Give readers a window into your world.
Ambassador Leaders’ scholarship application deadline is fast-approaching. Mark your calendars; it’s due Friday, February 14th. The personal essay is one of the application’s most important elements. Not only that, but writing a personal essay for this scholarship is great practice for future college or scholarship applications. We have compiled three tips for writing an out-of-this-world personal essay. Our scholarship committee can’t wait to read yours!
TIP ONE: TELL A NEW STORY
Your personal essay is a chance for a scholarship committee or admissions board to get to know the “real” you. It shouldn’t merely list your achievements, especially if they’re mentioned elsewhere on your application. Rather, your essay should tell a new story — YOUR story!
The Ambassador Leaders’ scholarship application asks you to write about a time when you “established yourself as a leader, what you did to help your school or community and what you hope to learn at the Ambassador Leadership Summit.” While you may have many examples of being a leader, pick only the most meaningful one for your essay. Set the scene by providing details about what you did and why. Remember, good stories have a beginning, middle and end.
Think about your favorite story, whether from a book, TV show or movie. My guess is that in addition to having a beginning, middle and end, the story made you feel something because you related to the characters, their struggles and triumphs. A personal essay is your chance to share with readers what you were thinking and feeling as you assumed a leadership role. Whether you were excited or overwhelmed, be honest! Honesty helps readers relate to you.
TIP TWO: BE CLEAR, CONSISTENT AND CONCISE
Commit the 3 ‘Cs’ to memory; good writers are clear, consistent and concise. What does that mean? Let me explain!
Clear
Your very first job as a writer is to clearly convey your ideas. Your readers should be able to understand the story you’re telling. Two simple ways to achieve clarity are to organize your thoughts in an outline before you write and to have someone read your essay’s first draft. Ask them if any parts were confusing and revise your writing based on that feedback.
Consistent
In order for your essay to be consistent, all the spelling, punctuation and grammar should be correct. You don’t have to be an expert to make sure your writing is error-free. Even professional writers have editors check their work for mistakes. Before you submit your personal essay, ask your English teacher or one of your parents to read through it and mark any corrections.
Pro tip: If you don’t have anyone who can edit your personal essay, be your own editor! This means that you have to read your essay out loud. It might feel silly, but when you read out loud, you’re way more likely to hear if something sounds “funny.” When we read silently, our eyes gloss over errors like missing or repeated words or punctuation. By reading your essay out loud, you’ll catch errors you might otherwise miss.
Concise
Simply put, your writing should be succinct. Don’t pad your writing with extra words, and don’t feel like you need to use $20 vocabulary words. If your writing is too wordy, your readers will tune out. Cut right to the chase!
One other important reason to eliminate those fancy vocabulary words? Your essay should sound like you! Readers are more interested in hearing your genuine story than they are in knowing you can use big words.
TIP THREE: GET STARTED TODAY!
When I was an English teacher, many of my students swore that they procrastinated because they did their best work “under pressure.” I promise you, it wasn’t their best work. Even the most adept writers can’t produce excellent work at the last minute. So, don’t wait! Get started writing today.
Along those same lines, you likely won’t nail your personal essay on your first try. The best writers write, edit, rewrite and repeat until they get it right. After you write your first draft, give it to someone for honest feedback. If you don’t have someone to give you feedback, put your essay aside for at least a couple of hours to clear your mind. After you’ve had time to rest, re-read your essay and do a final check.
Final Check
Did I answer all parts of the prompt? For this personal essay, be sure you talked about
a time you stepped up as a leader
how you helped your school or community
what you hope to get from attending a Summit
Did I tell a story with a beginning, middle and end? Did I tell my readers what I was thinking or how I was feeling so they can relate to me?
Are the ideas in my essay clear and specific?
Is my essay free from spelling, punctuation and grammar errors?
Does my essay sound like me?
Good luck, leaders, and happy writing!
By Corie Bales
Corie is the Academic Affairs Manager of Ambassador Leaders. As a lifelong educator and avid traveler, she believes in empowering students and teachers to learn and lead through experiential education.