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How to Start a Scholarship Essay (With Examples)
Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.
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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.
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.
As an admissions officer, I reviewed thousands of essays for students seeking admission and scholarships. The essay is one of the most important parts of the scholarship application process–a strong essay can go a long way. However, with so much competition, it is important for your scholarship essay to stand out. That’s why it’s important for you to start a scholarship essay off right!
There are some very simple things that you can do to ensure that your essay is engaging from the very first sentence. In fact, beginning your essay with an exciting opening is one of the most important things you can do, because it will immediately distinguish your essay from the others.
Keep on reading to learn more about how you can nail the very first sentence and start your essay off right!
Engage the reader with the first sentence
No matter what type of essay you are writing, you will want to ensure that the very first line grabs the attention of the reader. One of the biggest mistakes that students make when starting their essay is simply restating the prompt. This is bland and boring.
Now, you might be wondering, “how do I engage the reader with the very first line of my essay?”. The good news is that there are several ways that you can do this that are very simple to do.
Related: How to answer scholarship essay questions about your career goals
Begin with dialogue
First, you could begin your essay with conversation. This can be an interesting and unexpected way to start your scholarship essay. Maybe someone asked you an unexpected question? Perhaps you were having an interesting conversation with a friend or family member? Either way, dialogue can be a powerful tool to start your essay.
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Put the reader in your shoes.
Alternatively, you can choose to start your essay by placing the reader right in your shoes and show them something from your life. Appeal to the senses and show the reader what you see, hear, smell, or taste. These specific details will help your essay come to life and make it even more memorable.
Also recommended: What’s the best scholarship essay format?
Scholarship essay introduction example
Next, we’ll look at a specific example of how you can open up your essay. Let’s say you are applying for the Questbridge scholarship program . One of the essays that you will be asked is:
We are interested in learning more about you and the context in which you have grown up, formed your aspirations, and accomplished your academic successes. Please describe the factors and challenges that have most influenced you. How are they shaping your future aspirations?
You might be tempted to rephrase the question and start your essay with something like:
“I have grown up in a rural context and this has formed my aspirations and allowed me to accomplish academic success…”
This is generic and will not engage your reader at all.
Instead, what if you started off your essay with something like this:
“I look outside my bedroom window and see Henry, my favorite chicken, pecking at something in the dirt.”
Makes a big difference, right? As a reader, you are probably wondering: why does this person have chickens outside their bedroom window? Why did they name this particular chicken Henry?
See also: Here are our top writing & essay scholarships for students!
Keep the ending of your essay in mind as you write the opening
While crafting your opening, be open to ideas about how to close your essay. There is no need to stress about the ending now, but being mindful of effective ways to end an essay is always a good idea. Say you are opening your scholarship essay with Henry the chicken. Is there a way for Henry to make an impactful appearance at the end of the essay to close things out in a way that perfectly wraps everything up? The key is for the essay ending to be meaningful and memorable for the reader.
Don’t miss: Our free scholarship search tool
If you can’t think of a “wow” scholarship essay beginning, keep writing!
Sometimes, we know what we want to say, point by point, but we are not ready to be creative when it comes to opening an essay. In that case, keep writing! There is always the option of going back and crafting an engaging opening after your essay is written. Simply write your main idea where the first paragraph would be to guide you as you write. After, go back when your creative juices are flowing, and craft the amazing opening (and closing) that your scholarship essay deserves!
Final thoughts
As shown, there are many questions that we as readers will have after reading an engaging essay opening such as the one just shared; We want to learn more about the student who is writing this essay. After all, as a writer trying to stand out in a pile of essays, that is our main goal.
We hope that you have a better understanding of how to start a scholarship essay so you can maximize your chances of winning scholarships!
Additional resources
Scholarships360 is the go-to for all things college admissions and scholarships! Wondering how to write a 250 word essay and how to write a 500 word essay ? Curious how to write an essay about yourself ? Wow, do we have the resources to help! Additionally, check out our free scholarship search tool to help you finance your college education. Best of luck to you and your future endeavors!
Key Takeaways
- The first sentence of the essay is what makes the reader want to continue reading
- Engage the reader by appealing to the senses
- Create a sense of wonder in your essay, making the reader want to learn more about you
- Keep the ending of the essay in mind as you craft the beginning
Frequently asked questions about how to start a scholarship essay
What is an essay hook, how long should my scholarship essay be, scholarships360 recommended.
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The first sentence of the essay is what makes the reader want to continue reading. Engage the reader by appealing to the senses. Create a sense of wonder in your essay, making the reader want to learn more about you. Keep the ending of the essay in mind as you craft the beginning.
Write a focused and relevant personal story. After researching the organization, identify a specific personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies why you will be a successful student. Choose a story with the following criteria: Responds to the prompt. Demonstrates the organization's values.
Tell a Story. A standout essay hooks the reader from the first sentence, says Monica Matthews, author of the scholarship guide, "How to Win College Scholarships." Think about the structure of the ...
Structuring Your Essay. Your essay should follow a standard format that includes a clear beginning, middle, and end. Typically, you should: · Establish your main idea in the introduction. · Include a separate body paragraph for each key point that supports your main idea. · Draw it all together and revisit your main idea in the conclusion.
Approach #1: Use the resources above to write a great essay that spells out your big dreams, then end with 1-3 sentences describing specifically how you'll use the scholarship money. (We'll call this the "I have big dreams and you can help" approach.) Approach #2: Explain your financial situation in detail, then end with 1-3 sentences ...
Absolutely, it can be extremely beneficial to have others review your essay. They can provide constructive criticism, catch any typos or grammatical errors, and provide an outside perspective to ensure your message is clear and compelling. Creating compelling scholarship essays can help you win college scholarships to pay for your education.
8 Tips to Write a Scholarship Essay. 1. Start Early. The sooner you start exploring scholarship opportunities, the more time you'll have to get organized. It's a common myth that you have to ...
2. Show your personality. You should also use your voice in your essay. Give the scholarship committee insight into who you are as a person — what drives you, what motivates you, and what interests you. This will allow them to understand you on a deeper level and see your words as genuine. 3.
When you're drafting your scholarship essay, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind: 1. Start the essay writing process early. Leave yourself plenty of time to produce a well thought-out entry. Take the time to brainstorm your ideas, create an outline, and edit your entry as you would for any essay writing assignment for your English class.
Writing a first draft. Try to think of your essay as you on paper. Keep it true to you. While using a thesaurus may allow you to provide an eloquent reflection of yourself which also highlights your sagacious character…the judges will see right through that. Stick to the way you speak to present your own personality.
It's a good idea to prepare to write this essay at least three times. First, there's a rough draft that should be carefully proofread. Students can ask a teacher or other professional to also look at their paper. Then students should repeat this process once or twice more until they're happy with the results.
1) Read the scholarship essay prompt and instructions. Always read the prompt before writing. It sounds like a simple suggestion, but if you don't understand what the prompt is asking, you won't be able to properly answer the question. Additionally, do research on the donor to understand the purpose of their scholarship.
With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master's in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia ...
Your introduction should include the following three things: Attention-grabbing first sentence. A short explanation for what you will talk about in your essay. The thesis statement in which you address the essay prompt. Your introduction should be short, sweet, and to the point. This is the place to establish for the reader what you will be ...
Make an outline to organize your thoughts. Create an essay with a strong introduction, followed by supporting arguments and an appropriate conclusion. Ask others for their feedback. Proofread the final version—more than once! A good scholarship essay: Is original and honest. States clearly why you deserve to win the scholarship.
Take the time to carefully read and analyze the essay prompt to ensure you address all its requirements. Highlight keywords and phrases that indicate what the scholarship committee is looking for. This will help you structure your essay effectively and tailor your response to the specific criteria. Research and Reflect.
1 inch to 1 ½ inch margins. If there is no required word or page count, as a general rule, aim for ¾ to 1 full page in length. Be sure to include your name and the name of the scholarship you are applying for near the top of the page (either as a header or simply above the optional title).
Get your readers' attention, give an overview, and list a thesis statement. Start the intro with an attention-grabbing first sentence to draw your readers in. Then, write a few sentences that summarize what your essay will cover. Finish the introduction paragraph with a short thesis statement that directly answers the prompt.
Scholarship Essay Example #5. Questbridge Finalist essay earning $3,000 in application waivers plus $3000 in local scholarships by Jordan Sanchez. Prompt: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it.
Depending on the essay prompt, you might include a story about how you have contributed to your local community, why you believe you deserve the scholarship, or what makes you a unique individual. Including stories from your life allows the committee to get to know you better. 8. Show Your Personality and Emotions.
Scholarship essay format at a glance. Read the scholarship essay format guidelines carefully, to check if the scholarship includes instructions. If you're submitting your scholarship essay outside of the Going Merry platform, set up your document with a 1-inch margin. Aim for a 12-point font. The best font to use is Times New Roman.
Here are three extra scholarship essay tips to help put your application at the top of the pile. 1. Use an easy-to-read font. You want to put every factor possible in your favor to get ahead of the competition. Like we said earlier, readability is important—those readers are cranking through a lot of essays daily.
An Introduction. When working on an introductory paragraph to your scholarship essay, consider three of its main parts: a hook, a thesis statement, and an engaging sentence to grab readers' attention. The thesis statement for scholarship essay writing is at the core of a successful piece. It helps the audience understand what this text will ...
Sample College Essay 2 with Feedback. This content is licensed by Khan Academy and is available for free at www.khanacademy.org. College essays are an important part of your college application and give you the chance to show colleges and universities your personality. This guide will give you tips on how to write an effective college essay.
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