Review these college scholarship essay examples with feedback on the do’s and don’ts for writing an essay.
We’ve included some popular essay prompts you may encounter when you apply for scholarships to make it easier to compare your essay with those below and correct any issues along the way.
We break down what was done well, not so well, and provide tips for improvement, so you can submit your best writing for your next scholarship essay.
Sample Scholarship Essay #1:
What was the most difficult time in your life, and why? How did your perspective on life change as a result of this difficulty?
You may recall how embarrassing it was to deal with pimples on your face at adolescence. Well, you can imagine how annoying it can be to have pimples at the age of 24. My line of work demands I dress professionally, but nothing can dress the pimples caused by adult-onset acne. I did not have a problem growing up with the condition because it responded positively to the over the counter medications that I was using, but at 24, nothing seems to work.
Sample Scholarship Essay #2:
Why should you be a recipient of this scholarship?
Back in 2003 when I moved from Angola to the US for my college education, I had many aspirations; after all, I had landed in the land of opportunities. I would come to learn the hard way that life abroad was not going to be a walk in the park. For one, it took me a while to land a part-time job. Second, my graduation in 2008 came at a time when the global economy was plunging into a recession. And, like other graduates in the US, I stepped into a labor market hit by a recession, which made it even harder to secure a job. Meanwhile, my student loan soared owing to accruing interest rates.
Sample Scholarship Essay #3:
Who is the most influential person in your life and why?
Who is your role model? This is a typical question every kid gets at as they grow up. My answer to this question as a kid was always changing with the news cycle, depending on who was the latest celebrity to hit the headlines. 18 years later, I am a lot wiser— always striving to go beyond the obvious in what I see in people, or how they are portrayed.
Sample Scholarship Essay #4:
How will your field of study contribute to your immediate or long-term career plans?
Mexico, they say, is a global leader in engineering. While this may be true, the influx of personnel into the job market continues to push wages down owing to labor supply glut. It is not enough to be a global leader in a discipline if the labor force goes to waste for lack of opportunities. While blame has been hipped on the government for failing to provide opportunities, the problem, I think, is that most engineering graduates seek to be employed instead of creating employment.
Sample Scholarship Essay #5:
How have you demonstrated leadership ability in your school, work, or community?
Core to my leadership philosophy is the belief that great leaders are made, not born. See, I never was picked to head a group of kids growing up. Perhaps this was because I came across as a shy and introverted kid, but today I have surprised myself by taking on demanding leadership roles, not to mention applying to B.A. in leadership. Therefore, I do not consider myself born a leader, but I have acquired and honed leadership qualities over the years.