How to End a Scholarship Essay in Five Steps

By Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman

Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman is a content editor and writer at Scholarships360. He has managed communications and written content for a diverse array of organizations, including a farmer’s market, a concert venue, a student farm, an environmental NGO, and a PR agency. Gabriel graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in sociology. Full Bio

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and Cait Williams

Cait Williams is a Content Writer Intern at Scholarships360. Cait is an undergraduate student at Ohio University pursuing a degree in Journalism and Strategic Communications. During her time at OU, Cait has become active in the outdoor recreation community and plans to study abroad in Spain. Full Bio

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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania. Full Bio

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Updated: May 24th, 2023

The end of a scholarship essay is one of the most important sections for writing a winning scholarship essay. It’s the part of the essay that leaves an impression on the reader, giving you the best chance of standing out from the other applications. This guide will show you how to end a scholarship essay in five steps, allowing you to close in the most effective and succinct way!

1. Recall your introduction

You can view your conclusion as a companion to your introduction. While an introduction provides a quick survey of the main points you’ll go over in your body paragraphs, a conclusion takes all of these points to the next level by tying them altogether in a concise and full circle manner. You don’t need to restate everything you just said, the conclusion should instead show how all those points you just made come together to form one larger idea. 

2. Build on past points, don’t repeat them

Again, your conclusion should focus on elevating the points you have made throughout the essay rather than restating them. At this point in the essay, you can assume that your reader already knows the basis of your case as a candidate. Use this opportunity to reference your past points, reflect on them, and take them to the next level. Your conclusion should tie your anecdotes together and emphasize any common themes.

EXAMPLE: A physics student may have told a story about being fascinated by Isaac Newton in elementary school and another story about an experiment they performed at a science program in high school. They could use their conclusion to emphasize a life-long fascination with physics, and what has motivated them to stick with it.

Also read: How to write a scholarship cover letter

3. Discuss your plans for the future

Make sure that your reader knows you have plans for your future career, and that you will continue to pursue your passions even after college. Emphasize how this scholarship would help you to achieve those plans, so they realize that by granting you this scholarship, they will help create a success story.

EXAMPLE: The physics student from the previous example could tie in their past stories towards their goals for the future. This could name a specific field of study they hope to pursue within physics, a graduate school they hope to attend, or a scientist they’d like to work for. The more succinct and specific, the better.

4. Thank your reader for their time

At the end of a scholarship essay, it’s a good idea to leave a gracious impression upon your reader. Make sure that your reader knows that you appreciate the time they spent reading your essay, and the opportunity being presented to you.

Also read: How to write an essay about yourself

5. Remember to proofread!

As you finish writing that last sentence, you might think that you are done with your essay, but there is one more very important step. Make sure to proofread your work to correct for any typos and to ensure that your ideas flow logically and smoothly.

During this step, it’s a great idea to consult someone to read your essay over, try asking a friend, family member, teacher, or advisor for help. It can be difficult to see mistakes and opportunities for improvement after you have been working on your essay for a while. A fresh set of eyes can point out those mistakes and opportunities. 

Remember to take breaks as well and give yourself time to come back and make edits later! Once you’ve implemented these edits, you should be ready to submit. Best of luck!

See also: What’s the best scholarship essay format?

Additional resources

As you write and submit your scholarship applications, don’t forget to check back on Scholarships360 for resources and assistance. We can help you find vetted scholarships custom-matched to your interests and demographics through our free scholarship search tool. Additionally, we can guide you through writing a 250 word essay or a 500 word essay. Finally, we can help you find local scholarships, which are a great resource to improve your chances of a successful application.

Frequently asked questions about scholarship essays