- Pick your scholarships carefully. Use your energy to apply for scholarships for which you are qualified!
- Know your audience – Who will be awarding the scholarship? Is it a family? A corporation? Make sure you keep the reader in mind while you write.
- Plan your essay – A simple outline will make the actual writing for you essay go much faster, and will also make sure your plan covers all the required pieces for the scholarship.
- Write carefully – Use good grammar. No emoticons, no slang, no acronyms. While these may be common things you use when writing to your friends, the readers of your essay may not understand what you’re saying!
- Edit, edit, edit! – Once your first draft is done, go over it carefully looking for specific details. Have you included everything from your outline? Have somebody you trust read and review your essay as well. (Your METS advisor would be perfect here!)
- Sleep on it! Once you’re ready to submit your essay, let it sit for a night, and then go back to it with fresh eyes. How does it read to you? Would you give this essay a scholarship if it was up to you?
- Submit your essay, and good luck!