How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay: 30 Essays That Won Over $3 Million in Scholarships

386 Pages·2006·1.9 MB·English

by  Gen Tanabe

How To wRITe
a wInnIng
scHolaRsHIp
essay
IncludIng 30 essays THaT won
oveR $3 mIllIon In scHolaRsHIps
You can win or lose a scholarship with your essay.
Learn how to write an essay that wins.
Step-by-step instructions on how to craft a winning scholarship essay and
ace the interview.
Get valuable advice from actual scholarship judges and winners.
This book is a ‘must have’ for high school and college students who want to
learn how to win scholarships.
Gen and Kelly Tanabe
Harvard graduates and award-winning authors of
Get Into Any College ■ Get Free Cash for College 1001 Ways to Pay for College
Special contributions by Gregory James Yee
Critical Acclaim for
“How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay”
By Gen and Kelly Tanabe
“This how-to book is full of good advice for collegebound students.
Thirty essays with brief introductory notes give teens concrete examples of what
works. Twelve essays that ‘bombed’ are also analyzed, pointing out pitfalls to
avoid. Examples of interview questions and answers are also included. An
excellent guide for all students who are hoping to continue their education.”
—School Library Journal
“A wealth of tips, tricks, techniques, advice and useful strategies…absolute
‘must-read’ for anyone interested in competing for scholarship funds.”
—Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review
“Sound advice for the college bound and useful for counselors as well as for
libraries.”
—Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT
Praise for Other Books by Gen and Kelly Tanabe
Authors of Get into Any College, Get Free Cash for College and Accepted! 50
Successful College Admission Essays “Upbeat, well-organized and engaging,
this comprehensive tool is an exceptional investment for the collegebound.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Upbeat tone and clear, practical advice.”
— Book News
“What’s even better than all the top-notch tips is that the book is written in a
cool, conversational way.”
— College Bound Magazine
“Invaluable information ranging from the elimination of admission
myths to successfully tapping into scholarship funds.”
—Leonard Banks, The Journal Press
“A present for anxious parents.”
— Mary Kaye Ritz, The Honolulu Advertiser “When you consider the costs of a
four-year college or university
education nowadays, think about forking out (the price) for this little gem
written and produced by two who know.”
—Don Denevi, Palo Alto Daily News
“The Tanabes literally wrote the book on the topic.”
— Bull & Bear Financial Report
“Filled with student-tested strategies.”—Pam Costa, Santa Clara Vision “The
first book to feature the strategies and stories of real students.”
— New Jersey Spectator Leader
iv
How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay
How to write a winning scholarship essay
By Gen and Kelly Tanabe
Published by SuperCollege, LLC
3286 Oak Court
Belmont, CA 94002
650-618-2221
www.supercollege.com
Copyright © 2009 by SuperCollege, LLC.
Previous editions: Copyright © 2006, 2002 under the title: Money-Winning
Scholarship Essays and Interviews All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
the written permission of SuperCollege. This book is protected under
International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
credits: Cover design by TLC Graphics, www.TLCGraphics.com. Design:
Monica Thomas.
All essays in this book are used with the permission of their authors.
Trademarks: All brand names, product names and services used in this book are
trademarks, registered trademarks or tradenames of their respective holders.
SuperCollege is not associated with any college, university, product or vendor.
disclaimers: The authors and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing
this book.
It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter.
Some narratives and names have been modified for illustrative purposes.
SuperCollege and the authors make no representations or warranties with respect
to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of the book and specifically
disclaim any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for a particular
purpose. There are no warranties which extend beyond the descriptions
contained in this paragraph. The accuracy and completeness of the information
provided herein and the opinions stated herein are not guaranteed or warranted to
produce any particular results. SuperCollege and the authors specifically
disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise,
which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and
application of any of the contents of this book.
ISBN13: 978-1-932662-37-5
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tanabe, Gen S.
How to write a winning scholarship essay / by Gen and Kelly Tanabe.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-932662-37-5 (alk. paper)
1. Scholarships. 2. College applications--United States. 3. Universities and
colleges--United States--Admission. 4. Exposition (Rhetoric) I. Tanabe, Kelly Y.
II. Title.
LB2338.T363 2009
808’.066378--dc22
2009026470
Contents at a Glance
v
conTenTs aT a glance
1 The Secret to Winning a Scholarship / 13
2 Where to Find Great Scholarships / 19
3 Judges’ Roundtable: Inside the Selection Process / 31
4 Essay Writing Workshop / 45
5 30 Winning Scholarship Essays / 63
6 12 Essays That Bombed / 129
7 Judges’ Roundtable: The Scholarship Essay / 151
8 Winning Interview Strategies / 159
9 Real Interview Questions & Answers / 175
10 Judges’ Roundtable: The Interview / 203
11 Final Thoughts / 211
Appendix A: Scholarship Directory / 215
Appendix B: Web Resources / 239
Index / 243
About the Authors / 256
vi
How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay
Table of conTenTs
chapter 1. The secret to winning a scholarship / 13
You are 60 seconds away from the trash bin / 14
The scholarship strategies you’ll learn / 15
Why we know so much about scholarships / 17
Not just looking for straight A students / 17
chapter 2. where to find great scholarships / 19
Exploring scholarship goldmines / 20
Ambassadors wanted / 22
Work experience & financial aid / 25
Which scholarship is right for you? / 26
When & where to find scholarships / 26
Make learning their mission your mission / 27
Making the match / 28
chapter 3. Judges’ Roundtable:
Inside the selection process / 31
Meet the scholarship judges / 32
What is the purpose of your award? / 32
Who typically judges the scholarship competition? / 35
How does your scholarship selection process work? / 36
What qualities do you look for when selecting the winner? / 38
What sets the winner apart from the runner-up? / 40
What advice do you have for future applicants? / 41
Participating judges & experts / 43
chapter 4. essay writing workshop / 45
Why the essay is critical to winning / 46
The making of a powerful essay / 46
Focus on solutions / 47
Four common features of all winning essays / 49
Hard to believe but true essay mistakes / 50
How to find the perfect topic / 54
Putting words on paper / 54
Go beyond the superficial / 55
Table of Contents
vii
Use examples & illustrate / 58
The importance of editors / 59
Recycle & reuse / 60
How to write a great introduction or conclusion / 60
Essays get better with each revision / 61
Stay motivated / 62
chapter 5. 30 winning scholarship essays / 63
The money-winning essays / 64
Experiences & challenges / 64
A scholarship support network / 69
Essays about family / 75
The intangible benefits of applying / 79
Essay advice from the winners / 81
National or international issues / 87
The importance of getting editors / 96
Community service & volunteerism / 99
Career plans or field of study / 106
Essays about leadership / 115
Academic accomplishments / 117
Seeking genuineness / 120
Essays about athletics / 125
Artistic talents / 127