When you’re writing a scholarship essay, there are many factors to pay attention to ensure your essay stands out to scholarship committees. If you are writing a scholarship essay as a Hispanic student, there are a few extra things you should keep in mind to set yourself up for success and increase your chances of receiving a scholarship.
Many factors, such as GPA, extra-curricular activities and test scores help determine who receives a scholarship, but the essay can be a major determining factor in many cases.
An important thing to pay attention to when you are applying for scholarships is that there are many scholarship applications that are specifically for Hispanic students. Knowing and understanding these scholarships and their application processes is crucial to boosting your chances of receiving a scholarship.
Research Hispanic scholarships as you write your essay.
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is an incredible resource that allows you to apply for a large number of scholarships for Hispanic students with one simple application. When you apply, you’ll be considered for scholarships which range from $500 to $5,000.
To apply, you must be of Hispanic heritage, enrolled in school and maintain a 3.0 GPA if you are in high school or a 2.5 GPA if you are in college. For the HSF, being of Hispanic heritage is defined as being at least 25% Hispanic, but this may vary for other applications, so be sure to read all requirements carefully. The scholarships that fall under this application are all merit basedmerit based, meaning they don’t take financial need into consideration.
You can also apply to many scholarships for Hispanic students specifically, so doing your research and making sure you are aware of these opportunities is a great first step. Some scholarships are open specifically to Hispanic women, Hispanic men, veterans or first-generation college students. There are also many scholarships that are geared towards students going into various fields, such as healthcare, STEM or the arts. Be sure to give yourself enough time to research the various opportunities that are available, and make sure you are able to craft individual essays for each application.
Most scholarship applications, including the application for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, include an essay requirement. Writing the scholarship essay is an essential part of the application process. It’s a chance for you to let the scholarship committee see your writing skills, your attention to detail, and most importantly, who you are as both a person and a student.
Tips for writing your scholarship essay.
As you begin to craft your scholarship essay, be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to write your essay since it’s one of the most important parts of your college application.
Choosing the topic of your essay is one the most challenging aspects of the process, and you should use it as a chance to pick something that you truly care about and which speaks to who you are as an individual. Some essays provide prompts, but many are relatively open ended, giving you a chance to describe your goals, strengths, character and experience.
If your Hispanic heritage is something you’d like to highlight, the essay is a great opportunity to describe how you connect and relate to your Hispanic identity. If there is something you do that gives back to the Hispanic community or if there is a writer, scholar or scientist of Hispanic heritage whom you admire, feel free to emphasize it in your essay. Just remember that the essay needs to be real and authentic, and you shouldn’t write about something just because you think the committee wants you to. Remember to stay true to yourself and your values!
The HSF, for example, evaluates essays on four basic sets of criteria, and these guidelines can be taken into consideration for any scholarship essay you write. The criteria are: length, content, use of examples and spelling/grammar/punctuation. As you write your essay, you can refer back to this set of criteria to ensure you are writing your best possible essay.
To do so, make sure you are abiding by the word count or essay length specified in the directions. You don’t want to make a bad impression on the committee, and in some cases, essays that don’t adhere to guidelines might not even be read. Next, make sure the content is relevant to the prompts and provides good evidence that gives concrete examples that will help further the claim you are making. Finally, the spelling/punctuation/grammar requirement can be met easily with proper time, attention and editing.
When you are finished writing, proofread the essay thoroughly and consider having someone else edit the essay before you submit.
A key component in submitting a successful scholarship essay is making sure you turn in all the required materials on time. Pay attention to deadlines and remember that different scholarships have different submission dates, and you don’t want to miss out on any opportunity to showcase why you deserve to receive a scholarship.
Takeaway.
When applying to scholarships as a Hispanic student, you can increase your chances by doing your research on the best scholarships to apply for and adhering to guidelines and deadlines.
Most importantly, you can boost your chances by writing an effective essay that will make you stand out from your competition. The essay is your chance to show off how you are great as a student, leader and community member!