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How to Write a “Why Do You Deserve This Scholarship?” Essay
By
Maria Geiger
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.
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When you are applying for scholarships (or college admissions), you’ll find many scholarships that require essays. These essays can vary, but you’ll come across certain prompts multiple times. One of the most common prompts you’ll see is why do you deserve this scholarship? The specific phrasing of the prompt may change from scholarship to scholarship, but the gist of the question is about why the scholarship committee should award you the scholarship.
Before we get into tips for how you can write a winning “why do you deserve this scholarship” essay, we’ll tell you why scholarship committees ask this essay question.
Don’t miss: Scholarships360’s free scholarship search tool
What is the scholarship selection committee looking for in this essay?
This is actually really simple: the scholarship committee is looking to identify the most deserving student for the scholarship. This is why it is important to take some time to research the specific scholarship opportunity, as well as the organization that is funding the scholarship. You will likely find some clues on the scholarship website to illuminate what the scholarship opportunity is all about.
What type of scholarship are you applying for?
The type of scholarship you are applying for matters greatly in altering your essay responses!
Here are a few common scholarships you may apply for:
- Major-related
- Community service
- Location-based
- Job-related
Depending on the type of scholarship, you should cater your essay response to it! Meaning, if you are applying for a community service scholarship, you should be detailing the specific type of community service you do, why you do it, how you got into doing it, and if you will continue doing a similar service in college.
Also, it should go without saying that you should be applying to these specific scholarships if you have a passion or connection to the topic! For example, you should not be applying to a journalism scholarship if you have no experience in journalism and want to pursue biology in college! Rather, you should be applying to biology and STEM-based scholarships! Not only does this personal connection increase your odds of winning the scholarship but it also will make your life easier by writing about things you truly care about!
How to write a “Why do you deserve this scholarship” essay in 4 steps
Make a strong first impression
As with any scholarship essay, you will want to start the essay by engaging the reader right away. By starting strong and grabbing the reader’s attention, your essay will immediately stand out. You can start with a brief slice from an analogy that you’ll dig into later, a bold statement, or, when appropriate, a joke. Try to make the first sentence central to your essay, but avoid writing out your main idea verbatim.
Learn more: How to start a scholarship essay (with examples)
Use specific examples from your own life
Next, you will want to show the reader why you deserve the scholarship with a few specific examples from your life. These examples should be tailored to the scholarship awarding organization. Don’t just write what happened, but rather, extrapolate a meaning from your examples and illustrate what they demonstrate about you and how you’ve learned from them.
Oftentimes, the most important part of an essay isn’t the events you write about, but the meaning you glean from them. Show your reader that you take a thoughtful approach to these experiences and you’ll find success in your applications.
Related: College essay primer: Show, don’t tell
Keep in mind the focus of the scholarship
Every scholarship and scholarship awarding organization is different. That’s why it is a smart move to tailor your scholarship essay to the scholarship and/or organization.
If you are applying for aviation scholarships, the scholarship committee will be very interested in why you are interested in studying aviation or aeronautical engineering. So, strong candidates for these scholarships will have some sort of demonstrated track record that is related to aviation.
Similarly, if you are applying from a scientific organization, you will want to be specific about your interests. This means specifying your field of interest between science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
Learn More: How to write a winning scholarship essay
Share more information about your career and educational goals
Finally, you will want to shed some light on how you plan on using the scholarship award (if you were to win it!). Are you planning on attending a specific college? Perhaps you are pursuing a technical or vocational certificate? Or maybe your career pathway will require a masters or doctoral degree?
Whatever the case, you’ll want to show the scholarship committee exactly what you plan on using the scholarship award for and how that fits into your educational and/or career goals.
Apply to these exclusive scholarships
Top tips for writing scholarship essays
- Be authentic and tell the truth!
- Describe what you would do with the scholarship money specifically
- Answer the question it is asking fully
- Do not veer off track of the question
- Apply for scholarships that you are passionate about
- Get personal!
Don’t want to write an essay? Be sure to check out: Top no essay scholarships
Looking for more help writing your scholarship essays?
Check out our extensive guide to responding to the most common scholarship prompts to help you respond effectively to other common prompts. And we’ve also got you covered with these mini-guides on:
- How to write a 250 word essay
- How to write a 500 word essay
- What’s the best scholarship essay format?
Remember, it’s never too early to apply for scholarships, so apply to all you qualify for–your future self will be thankful!
Frequently asked questions about how to write a “why do you deserve this scholarship” essay
Should I apply for a scholarship even if I have to write an essay?
How important are essays for scholarships?
Why are scholarships beneficial?
