Common Scholarship Essay Questions & How to Respond

The most dreaded component of the scholarship application process is likely forming a response to the essay requirement. It can be hard to dive deep into a prompt and come up with something inspiring or remarkable. It is common for students to worry about whether their stories are "interesting" enough compared to dozens, if not hundreds, of other applicants.

We know how intimidating it can be to write about yourself and your experiences. The truth is that there is no single response that is guaranteed to win over a judge. However, there are still things you can do to polish your essay response to make sure that it is in the best possible shape before submitting.

What Are The Most Common Scholarship Questions?

"Tell Us About Yourself"

If you are asked to write about yourself, consider what details about your personal life are most relevant to the application. How might you resonate with the donor's mission? What are your passions? How do other people describe you? You might consider framing your response as a journey or a narrative, explaining how you became the person you are today and what led you to this point. Being as genuine as possible is crucial in order to stand out.

"Why Did You Choose Your Field of Study?"

This question requires some deep introspection to answer. Oftentimes, the more specific you are, the better. You might choose to focus on a specific event – like a childhood memory – that motivated you to pursue your current field of study. You could also go into detail about what you want to do in your field of study, such as helping people in need or driving innovation in your industry.

For questions like these, an authentic response matters. "Phoning in" your answer based on what you assume the judges want to hear can come off as insincere, potentially hurting your chances at winning.

"Tell Us About a Time You…"

It is fairly common for scholarships to ask you to tell a story about your life. Depending on the scholarship, you may be asked to write about a time you overcame hardship in your life, how you improved from a mistake, or other personal challenges.

Finding the right story to tell can be difficult. It may be helpful to focus your narrative around a central thesis statement, such as "My struggles with dyslexia taught me about the importance of perseverance." This can give your narrative some clear structure that the judge can easily follow.

Questions About Achievements, Leadership Roles, Etc.

In merit-based scholarships, you may be asked about your history of achievements or prior leadership roles. When responding to questions like these, you should provide specific details about what you did and the positive impact you had. If the scholarship allows you to attach letters of recommendation, you can reference those as well.

"How Would This Scholarship Help You Pursue Your Academic or Career Goals?"

Judges for need-based scholarships usually want to hear about how the scholarship would ease the burden for you or give you the opportunity to pursue something you could not before. Typically, a direct answer is best for these questions. It may be advisable to go into detail about the economic hurdles you are facing, like tuition, class materials, and other expenses. You should also emphasize that this scholarship will directly support you in your goals.

Any More Questions? Contact Us Today

My College Companion has plenty of useful information and resources for students applying for scholarships. If there is anything we can clarify for you, you can reach out to us through our online contact form.