
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