This is so very simple, yet many students don’t do it. The instructions for the essay are likely to be very specific in terms of length, format, and presentation. Don’t deviate from these instructions at all. While the committee may still read your essay, ignoring the instructions will make a bad impression from the beginning, and will definitely color their opinions of your essay. If the instructions aren’t particularly specific in terms of format and so on, don’t take that to mean you can do a sloppy job. On the contrary, consider that an extra test. Format the essay as you would any school assignment, in a neat, professional manner.

Spend some time brainstorming and free writing about the theme or topic that the essay should be about. Write down anything and everything that comes to mind, even if it seems a bit ridiculous at the time. Sticking to the same old boring ideas won’t impress a scholarship committee. Once you land on a unique idea, run with it, and brain storm some more! Spend ten or fifteen minutes writing whatever comes into your head.

Your scholarship essay should have a clear, straightforward main idea. Read over the notes you made when brainstorming and determine what the overall theme of your essay should be.

Create an outline for your scholarship essay. Make sure you introduction includes the main idea, and each of the concepts you will explore in the body of the essay. Each body paragraph should be devoted to one concept. Consider the best order for these paragraphs, and how you’ll move smoothly from one to the next while maintaining your overall theme. Your conclusion should reiterate your main idea and leave on a strong note.

Using your outline, write your essay. Once you’ve finished your rough draft, have someone else look over it for you. They’ll have an easier time picking out any mistakes you need to fix.