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Submitting a scholarship application is a complex assignment requiring hard work, dedication, and diligence. From gathering all the paperwork, filling it out, getting those letters of recommendation, and submitting it – it can get pretty exhausting and even daunting. Still, for many students, the most challenging part of the scholarship application process is writing the scholarship essay.
Writing a winning scholarship essay requires great writing skills and the ability to cover the given prompt. But, without adding the storytelling element to the mixture, your essay might end up unnoticed. This article breaks down the power of storytelling in scholarship essays and tells you how to engage and impress the scholarship committee and succeed in your academic goals.
What is a Scholarship Essay?
Before we discuss the power of storytelling in a scholarship essay, let’s define it. What is a scholarship essay, and how does it fit a scholarship application?
Simply put, a scholarship essay is an integral part of a scholarship application. It’s an essay written by the students, but Trust My Paper can help you write one if you’re insecure about your writing skills. They’re typically based on prompts the students should address, respond to, or answer.
The goal of writing a scholarship essay is for students to showcase their:
- personality
- goals
- experiences
- standpoints
- motivation
The essay is supposed to combine all the right elements and balance between answering the prompt, showcasing your skills, highlighting your achievements, and still sounding grounded. It’s not easy to write one, but it’s crucial for your success.
Why is Storytelling Important?
The scholarship committee reads hundreds of applications that often look alike. It’s no wonder that only 1 in 8 college students receive a scholarship. Students often try so hard to impress the committee that they all start using the same writing style, examples, phrases, and essay forms.
This is why the committee is looking for someone to impress them, stand out from the rest, and leave a unique signature. Luckily, storytelling makes it possible for you to be the one that stands out.
So, storytelling is an important element of your scholarship essay for a number of reasons. Here are the most important ones.
1. Personal Mark
Storytelling allows you to show off your personality and help the committee picture who you are and what you’re like. Bringing your personality closer to them makes you more memorable and, thus a more obvious choice for assigning the scholarship.
2. Engagement
If your storytelling skills are on point, you’ll be able to grab the reader’s attention and keep them focused from top to bottom. They won’t just skim your essay and move on, but they’ll read the whole thing and listen to what you have to say.
3. Exemplifying
Through storytelling, you can show your skills and experience instead of just describing them. You can use examples to help the reader make the right conclusions about you and your traits.
4. Communicate
Finally, storytelling in an essay will help the committee realize that you have great communication skills. This is important, no matter the type of scholarship you’re applying for or the goals you’ve set.
As you can see, storytelling is beneficial for you on multiple levels and something to include in your scholarship essay, no questions asked.
How to Use Storytelling in a Scholarship Essay?
Now that you know how powerful storytelling can be for a scholarship essay, it’s time to look at the practical ways to use it.
There are several main steps that you should take after you decide that storytelling is the main tool you’ll use in your essay. We’ll break them down below and help you master this skill.
1. Brainstorm Story Ideas
The first thing you need to do is think about the essay prompt you’ve received and brainstorm story ideas that will help you answer it the right way. What story from your personal life, education journey, or valuable experience is a good fit to answer this prompt?
The prompt will typically ask about your career goals, life challenges, important people in your life, passion, your community, and more. Find the right connection and choose a story directly answering the prompt.
2. Open Strong
The beginning of your essay story needs to grab the reader’s attention. So, start strong with a sentence that will give them a glimpse of what the essay is about, shock, intrigue, or surprise them.
3. Build the Story
Now that you have their attention, set the scene for the rest of the story. Provide context and all the information necessary for understanding it. Don’t overdo it with descriptions and specific details, as you have a limited number of words for your essay.
4. Draw the Connection
Your story and the essay prompt now need to be connected. The readers have to find this connection and understand how the story relates to the prompt.
5. Reflect
Conclude your story by reflecting on how this event or experience made you who you are or influenced your academic and professional path. Write about the things you’ve learned and the motivation it gave you for the future.
6. Edit & Proofread
Finally, if you want your story to be effective and leave a strong impact on the reader, you must make sure it’s written professionally. Edit it to keep it well organized and create smooth transitions from one paragraph to the other. Proofread it to eliminate all spelling or grammar mistakes.
Make sure to keep it concise and allow the story to flow by using natural language and simple sentence structures. This will make it more appealing and believable to the reader.
Final Thoughts
The power of storytelling in a scholarship essay is not to be underestimated. It can help you bring out your best qualities, leave a strong impression, and succeed in your academic goals. Using it the right way is key to making the wow effect, so make sure you read our advice carefully.
Hopefully, with a little practice, you’ll nail your next scholarship essay by using your storytelling skills.
Author’s Bio
Alice Barrios is a college advisor and a blogger. She writes about college applications, professional development, scholarships, internships, and more student-related topics. Her goal is to help students lessen the stress of these academic transitions and make the most out of their education journey.
