14 Scholarship Essay Examples That Won Thousands in 2024

Winning a substantial scholarship can make a significant difference in someone’s life, especially for those in financial need. However, accumulating smaller awards can be revolutionary. The scholarship essay examples and ideas provided below might help you transition from preparing to living your future.

Paying for college is a common difficulty for people who plan to go. Many people qualify for several scholarships but are intimidated by the notion of writing multiple essays. Writing might be especially difficult when asked to explain why they deserve the award.

One method to make this process easier is to select topics with overlapping themes and create one or two essays that can be altered for many applications. The following are ideas for applying this strategy to secure scholarships, including how to properly close your essay.

The featured scholarship winners received substantial financial aid for producing appealing essays. Their success is frequently determined by their ability to present a compelling tale that highlights their principles, strengths, hobbies, volunteer work, and personal experiences.

Many winning essays demonstrate vulnerability. Scholarship committees want to know how the money will help you and why you need it. They are interested in how your characteristics and skills will develop in college, as well as your ability to express yourself in writing. Our guide to what colleges look for will help you create heartfelt scholarship essays.

If you need a scholarship essay on yourself, a creative writing scholarship, or an essay on why you deserve the scholarship, the sample essays below can offer you a clearer understanding of what to aim for.

To save time, consider grouping essay prompts. Writing an excellent college essay and recycling it for similar scholarship prompts can be really beneficial. This method not only saves time, but it also produces better essays. We call these “Super Essays” since they cover a variety of topics and improve the overall quality of the essay. Our supplemental essays course includes further advice on creating these multi-purpose essays.

Here’s a sample scholarship essay:

Scholarship Essay Example

Peter Kang received $4,000 in scholarships from several sources, including the Kang Foundation Scholarship, the Kingdom Dreamer Scholarship Fund, and a national contest hosted by the Lamber Goodnow legal team.

Open topic.

Peter’s essay covers his experience working nighttime shifts at a cafe to help his family when they were evicted. Despite the hardships, he continued his academic and extracurricular activities, demonstrating that financial difficulties did not limit his abilities. His statement emphasizes his dedication to his family and his interest in engineering, which he acquired while fixing bicycles and interning at Boeing. He emphasizes that engineering is more than just a job for him; it is a way to solve issues and enhance people’s lives. The scholarship would allow him to concentrate on his education rather than his financial situation.

By following this strategy, you can write appealing scholarship essays that appeal to many committees, increasing your chances of receiving financial aid.

Second example of a scholarship essay

New York University College of Arts and Science. Ana’s scholarship of $39,500

Prompt: Describe an event that had a significant impact on your life.

My parents once told me, “If you can’t make a living from it, it’s pointless,” alluding to my interest in ice skating. I began skating at the age of ten in Spain and continued after relocating to the United States. Ice skating has been one of my most meaningful experiences.

My first language was Spanish, which I learned while growing up in Mexico with my Spanish-speaking parents. When I was six, my family relocated to Spain, and when I was thirteen, we moved to California. Getting used to living in America was difficult, especially learning English.

I struggled to communicate after memorizing words on index cards. The ice rink was the only location where I felt like myself and didn’t have to deal with language limitations. I could simply skate.

Ice skating taught me about hard work and dedication. Knowing the financial sacrifices my family had made for my skating, I cherished every time on the rink. I got up at 4 a.m. to practice and assist with group lessons to earn extra ice time. I joined my high school’s running squad to stay fit. As my English improved and I gained new acquaintances, the rink became my safe haven. However, to continue progressing, I need additional coaching, which my family could not afford, so I began tutoring Spanish.

My skill to teach Spanish now helps me fund my passion for ice skating. I’ve tutored more than 30 individuals of diverse ages and backgrounds. Using my expertise as a language learner and skater, I design tailored tasks to keep my students engaged. I realized that making mistakes is part of the process, much like when I was learning the axel jump and had to fall several times before mastering it.

Although I may never earn a living from ice skating, the skills and lessons I’ve gained are invaluable. Ice skating has given me tenacity, work ethic, and motivated me to become a better teacher and English speaker. It has enhanced my academic performance while also teaching me about rhythm and routine.

 

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