Prejudice And Racism
Focus your essay around the obstacle you've overcome. And don't make it a stodgy, impersonal thing like time management. Folks that give out scholarships do it not only to help someone else with their education, but to feel some noble purpose has been served. Kinda cynical, but true.
The person/people giving your scholarship don't want to hear about responsibility and direction. They want a story, Hollywood style, about a disadvantaged young man or woman who's struggling against the odds, and fighting valiantly to better themselves despite some horrid event in their life. They want to hear about the boy from the impoverished family who slept in a room with their parents and nine siblings and had to endure abuse, neglect, and near starvation, determined to make a better life for his children. They want to hear about the girl that was the target of racism, and told that she'd never be good enough for anyone because of her skin color, and who wants to think of her race not as a handicap, but as a badge of honor. They want to hear about the boy that was molested by a teacher at a young age, and has carried that horrible burden on his …show more content…
shoulders, but wants to restore his faith in the educational system by facing his fears and going to college. And they want that person to want to serve as a shining example to other disheartened, disadvantaged, disenfranchised people everywhere in order to rally the American spirit and make the world a better place--a real, lasting impact for good and for the betterment of humanity.
That's a tall order, right? Don't be discouraged, though. Every one of us has a Hollywood story somewhere in our lives, and it's waiting to be put into words. The obstacle doesn't have to be anything special or traumatic. Did you struggle with reading at a young age? Did your parents get divorced? Did a loved one die? Then you're proudly facing your weakness, and going to be a great literary scholar! You're going to go into psychology, and be the glue that holds families together to save others from what you've endured! You're going to be a doctor, and fight for fair, compassionate, and thorough medical care for all Americans throughout their lives! YES! Go, learn, do, and LIVE!
You get where this is going. Like me, I'm sure you find such portrayal of a problem from your past to be a bit excessive. That's what they're looking for, though. They don't want a boring essay about how you want to go to college and be responsible. They want a story, and a higher purpose. That should be your mantra: *HIGHER PURPOSE*
Don't lie on your essay.
That said, don't be afraid to wow the reader with some Hollywood drama. Work out the end of the story, and go backwards from there. What do you want to do? If you don't know, pick a possibility. You're not signing a contract saying that if you want to be a doctor because Grandma died in a nursing home that you absolutely, positively will be a doctor. You're describing a motivation and a desired outcome. Our lives take unexpected turns, and the scholarship grantors know that. So, find the outcome first: Doctor, lawyer, physicist, artist, what have you. Then, pick an appropriate obstacle that gave you your drive and determination. The drive and determination ARE there, but you need to convey it in terms that make for a compelling story. If you do it right, you'll convince yourself as well as the scholarship
board.
Grandma died tragically-->I suffered unbearable heartache-->I went through life changes (found God, lost God, became aware of similar fates of others, etc.)-->I emerged with a burning passion-->I set a course for my life and established seemingly impossible odds for myself-->I know what I must do, but lack the means to do it-->That's why I need your damn money.
Do not doubt yourself or your level of deserving. You are just as capable of doing great things as the boy from an impoverished home, the girl who suffered from racism, or the boy who was molested by his teacher. You can make the world a better place just as well as any of those fictional characters can. All that remains is explaining how you can do it and why you want it--and that's 100% real.
The person/people giving your scholarship don't want to hear about responsibility and direction. They want a story, Hollywood style, about a disadvantaged young man or woman who's struggling against the odds, and fighting valiantly to better themselves despite some horrid event in their life. They want to hear about the boy from the impoverished family who slept in a room with their parents and nine siblings and had to endure abuse, neglect, and near starvation, determined to make a better life for his children. They want to hear about the girl that was the target of racism, and told that she'd never be good enough for anyone because of her skin color, and who wants to think of her race not as a handicap, but as a badge of honor. They want to hear about the boy that was molested by a teacher at a young age, and has carried that horrible burden on his …show more content…
shoulders, but wants to restore his faith in the educational system by facing his fears and going to college. And they want that person to want to serve as a shining example to other disheartened, disadvantaged, disenfranchised people everywhere in order to rally the American spirit and make the world a better place--a real, lasting impact for good and for the betterment of humanity.
That's a tall order, right? Don't be discouraged, though. Every one of us has a Hollywood story somewhere in our lives, and it's waiting to be put into words. The obstacle doesn't have to be anything special or traumatic. Did you struggle with reading at a young age? Did your parents get divorced? Did a loved one die? Then you're proudly facing your weakness, and going to be a great literary scholar! You're going to go into psychology, and be the glue that holds families together to save others from what you've endured! You're going to be a doctor, and fight for fair, compassionate, and thorough medical care for all Americans throughout their lives! YES! Go, learn, do, and LIVE!
You get where this is going. Like me, I'm sure you find such portrayal of a problem from your past to be a bit excessive. That's what they're looking for, though. They don't want a boring essay about how you want to go to college and be responsible. They want a story, and a higher purpose. That should be your mantra: *HIGHER PURPOSE*
Don't lie on your essay.
That said, don't be afraid to wow the reader with some Hollywood drama. Work out the end of the story, and go backwards from there. What do you want to do? If you don't know, pick a possibility. You're not signing a contract saying that if you want to be a doctor because Grandma died in a nursing home that you absolutely, positively will be a doctor. You're describing a motivation and a desired outcome. Our lives take unexpected turns, and the scholarship grantors know that. So, find the outcome first: Doctor, lawyer, physicist, artist, what have you. Then, pick an appropriate obstacle that gave you your drive and determination. The drive and determination ARE there, but you need to convey it in terms that make for a compelling story. If you do it right, you'll convince yourself as well as the scholarship
board.
Grandma died tragically-->I suffered unbearable heartache-->I went through life changes (found God, lost God, became aware of similar fates of others, etc.)-->I emerged with a burning passion-->I set a course for my life and established seemingly impossible odds for myself-->I know what I must do, but lack the means to do it-->That's why I need your damn money.
Do not doubt yourself or your level of deserving. You are just as capable of doing great things as the boy from an impoverished home, the girl who suffered from racism, or the boy who was molested by his teacher. You can make the world a better place just as well as any of those fictional characters can. All that remains is explaining how you can do it and why you want it--and that's 100% real.