quotes to put in a scholarship essay

25 Motivational Quotes to Inspire Your Scholarship Journey

by Gabrielle McCormick | Nov 1, 2018 | Inspiration and Motivation , Paying for College , Scholarship Applications | 0 comments

The scholarship search and application process can be draining due to the emotional highs and lows. Here’s a little motivation and inspiration to encourage you to start or continue your journey.

• When you are completely over the scholarship search process:

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” — Zig Ziglar

• When you’ve just gotten a scholarship rejection letter or email:

“Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.” — Wilma Rudolph

• When you have a breakdown because you’re stressed:  [clickToTweet tweet=”“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” — Will Rogers  #OwnYourDegree” quote=”“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” — Will Rogers “]
• When you don’t know what to write in your scholarship essay:

“Convince yourself that you are working in clay, not marble, on paper not eternal bronze: Let that first sentence be as stupid as it wishes.” — Jacques Barzun

• When you’ve earned your first scholarship:

“Quantity and persistence will get you the outcomes you need.” — James Altucher

• When you’ve earned another scholarship:

“Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don’t settle for them.” — Mia Hamm

• When you’re questioning your scholarship application:

“If you’ve really done the work. I mean really, really, really done the work…submit it. If not, do what you need to do. Point. Blank. Period.” — Gabrielle McCormick

• When you’re feeling a little jealous of a friend that has more scholarships than you:

“Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there’.” — Eckhart Tolle

• When you’re wondering if you’re good enough to earn scholarships:

“Start out perfect and don’t change a thing. Always accentuate your best features by pointing at them. And conceal your flaws by sucker punching anyone who has the audacity to mention them.” — Miss Piggy

• When you feel overwhelmed by everything that has to be done:

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less than perfect conditions. So what? Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident, and more and more successful.” — Mark Victor Hansen

• When you’ve procrastinated and are down to the last minute to get your application finished:  [clickToTweet tweet=”“Regretting wasted time is more wasted time.” — Author Unknown #OwnYourDegree” quote=”“Regretting wasted time is more wasted time.” — Author Unknown”]
• When you don’t know how to end your scholarship essay:

“You know the minute you stop thinking about it, it’ll happen.” — Sarah Dessen

• When you wonder if scholarships are really worth it:

“I’ve learned that fear limits you and your vision. It serves as blinders to what may be just a few steps down the road for you. The journey is valuable, but believing in your talents, your abilities, and your self-worth can empower you to walk down an even brighter path. Transforming fear into freedom – how great is that?” — Soledad O’Brien

• When you’ve had enough and want to give up:

“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” — Napoleon Hill

• When you’ve forgotten to submit a scholarship application:

“It’s how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success.” — David Feherty

• When you’ve finished a scholarship application:

“Suggestions? Put it aside for a few days, or longer, do other things, try not to think about it. Then sit down and read it (printouts are best I find, but that’s just me) as if you’ve never seen it before. Start at the beginning. Scribble on the manuscript as you go if you see anything you want to change. And often, when you get to the end you’ll be both enthusiastic about it and know what the next few words are. And you do it all one word at a time.” — Neil Gaiman

• When you find a scholarship you’ve missed the deadline for:

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban — Quote by Albus Dumbledore

• When you’ve decided to submit a scholarship application that doesn’t consist of an essay:

“As you move outside of your comfort zone, what was once the unknown and frightening becomes your new normal.” — Robin S. Sharma

• When you realize that you can actually win scholarships:  [clickToTweet tweet=”“Control your own destiny or someone else will.” — Jack Welch #OwnYourDegree” quote=”“Control your own destiny or someone else will.” — Jack Welch”]
• When you think about the reasons why you need scholarships:

“Going after scholarships is living a few years of your life like most students won’t, so that you can live the rest of your life like most students can’t…with no or very few student loans.” — Gabrielle McCormick

• When you’re up late and still have scholarship stuff to do:

“If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds.” — Jesse Jackson

• When you’re up early trying to get scholarship things finished:

“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” — Aristotle

• When you don’t feel like you have enough time to fit scholarships into your schedule:

“You can do anything, but not everything.” — David Allen

• When you question your writing ability:

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” ― William Shakespeare

• When you’re waiting to hear back from a scholarship committee:

“It’s really okay to charge up your battery because if you don’t you will run out of energy and power.” – Dyea Smith

And a bonus quote that pretty much sums up scholarships…

When you feel like you’re doing the best you can when it comes to scholarship:

“Never ever give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” — Albert Einstein

There you have it folks. I hope these quotes either kick-start your scholarship process or help to keep you going!

[info-box type=”success”] Real Talk: I know that it can be hard, frustrating, and stressful. But now is not the time to quit. You have to keep going. [/info-box]

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11 Inspiring Quotes for Your Scholarship Search

Does the scholarship search process sometimes feel like a marathon with no end in sight? Between endless applications, essay writing , and waiting for results, it’s easy to feel disheartened. If you’re searching for some motivation, a dose of inspiration might be just what you need. Here are 11 Inspiring Quotes for Your Scholarship Search to ignite your drive and fuel your journey.

Table of Contents

1. Dreaming Big

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

This classic quote reminds us of the power of our dreams. A scholarship can be your ticket to achieving those big educational aspirations. Keep those dreams shining brightly – they’re worth pursuing!

2. Overcoming Obstacles

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden

Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of scholarship applications out there? Focus on what you can control. Set small goals, tackle one application at a time, and celebrate those milestones along the way. Your potential is limitless.

3. Find Your Passion

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs

Passion and perseverance often pay off when applying for scholarships. Find scholarships that align with your interests and goals. Let your genuine enthusiasm shine through in your applications!

Helpful Hint:

Scholarship Search Tip: Search for scholarships that align with your passions and interests. Is there an area you care deeply about like the environment, volunteerism, or technology? Specific scholarships often have less competition than general ones.

4. The Transformative Power of Education

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

This powerful quote by Nelson Mandela highlights the transformative power of education. Scholarships can help remove financial barriers and empower you to pursue your academic goals. Imagine the positive impact you can make on the world with the knowledge and skills you gain through education!

A 2020 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that students who received scholarships were more likely to graduate and pursue higher education, ultimately leading to higher-paying careers. ( Source )

5. Believe in Yourself

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

Scholarships aren’t just about financial aid – they can also be a recognition of your hard work, dedication, and potential. Let the application process be an opportunity to showcase your unique talents, experiences, and aspirations.

6. Resilience Matters

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get every scholarship you apply for. Every application is a learning experience. Analyze what worked and what didn’t, and use that knowledge to strengthen your future applications. Remember, perseverance is key in the scholarship search!

7. Self-Discovery

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The scholarship search process is an excellent opportunity for self-discovery. As you research scholarships and craft essays, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your goals, values, and aspirations. Embrace this journey of self-reflection!

8. Go the Extra Mile

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” – Jimmy Johnson

The scholarship search may seem overwhelming, but small actions can make a big difference. Dedicate some time each day or week to scholarship research and applications. Proofread your essays meticulously, and submit them well before deadlines. Those “little extras” can put you ahead of the competition.

• Schedule Dedicated Time : Block out dedicated time in your calendar for scholarship research and application completion.
• Proofread Everything : Typos and grammatical errors can hurt your application. Proofread your essays carefully, and consider having someone else review them as well.
• Meet Deadlines Early : Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your applications. Aim to submit them well in advance to avoid any last-minute technical difficulties.

9. Mindset is Key

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Having a positive mindset is crucial during the scholarship search. Focus on your strengths and accomplishments. Visualize yourself achieving your educational goals – that positive energy will propel you forward!

10. Taking Action

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar

Don’t be intimidated by other scholarship applicants. Everyone starts somewhere. Focus on your own journey, and celebrate your progress along the way. Remember, even small scholarship awards can make a big difference in financing your education.

11. Embrace the Journey

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius

The scholarship search requires dedication and effort, but it can also be a rewarding experience. Embrace the process, learn from each application, and enjoy the journey of self-discovery.

The scholarship search can be a challenging but ultimately rewarding journey. Remember, every application you submit is a step closer to achieving your educational goals. By staying motivated, focusing on your strengths, and embracing the process, you’ll increase your chances of scholarship success.

Scholarship Essay Writing

Scholarship Essay Examples

Winning Scholarship Essay Examples for Students: Tips Included

37 min read

Published on: Mar 14, 2021

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

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Many students face financial barriers when it comes to pursuing higher education. The rising costs of tuition, books, and other educational expenses can be overwhelming. 

This is why the scholarships offer a lifeline by providing financial aid to students, but the competition is fierce. 

That's where CollegeEssay.org comes in. 

In this blog post, we are providing scholarship essay examples that will inspire and guide you in creating your own exceptional essay. 

These examples serve as beacons of success, offering valuable insights into the art of scholarship essay writing. 

So, without further ado, let’s get started. 

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Scholarship Essay Examples Financial Need

Why this scholarship essay worked.

This scholarship essay example effectively conveys the applicant's financial need and their determination to overcome the challenges associated with it. Here's why this essay worked:

• Personal Storytelling: The essay begins with a personal anecdote that establishes a connection between the applicant's background and financial constraints. This helps create empathy and demonstrates the genuine impact of financial challenges on their educational journey.
• Resilience and Resourcefulness: The applicant showcases their resilience and resourcefulness in navigating financial hardships. They highlight their proactive approach to seeking part-time employment and actively pursuing scholarships.
• Academic Commitment: Despite the financial strain, the applicant emphasizes their commitment to academic excellence by maintaining a high GPA. This showcases their dedication and ability to prioritize their studies amidst challenging circumstances.
• Community Involvement : The essay also highlights the applicant's involvement in community service. This demonstrates their desire to give back and make a positive impact.
• Connection to Scholarship: The applicant clearly articulates how receiving the scholarship would benefit them. This demonstrates a strong alignment between their goals and the purpose of the scholarship.

Want more examples, check out these winning scholarship essay examples.

Financial Aid Scholarship Essay

Scholarship Essay for Financial Need

Scholarship Essay Examples About Yourself

Why this essay worked.

This scholarship essay worked for several reasons, such as:

• It effectively showcases the applicant's passion for mathematics, community engagement, and resilience.
• It compellingly conveyed the applicant's dedication, ambition, and potential for making a positive impact. This makes them a deserving candidate for the scholarship.
• Clear connection to the scholarship's goals and how it would further the applicant's educational journey and impact.

Here are some scholarship essay examples about yourself; get an idea from them, and create a successful essay.

Scholarship Essay Example About Yourself

Scholarship Essay About Yourself

Scholarship Essay Examples for Nursing

Why this essay worked.

This essay worked due to its compelling portrayal of the applicant's genuine passion for nursing, coupled with their unwavering dedication to making a positive impact in patient care.

The essay effectively demonstrates the applicant's well-rounded preparation for a nursing career and their clear alignment with the goals and mission of the scholarship, making them a strong candidate for consideration.

Below are some more examples of scholarship essays for nursing.

Nursing Scholarship Essay

Scholarship Essay for Nursing

Scholarship Essay Examples About Career Goals

This essay worked for the following reasons:

• Clear and Specific Career Goals: The essay effectively outlines the applicant's career goal of becoming a clinical psychologist specializing in mental health support. The clarity and specificity of the goal demonstrate a well-defined path and a strong sense of purpose.
• Demonstrated Preparation and Commitment: The essay showcases the applicant's comprehensive preparation for their career goals. It also demonstrates their readiness and dedication to excel in the field.
• Alignment with Scholarship Objectives: The essay effectively highlights how the scholarship will contribute to the applicant's career aspirations. This includes attending conferences, workshops, and advanced training programs.

If you find difficulty writing the scholarship essay about career goals, get help from the below-mentioned examples, and submit a well-written essay.

Scholarship Essay Examples About Leadership

Three reasons why this essay worked are:

• Demonstrated Leadership Experience : This essay effectively highlights the applicant's practical experience in leadership roles, showcasing their ability to lead teams, organize events, and coordinate volunteers.
• Commitment to Personal Growth : The essay demonstrates the applicant's proactive approach to leadership development by seeking formal training and participating in workshops focused on honing their skills. 
• Emphasis on Collaboration and Empowerment: The essay emphasizes the applicant's belief in collaborative leadership. It promotes inclusivity and empowers team members to contribute their unique perspectives. 

Here we gather some good scholarship essay examples about leadership that help in your writing.

Leadership Scholarship Essay Example

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Scholarship Essay Examples About Community Service

Here are the reasons:

• Genuine Passion and Commitment: The essay effectively conveys the applicant's genuine passion for community service, highlighting their long-standing involvement and the transformative impact it has had on their life. 
• Integration of Service with Education: The essay demonstrates the applicant's proactive approach to integrating their passion for community service with their educational pursuits.
• Aspiration for Social Change: The essay goes beyond personal experiences and highlights the applicant's aspirations for broader social change.

Here is an excellent community service scholarship essa y that can help you write for community college.

Scholarship Essay Example about Community Service

High School Scholarship Essay Examples

• Clear and Convincing Goals: The essay effectively communicates the applicant's strong desire to pursue higher education despite financial constraints.
• Demonstrated Leadership and Well-Roundedness: The essay showcases the applicant's involvement in extracurricular activities. It highlights their ability to balance academic responsibilities with active participation in clubs, sports teams, and community service initiatives.
• Emphasis on Giving Back and Community Engagement: The essay not only focuses on the applicant's personal aspirations but also highlights their commitment to giving back to their community.

The following are the best high school scholarship essay examples, use this for your help, and write an attention-grabbing essay.

Scholarship Essay Example for High School

Scholarship Essay for High School

Scholarship Essay Examples for University

Why this essay works.

Three reasons why this essay works are:

• Strong Personal Motivation: The essay effectively communicates the applicant's unwavering commitment and determination to pursue a university education.
• Articulation of Long-Term Goals and Social Impact: The essay goes beyond highlighting the applicant's academic achievements and financial needs. It emphasizes the applicant's desire to contribute to their community and make a positive impact on society.
• The connection between Scholarship and Applicant's Potential: The essay effectively illustrates how receiving the scholarship would directly address the financial burden. Plus, it will enable the applicant to fully embrace the university experience.

Here are some excellent scholarship essay examples for university students that help you in writing the essay.

Scholarship Essay Example for University Students

Scholarship Essay Examples for Engineering

This essay worked because of the following reasons:

• Passion and Commitment: The essay effectively conveys the applicant's deep passion for engineering. It also shows their genuine commitment to making a positive impact in this field.
• Alignment with Scholarship Objectives: It clearly establishes the connection between the scholarship and the applicant's goals in engineering.
• Future Impact and Growth: It also communicates the applicant's aspiration to contribute to the field of engineering and make a positive difference in the world.

The following is another scholarship essay example that can help you in creating the perfect essay on your own.

Scholarship Essay Examples for Masters

This essay worked for several reasons:

• Clear Purpose and Goal: The essay effectively conveys the applicant's clear purpose and goal of pursuing a master's degree. It highlights the transformative impact that a master's degree can have on personal and professional growth.
• Financial Need and Scholarship Alignment : The essay addresses the financial challenges associated with pursuing a master's degree. It demonstrates the direct alignment between the scholarship and the applicant's needs.
• Impact and Giving Back : The essay goes beyond personal aspirations and emphasizes the applicant's intention to make a broader impact on their community and society.

Here is an example that you can use as a guide and write a perfect scholarship essay.

Why Should You Receive this Scholarship Essay Examples

Three brief reasons why this essay worked are:

• Clear and Convincing Arguments : The essay presents concise and compelling arguments to support the applicant's case for receiving the scholarship.
• Personal Connection : It demonstrates how receiving the scholarship would directly impact the applicant's academic journey
• Gratitude and Future Commitment : It expresses sincere gratitude for the opportunity and emphasizes the applicant's commitment to making the most of the scholarship.

Here is an example, take help from them for your scholarship essay.

Why Should You Receive this Scholarship Essay Example

Why I Deserve This Scholarship Essay Examples

• Compelling Personal Story: The essay effectively presents the applicant's personal story and highlights their dedication and commitment to their education
• Addressing Academic Excellence and Financial Need : The essay successfully addresses both academic excellence and financial need, which are two crucial aspects considered by scholarship committees.
• Commitment to Making an Impact: The essay goes beyond the applicant's personal goals and emphasizes their dedication to making a positive impact in their community. 

Here’s another example for this scholarship essay below:

Why I Deserve This Scholarship Essay Example

Tips for Writing the Effective Scholarship Essay

When it comes to writing an effective scholarship essay, there are several key tips to keep in mind. 

By following these guidelines, you can maximize your chances of standing out and impressing scholarship selection committees. 

Here are some essential tips to help you craft a compelling scholarship essay:

• Understand the Prompt

Take the time to thoroughly understand the essay prompt or topic provided by the scholarship provider. Pay attention to any specific instructions or guidelines given.

• Research the Scholarship

Familiarize yourself with the organization or institution offering the scholarship. Understand their values, mission, and objectives. This knowledge will help you align your essay with their goals and demonstrate your fit for the scholarship.

• Tell Your Unique Story

Use the essay as an opportunity to showcase your personal experiences, like obstacles you might encounter, achievements, and aspirations. Highlight what sets you apart from other applicants. Be authentic and genuine in conveying your story, like overcoming personal failures.

• Start with a Compelling Introduction

Grab the reader's attention from the beginning with a strong and captivating introduction. Consider starting with a compelling anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful statement.

• Structure Your Essay

Organize your essay into a clear and logical structure. Start with an introduction, followed by body paragraphs that support your main points, and end with a concise and impactful conclusion.

• Be Concise and Specific

Scholarship essays often have a word or character limits, so make every word count. Be concise in your writing and avoid unnecessary fluff. Focus on providing specific examples and details that support your claims.

• Showcase Your Achievements

Highlight your academic accomplishments, extracurricular involvements, community service, leadership roles, or any other relevant achievements. Link them to the values and goals of the scholarship.

• Address the Selection Criteria

Ensure that your essay addresses the selection criteria specified by the scholarship provider. If they are looking for specific qualities or skills, tailor your essay to showcase how you possess those attributes.

In conclusion, writing an effective scholarship essay is a crucial step in securing the financial aid you need for your education. 

By following the tips outlined here, you can enhance your essay-writing skills and create a compelling narrative that captivates scholarship selection committees.

Be authentic, concise, and specific in your writing. Tailor your essay to align with the values and objectives of the scholarship provider. And above all, believe in yourself and your potential to make a difference through education.

If you're seeking further guidance and support in your scholarship essay writing journey, consider partnering with our AI essay writing tools !

We also have a team of experienced and professional essay writers who can provide personal essay writing service with valuable insights. 

Hire our college paper writing service  today and take the next step towards securing the financial aid you deserve.

Barbara P (Literature, Marketing)

Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

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​How to Write a Scholarship Essay (With Examples)

• 6-minute read
• 22nd August 2022

Writing a scholarship essay can seem like a daunting task. For many students , higher education isn’t possible without financial aid, and scholarships are especially valuable because the money awarded doesn’t have to be paid back.

Even though the stakes are high, there are a few manageable steps you can take to ensure you write a great essay to submit with your scholarship applications. We have a few top tips to help you get started, along with writing examples to demonstrate some key points. Check out our guide below to learn more.

A scholarship essay is a great opportunity to present yourself and your accomplishments in an impactful way. It is, therefore, essential to be aware of each scholarship deadline so you can allow sufficient time for the writing process, which typically includes the following:

·   Read the essay prompt and brainstorm ideas.

·   Create an outline covering the key points you want to address.

·   Write a draft and seek feedback from trusted teachers, family, or friends.

·   Make any necessary revisions and proofread before submitting your final draft.

Scholarship review committees will be able to tell if you rushed through your essay, so give yourself the best chance of winning an award by staying organized and on schedule!

Who and What?

Researching the scholarship provider and diligently reviewing the essay prompts can help you write an essay that makes you stand out as a top candidate.

1. Who are you writing to?

Learn more about the organization offering the scholarship and why the scholarship fund was created.

For instance, a scholarship may honor its organization’s founder, and the founder’s qualities (e.g., integrity, good citizenship, and leadership) might be the same values guiding the scholarship program as a way to continue the founder’s legacy.

If you identify with any of the same qualities, you can incorporate those keywords into your essay to demonstrate your shared values. Remember to remain authentic, though!

2. What are you writing about?

You must read the essay prompt carefully to identify precisely what you need to accomplish with your essay.

Some prompts ask about your career goals and how you plan to achieve them or your achievements and the challenges you overcame to reach them.

You’ll write about common topics across multiple scholarship applications – some may even be similar to your college admission essay – so you can repurpose your essays as long as you’re diligent about tailoring each one to its prompt.

Your application will likely require other items such as transcripts and test scores, but the essay is your chance to offer something entirely unique. Write about key experiences that highlight who you are and what you’ve accomplished, or you could mention something you’re passionate about.

Remember to follow any specific instructions regarding length and formatting, and be sure to answer all questions listed in the prompt. It can hurt your chances if you’re unable to show the committee that you’re detail-oriented and can follow directions.

Structuring Your Essay

Your essay should follow a standard format that includes a clear beginning, middle, and end. Typically, you should:

·   Establish your main idea in the introduction.

·   Include a separate body paragraph for each key point that supports your main idea.

·   Draw it all together and revisit your main idea in the conclusion.

Scholarship committees read thousands of essays each year. And often, there are hundreds of applicants for an award that can only go to a select few candidates. Writing a powerful introduction and conclusion gives you a chance to make a lasting impression.

1. Introduction

Write an introduction that hooks the reader and encourages them to stay engaged till the end of your essay. Don’t be afraid to add personal, tangible details and an anecdote .

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For example, if you’re writing about your career goals, demonstrate why you’ve chosen that career:

It was the biggest game of the season, and the stands were packed despite the bitter cold. My heart was beating louder than all of the cheers, and I was filled with the anticipation that one more run into the end zone would give us the championship. Everything went silent during that run when the tackle shattered both my leg and my dreams.

My world has always revolved around being an athlete – until one day it couldn’t. I spent many frustrating months rehabilitating, but I got through it because of my dedicated physical therapist, who helped me recover both physically and mentally after a devastating loss. And it was that profound experience that led me to pursue a career in the exercise sciences.

2. Conclusion

The conclusion is the last thing your reader will see, so it’s another opportunity for you to make your essay memorable.

Rather than summarizing with a general statement such as “this is why you should award me a scholarship,” perhaps explain what the financial assistance will help you achieve:

My parents never had the opportunity to go to college, and neither did their parents. I watched them work hard every day just to make ends meet, and I often questioned whether I could achieve anything more. Nevertheless, I spent four years working as hard as I saw my parents work, and I beat the odds by getting accepted to college. A scholarship could be invaluable for me, as it would allow me to attend and be successful without having to worry about finances.

Persuasive Writing

While you don’t want your scholarship essay to be overly informal, you’re certainly allowed to add some creativity and personal details to help persuade your readers.

One of the best ways to do so is by writing with the modes of persuasion ; that is, ethos, pathos, and logos.

Demonstrate your credibility. Use your real-life experiences and interesting details to establish, for example, how you’ve contributed to your community:

I saw how much bullying was impacting so many students at my school, so I founded my high school’s first anti-bullying club and organized campaigns to bring attention to the harm that people can cause one another.

Evoke an emotional response. The “show, don’t tell ” writing technique, which involves using descriptive words when discussing actions and emotions, can be especially useful here:

During one of our first awareness assemblies, the theater was completely silent as I read aloud anonymous stories from students about the scars bullying had left on their lives. Tears were stinging in my eyes as I described the struggles my classmates were facing, but I persevered to give a voice to those who didn’t have one.

Convey your point with reason and facts. Use statistics to demonstrate what you’ve accomplished:

In the first year alone, our club improved students’ feelings of safety and acceptance at our school by 53%.

Proofreading and Editing

Don’t forget the importance of proofreading your essay, as spelling and grammar mistakes can leave a bad impression on your reader. Our expert editors can help ensure your writing is clear, concise, and error-free. Give yourself a better chance at impressing scholarship committees by submitting a free trial document today!

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay (with Examples)

September 27, 2023

While applying to college, many students are faced with an additional, daunting task: how to write a scholarship essay. Financial need, already a sensitive subject, can become a stressful factor in the process alongside other existential unknowns. Luckily, scholarship essays will not require you to go tiptoeing around the taboo topic of money. Furthermore, most scholarship essay prompts more or less resemble standard supplemental essay questions. The trick then is to make your scholarship essay stand out. The following article and scholarship essay example will offer up pointers for anyone striving to win a college scholarship.

Organizing Scholarship Essays by Prompt

You may feel like melting into a lump of despair when facing a browser full of tabbed scholarships. The best way to avoid getting overwhelmed is to organize and analyze a list of prompts. Why? Because your first goal is not simply to figure out how to write a scholarship essay. Rather, you’ll want to know how to save time while writing complex and relevant scholarship essays.

As you look over the various prompts, you’ll notice that some sound fairly open-ended, while others ask for something quite specific. In response, you should annotate each prompt with thematic keywords. This will help you figure out when you can use the same essay for several prompts.

Your annotated list may look something like the following…

Sample Scholarship Essay Prompts

1) “Explain something that made a big impact in your life.”

• Keywords: event , personal development, growth, background

2) “We’re committed to diversifying education abroad by providing funding to students who are typically under-represented in study abroad. Please describe how you and/or your plans for study abroad could be viewed as under-represented.”

• Keywords: minority, diversity, identity, study abroad

3) “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”

• Keywords: background, identity, interest, talent

Sample Scholarship Essay Prompts, Continued

4) “Please explain a personal hardship or catastrophic life event that you have experienced. How did you manage to overcome this obstacle? What did you learn and how did you grow from it?”

• Keywords: event, personal development, growth, challenge, background

5) Describe a change you would like to make in the world. Tell us about how you would plan to make that change, and what obstacles you might encounter along the way.

• Keywords: world development, challenge, future

6) “Tell us three things that are important to you. How did you arrive at this list? Will these things be important to you in ten years? Why?”

• Keywords: background, values, interest, development, identity, future

Scholarship Essay Prompts ( Continued)

7) “What does it mean to you to be part of a minority community? What challenges has it brought and how have you overcome them? What are the benefits?”

• Keywords: minority, community, challenge, growth

8) “Please explain how your experience volunteering and participating in community service has shaped your perspective on humanity. Elaborate on how these experiences have influenced your future ambitions and career choice.”

• Keywords: community service, humanity, community, background, future, values, career

9) “Discuss in your essay any challenges or obstacles you have dealt with and overcome in life and how this will help you succeed in college and beyond. Describe how volunteer, community service or extra-curricular activities have shaped who you are today and what it has taught you. May also include future educational plans and career goals.”

• Keywords: challenge, future, community service, interests, value, personal growth, career

How to Write a Scholarship Essay through Prompt Analysis

Let’s compare some prompts by keywords. You’ll notice that some prompts have a lot of overlap, such as prompts 1 and 4. Both have event, personal development, growth, and background as keywords . Prompt 4 includes the additional keyword challenge . This prompt explicitly asks you to explain how you have “overcome” a “personal hardship or catastrophic life event.” While prompt 1 is not so specific, it would be easy, even natural, to include this narrative arc in your response. This means depicting how you faced the thing that “made a big impact in your life.” In other words, these two essay prompts, though worded differently, allow you to tell the same story.

Other prompts provide potential overlap. In this case, it’s up to you to find and interpret these moments. You may consider the values, strengths, interests, and experiences you wish to relate. For example, prompts 7, 8, and 9 all mention community through different approaches. While prompt 7 focuses on one’s past involvement in a minority community, prompts 8 and 9 are more future-facing, and don’t mention minorities.

Scholarship Essay Examples (Continued)

Here, your best strategy involves answering prompts 8 and 9 together in a single scholarship essay. To do so, the essay would need to detail “a challenge or obstacle you have dealt with” (9) which has thus “shaped your perspective on humanity” (8). This narrative arc will thus inform your “future” educational and career plans (8 and 9). Note that prompt 9 allows you to mention extra-curriculars. However, I wouldn’t recommend it, since this would make your essay less relevant to prompt 8. After your essay is written, adapt it to align with prompt 7. Consider condensing the part about the future into one final sentence and focusing more on minority aspects of your community.

How to Scholarship Essay Avoid Burnout

The above tactic will allow you to avoid burnout by strategizing your essay approach ahead of time. In turn, you’ll be able to maximize your efforts from the get-go. You’ll also likely find that your essays become more complex and nuanced when you consider several prompts at once.

The next step involves editing. Refer back to the prompt, once you have a draft written. Ask yourself, did I answer the question fully? Do I need to edit this essay further to emphasize a particular point? Do I need to cut the essay down to fit a new word count? Contrarily do I need to bulk it up? If so, are there other essays in my portfolio from which I can borrow material? Strategic editing will allow you to respond to a large number of essays during peak essay-writing season.

Finally, you’ll notice that most essays require a word count between 250 to 600 words. It’s often easier to write a longer essay first. This will allow you to go into greater detail without censoring your ideas. You may find yourself including dialogue, scenery, emotions, and all sorts of other specifics that make an essay personal. As you whittle down this essay to comply with a similar prompt, you’ll want to identify which pieces of the essay do the most work to get your message across. Don’t simply condense everything by eliminating details, for details are often the most memorable aspects of an essay. More on this next.

How to Write a Scholarship Essay Using the Three Fs

The three Fs can be applied to any college essay, though they are particularily useful in scholarship essays. Why? Because the three Fs will enable you to impress readers and beat out other applicants. Ultimately, they’ll help you win financial support. Think of the three Fs as a checklist to go over, once you’ve completed an essay draft. Ask yourself, is my essay fabulous? Flawless? Fearless?

How to Write a Scholarship Essay (Continued)

If your essay is fabulous , it glitters with personality. It is detailed, unique, and does its best to highlight your impressive journey. If your essay lacks a little fab, ask yourself, how can I make this essay more enjoyable and memorable to read? If your essay is flawless , it lacks all spelling, syntactic and grammatical errors. It answers every aspect of the essay prompt, and leaves no room for vagueness or misunderstandings. To avoid flaws, give your essay to several people to proofread. Finally, if your essay is fearless , it is not afraid to get a little vulnerable. This may sound contradictory to the first F. On the contrary, this fearlessness refers to the confidence to tell your own story. A fearless story isn’t afraid to go deep, add complexity, or get emotional. It is unafraid to show why its author deserves a financial boost.

Scholarship Essay Example

Now that we’ve established how to approach the scholarship essay, let’s dive into a scholarship essay example. The scholarship essay below stems from a prompt we saw above: Describe a change you would like to make in the world. Tell us about how you would plan to make that change, and what obstacles you might encounter along the way (500 words).

My generation is growing up in a time of increased global turmoil. We’ve witnessed Brexit, the Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, a series of refugee crises, and the invasion of Ukraine. It’s easy to liken this moment to Europe in the 1930s, which saw a spike in fascism and propaganda (their version of fake news). Only now, my generation must also contend with the hottest summers on record, raging forest fires, and the beginning of the 6 th extinction. It’s no wonder we deal with it all through increased skepticism and existential dread.

While I don’t have a simple solution, I believe most problems stem from ignorance. Xenophobia and racism, offshoots of ignorance, can be overcome by exposing isolated groups of people to greater diversity. This begins in the classroom. While dictators are hard to dispose of, education provides critical thinking skills, which allow citizens to make informed decisions when electing officials. Finally, developing a willingness to learn at an early age creates an instinct to continue learning throughout life. We desperately need intellectual flexibility if we are going to adapt to the planet’s needs as a world population and put a stop to industry-led fossil fuel burning.

Scholarship Essay Example (Continued)

The change I’d like to make is free, enhanced education for everyone, at every level, from elementary school to post-doctorate research institutes. To do so, I suggest defunding national militaries and channeling this spending into schools. Imagine if 80% of the 877 billion dollars the U.S. military spends annually went into learning. Combating fascism and climate change would look more feasible. And yet, no leader would agree to making their country more vulnerable by relinquishing arms and armies. Change must come from the people.

As the planet continues to heats up, and conflict over land increases, we must work together. The first step towards increased education is communicating this need for education: through journalism, on social media, in the streets. Next, I suggest lobbying politicians for incremental change. Finally, I believe a global grassroots movement to implement future-focused education, led by activists, educators, and philanthropists, would make this theoretical idea a tangible reality.

Last year, my mother, who never received a college education, decided to offer free gardening courses in our backyard. I quickly joined in. While teaching a handful of neighbors how to provide year-round food for pollinators may seem trivial, I’ve already seen positive repercussions. One conservative neighbor has set up an organization that collects and redistributes leftover produce from the markets to refugees. Another neighbor is now teaching middle schoolers how to cook and compost. These efforts have brought unusual strangers together and given visibility to our movement, #futurefocusededucation. I’ve seen it firsthand. The more we educate, the sooner we can combine our knowledge to create solutions.

Scholarship Essay Example Dissected

This scholarship essay succeeds at answering all parts of the prompt. It includes the change the author wants to make, and inevitable obstacles she’d face at the governmental and international level. These obstacles may sound insurmountable. Yet the essay shows that individuals are not powerless to enact change when they work together towards a common goal. The author provides various thoughtful steps we might take in order to prioritize education and peaceful collaboration.

Finally, the author portrays herself as someone personally invested in the political, humanitarian, and environmental state of the world. She proves that she’s already begun to make the changes she wants to see at the microscopic level. Overall, readers of this scholarship essay can see that this student is invested in bettering the world. This student would make for a proactive participant in her academic environment.

What’s Next?

Now that you have some inkling of how to write a scholarship essay and have reviewed of our scholarship essay examples, you may want to delve into more aid-related articles on the College Transitions Dataverse. You can read up on Need-Based Financial Aid Grants , and learn about Selective Colleges with Generous Scholarships . Furthermore, you may want to create your own Scholarship Timeline , in order to stay on top of the various deadlines. Good luck!

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Kaylen Baker

With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay: Crafting a Standout Narrative

With scholarship opportunities on the rise, it's surprising to learn that a significant percentage of applicants often overlook a crucial element: the scholarship essay. Many candidates focus solely on grades and achievements, unaware that a well-crafted essay can be the game-changer in securing financial aid.

In this article, our essay writing service experts will explore the often underestimated power of the scholarship essay, offering a comprehensive guide that covers everything from defining the essence of a compelling essay to providing practical tips, tricks, and real-world examples. Join us on this journey as we unlock the secrets to transform your essay into a compelling testimony of your unique journey and aspirations, ensuring it not only stands out but leaves a lasting impression on selection committees.

What Is a Scholarship Essay?

A scholarship essay is more than an academic piece—it serves as your personal gateway to funding opportunities, shaping the trajectory of your educational journey. It's an opportunity to weave your narrative, articulating dreams and aspirations that captivate and convince scholarship committees. Picture it as your own masterpiece, where vibrant strokes illustrate who you are, where you've traversed, and the path you aim to tread.

Instead of merely presenting a laundry list of achievements, infuse vitality into your essay by narrating a pivotal moment that ignited your passion. Lead the reader through your experiences, forging a personal connection with your journey. Keep in mind that a scholarship essay isn't just about highlighting accomplishments; it's about unveiling the person behind those achievements. It's the distinction between perusing a resume and immersing oneself in a compelling story that leaves an indelible mark.

Let's buckle up as our scholarship essay writing service explores the art of crafting essays that go beyond grades and accolades.

Who Said Essays Can't Be an Adventurous Quest for Financial Aid?

Let's craft an essay that doesn't just open doors but kicks them wide open!

Scholarship Essay Format

When it comes to the scholarship essay writing process, paying meticulous attention to specific formatting requirements is crucial. Here's a breakdown of essential elements to consider:

1. Word Count and Page Limit:

Before you start writing, carefully review the scholarship guidelines for page and word limit. Adhering to these limits demonstrates your ability to follow instructions and ensures that your essay is concise and focused.

2. Font and Font Size:

Use a readable font that is commonly accepted, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. Ensure that the font size is within the specified range. Typically, a 12-point font is standard, but check the guidelines to confirm.

3. Margins and Spacing:

Maintain consistent margins on all sides of the document, usually one inch. Follow the specified spacing guidelines, whether it's double-spacing or a different requirement. Consistent spacing enhances readability and gives your essay a polished appearance.

4. Title or Heading:

Check if the scholarship application requires a title or heading. If not specified, you can opt for a straightforward title centered at the top of the page, using a larger font size than the body of the essay. Alternatively, you may choose to omit a title and start directly with your essay.

5. File Format and Submission Instructions:

Confirm the preferred file format for submission, whether it's a PDF, Word document, or another format. Adhering to the specified file format ensures that your essay is easily accessible and viewable by the scholarship committee.

6. Headers and Footers:

If required, include a header with your name, page number, and any other specified information. Be consistent in formatting these details throughout the document. Headers and footers add a professional touch to your essay.

7. Citations and References:

If you need to include citations or references, follow a standard citation style (such as APA format example , MLA, or Chicago) as per the scholarship guidelines. Ensure that your citations are accurate and formatted correctly.

8. Language and Tone:

While not directly related to formatting, it's crucial to maintain a professional and respectful tone. Tailor your language to suit the formality expected by the scholarship committee. Avoid slang or overly casual language unless explicitly allowed or encouraged.

9. File Naming Conventions:

If you are submitting your essay electronically, adhere to any specific file naming conventions outlined in the scholarship guidelines. This ensures that your document is easily identifiable and organized within the application system.

10. Proofreading and Formatting Check:

Before submission, thoroughly proofread your scholarship essay format to catch any errors, typos, or inconsistencies. Ensure that your essay looks polished and adheres to all specified formatting requirements.

How to Write a Scholarship Essay Step-By-Step

Here is a detailed and example-rich breakdown of how to approach and execute each section of the scholarship essay from our dissertation service experts. Remember, the key is to weave a narrative that is not only unique to you but also aligns seamlessly with the scholarship's values and expectations.

• Introduction

To better understand how to start a scholarship essay, consider beginning with a vivid scene or a personal anecdote that relates to your journey. For example, if you're applying for a scholarship in environmental science, start with a moment of realization about the impact of climate change during a particular experience. Additionally, refer to our article on strategies for writing an essay hook for valuable tips.

• Thesis Statement

Craft a powerful thesis that not only outlines your career goals but also hints at the unique perspective you bring. For instance, 'Through my journey in community service, I have discovered a passion for social entrepreneurship, and this scholarship will be the catalyst for implementing sustainable solutions.'

• Body Paragraphs

Example of Achievements : Provide specific examples of your achievements within the same essay. Instead of stating, 'I was the captain of the debate team,' share a defining moment like, 'Leading the debate team to victory in the regional competition not only honed my public speaking skills but also instilled in me the importance of collaboration and effective communication.'

Experiences and Impact : Elaborate on the impact of your experiences. For instance, 'My volunteer work at the local animal shelter not only taught me compassion but also sparked an interest in animal welfare. This experience, coupled with my academic achievements, drives my pursuit of a degree in veterinary medicine.'

• Express Your Goals and Aspirations

Specificity in Goals : Instead of a generic statement, be specific. For example, 'I aspire to bridge the gap between technology and healthcare by specializing in medical informatics. This scholarship will enable me to pioneer innovations that enhance patient care and streamline medical processes.'

Link to Scholarship Values : Showcase a connection between your goals and the scholarship values. If the scholarship emphasizes community impact, explain how your ambitions align: 'My goal of establishing sustainable community health programs aligns seamlessly with the scholarship's commitment to fostering positive change.'

• Address Any Challenges

Share a personal challenge and highlight your resilience. 'Overcoming financial hardships, I learned the value of resourcefulness. This scholarship represents more than financial aid; it symbolizes the triumph of perseverance and the pursuit of academic excellence against all odds.'

Revisit your thesis and express optimism about the future. 'As I embark on this academic journey, fueled by my experiences and aspirations, I am confident that the skills and insights gained will not only contribute to my personal growth but also bring positive change to the communities I aim to serve.'

• Proofreading and Editing

Seek specific feedback from peers, asking questions like, 'Does the opening anecdote draw you in?' or 'Are my goals and aspirations clear throughout the essay?' Addressing these specifics enhances the quality of your essay. If your scholarship essay ideas revolve around history, consider utilizing the assistance of our history essay writer .

• Formatting Guidelines

Pay meticulous attention to formatting details. If the scholarship application specifies a font size or page limit, adhere to it. This showcases your ability to follow instructions, an essential skill in academic and professional settings.

• Personalization

Adjust your essay to align with the values of each scholarship provider. If a scholarship emphasizes leadership, emphasize leadership experiences and their impact on your goals. This customization demonstrates your commitment to the specific scholarship's mission.

Scholarship Essay Examples

Below are scholarship essay examples that follow the outlined format and incorporate elements of a compelling narrative. Meanwhile, if you're feeling stuck with your own narrative, hit that ' write a paper for me ' button. Let's bring your unique story to life.

Using our tips sets you on the right track. Still, having a good sample essay at hand is vital for success. So, to make the writing process for your scholarship essay even more smooth and amazing, enter the dissertation service to look at the following samples:

Scholarship Essay Prompts

Scholarship essay prompts are more than questions; they are gateways to showcasing your unique story and aspirations. Here are some distinctive and thought-provoking prompts to spark your creativity:

• The Unwritten Chapter : Describe a pivotal moment in your life that feels like the beginning of an unwritten chapter. How has this moment shaped your goals and inspired your pursuit of a scholarship?
• The Legacy of Words : If you could have a conversation with any historical figure, author, or fictional character, who would it be? How would this conversation influence your academic and career aspirations?
• The Dream Project : Imagine receiving unlimited funding for a project that addresses a global challenge. What would your project be, and how would it impact the world?
• The Personal Lexicon : If you had to choose five words that define your journey, what would they be, and why? How do these words encapsulate your aspirations and experiences?
• The Alternative Universe : Transport yourself to an alternate universe where you pursue a completely different field of study. How has this imaginary journey influenced your perspective on your current academic path?
• The Cultural Odyssey : Reflect on an aspect of your cultural background that has significantly shaped your identity. How does this influence your academic and career goals, and how will it contribute to a diverse academic community?
• The Innovation Blueprint : If you were given the chance to revolutionize an industry through innovation, which field would you choose, and what groundbreaking idea would you bring to the table?
• The Unexpected Mentor : Describe an unexpected mentor or role model in your life. How have their guidance and insights influenced your personal and academic growth?
• The Traveler's Tale : Imagine embarking on a journey to three different countries. Share how each country's culture, values, or experiences would contribute to your personal and academic development.
• The Legacy of Service: Discuss a community service project you initiated or participated in. How has this experience shaped your understanding of social responsibility and influenced your educational aspirations?

6 Scholarship Essay Tips

Here are a few more tips from our service to allow you to create a winning scholarship essay:

• Uncover Your Unique Angle : Identify what makes your story distinct while writing scholarship essays. Whether it's an unusual experience, a personal passion, or an innovative approach to problem-solving, emphasize the elements that set you apart from other applicants.
• Create a Compelling Hook : Engage the reader immediately by starting with a compelling hook. This could be a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact, or a powerful quote that sets the tone for your narrative.
• Quantify Your Impact : When discussing achievements, quantify your impact whenever possible. Instead of merely stating leadership roles, highlight specific results or improvements achieved under your guidance.
• Highlight Transformative Moments : Share moments of personal growth or transformation. These could be challenges you've overcome, realizations that shaped your perspective, or experiences that fueled your passion for your chosen field.
• Demonstrate Proactive Solutions : Showcase instances where you took the initiative or implemented solutions. Whether it's a community project, academic challenge, or personal goal, emphasize your proactive approach and problem-solving skills.
• Balance Confidence with Humility : Project confidence in your abilities as a college student without overshadowing humility. Acknowledge areas for growth, expressing a willingness to learn and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Creating scholarship essays can be challenging, particularly when time and skills are limited. Yet, a compelling essay plays a crucial role in securing the desired scholarship. If you're short on time or uncertain about your abilities, explore the option of seeking help from professional essay writers. Submit a ' help me with my homework ' request to receive a high-quality scholarship essay or even a Pride and Prejudice short summary , enhancing your chances of success!

Ready to Turn Your Academic Journey into a Blockbuster Story?

Let's script your success with a tailor-made essay that'll have scholarship committees giving you a standing ovation!

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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How to Start a Scholarship Essay

Last Updated: April 20, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 93,008 times.

College scholarships can be incredibly competitive and most of them have an essay component. While you may dread writing these essays, they're nothing to fear—the scholarship committee just wants to know a little more about you. With a strong introduction that hooks your reader, you're halfway there! But how do you start a scholarship essay? Here, you'll find some great ideas for how to start, along with some general writing strategies that you can carry through to the rest of your essay.

Sample Introduction and Template

Include the 3 key elements of an introduction.

• A great intro sentence could be something like, "I never thought I'd have to raise my siblings," or, "On April 7, 1997, my life completely changed."
• Your overview sentences could go on to say, "My parents struggled to look after us, so I become the only constant in my brothers' lives. I had to grow up fast, but I also learned a lot about myself in the process."
• Your thesis statement might look like this, "I realized that I have a lot to offer and I'm starting a career in social work. This scholarship will give me the financial support that I need to start my educational journey."

Open with an element of surprise.

• For example, you might write: "If you looked at my parents' mantle, overflowing with trophies and medals, you'd probably conclude that I was an athlete. But what you wouldn't know is that I was born with only one leg."

Compare yourself to the scholarship's namesake.

• For example, you might write: "Mary Lewis dedicated her life to improving her community with public vegetable gardens. Last year, I worked with fellow disabled students to create a sustainable vegetable garden at our school that was accessible to others with disabilities."

Raise a question.

• For example, you might write: "For the past 4 years, I've volunteered with my local hospice. Why would a healthy, athletic young woman want to volunteer with people who are dying? Because I, too, have faced death. I know what it's like to be told you only have a few days to live."

Set the scene dramatically.

• For example, suppose you're writing an essay about rescuing an injured dog and how that made you decide to become a veterinarian. You might write: "I could smell him before I saw him. Small and frail, he limped toward me. His fur was matted and he trembled. His large eyes were full of fear. He pleaded with me for help."

Include quotes with caution.

• For example, you might write: "Nevertheless, she persisted." I never really understood the meaning of that rallying cry until, at 14 years old, I stood in front of the principal of my school to speak on behalf of myself and other disabled students."

Use buzzwords from the essay prompt.

Include a roadmap of your essay.

• For example, you might write: "My compassion for and special connection to animals spurred me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine." Then, in your essay, you would provide an instance that demonstrated your compassion and another that demonstrated that special connection.
• Your roadmap doesn't necessarily have to be a "spoiler." For example, if the prompt is to "discuss a book or experience that made you want to be a writer," you might write: "While I'd always loved reading, I never considered writing stories myself until my 7th grade English teacher gave me a book for an extra-credit report." In your essay, you would then go on to discuss the report and name the book. [11] X Research source

Close your introduction with your thesis statement.

• For example, if the prompt is to describe what sparked your interest in veterinary medicine, your thesis might be: "My experience rehabilitating stray dogs sparked my interest in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine."

Write in your own voice.

• Focus on standing out, not writing like everyone else. Although you can look at samples of other winning scholarship essays to get ideas, make sure the words in your essay are your own.
• Your own perspective is key. For example, if you're a person of color, don't try to "whitewash" your essay. Scholarship committees like diversity, so if you try to cover up your identity, you're only hurting yourself.

Make your sentences active and concise.

• For example, you might write: "I strive to demonstrate my passion for the environment every day. In my sophomore year, I started the recycling program at my school. As president of the environmental club, I teach fellow students what they can do to help save the world we live in."

Expert Q&A

• Have friends or family read your essay—they can give you tips on how to make it stronger. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Make your introduction short and sweet. The general rule is that the introduction should be about 10% of the total word count of your essay—this usually isn't many words! Most scholarship essay introductions only have 3-4 sentences. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Typos can ruin an otherwise beautiful essay! Make sure you proofread carefully. [16] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://scholarshipowl.com/blog/apply-for-scholarships/scholarship-essay-introduction/
• ↑ https://www.owens.edu/writing/scholarship/
• ↑ https://www.nitrocollege.com/blog/how-to-start-a-scholarship-essay
• ↑ https://www.thecollegemonk.com/blog/scholarship-essay-introduction
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/ways-to-make-your-scholarship-essay-stand-out
• ↑ https://www.internationalstudent.com/essay_writing/scholarship_essaysample/
• ↑ https://online.maryville.edu/blog/how-to-write-a-scholarship-essay/
• ↑ https://www.southuniversity.edu/news-and-blogs/2013/05/8trickstowritingstandoutscholarshipessays

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To start a scholarship essay, open with an interesting story, experience, or anecdote to draw your reader in. Then, connect your opening to the broader topic or question you'll be addressing throughout your essay. If you need some inspiration for a good introduction, read the essays written by the previous winners of the scholarship you're applying for. Just make sure you use your own voice and experiences to write your essay so it comes across as authentic. To learn how to conduct research for your scholarship essay before you write it, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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100 Quotes to Kickstart Your Personal Statement (with examples)

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement tips & advice.

Starting your personal statement for university admissions can be a daunting task. It’s the first thing the admissions committee will read about you, and it needs to capture your unique voice, experiences, and aspirations in just a few words. So, where do you begin?

One effective way to start is with a powerful quote that reflects your values, interests, or goals.  

A great quote can set the tone for your essay, grab the reader’s attention, and showcase your personality and potential. In this blog post, I’ll explore quotes that you can draw from. I’ll also provide a couple of examples where successful candidates used quotes to begin their personal statements.

To make the process of selecting the perfect quote for your personal statement even easier, I’ve organized the list into categories that are common themes in personal statements. Whether you’re seeking to showcase your resilience, or creativity, I’ve got you covered with a range of quotes that can help you stand out from the crowd.  

In this Article

• Inspirational Quotes for personal statement 

Leadership Quotes for personal statement

Personal growth quotes for personal statement, academic quotes for personal statement, professional quotes for personal statement, cultural quotes for personal statement, creative quotes for personal statement, perseverance quotes for personal statement, inspirational quotes for personal statement  .

Inspirational quotes can be a great way to show your motivation, resilience, and determination. They can also help you communicate your values and beliefs and demonstrate your commitment to achieving your goals.

• “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
• “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
• “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
• “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
• “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean
• “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou
• “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” – Malcolm X
• “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
• “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis 

Here is an example opening paragraph of a personal statement where the candidate used an inspirational quote to begin:

As a lifelong learner and problem-solver, I’ve always been drawn to the field of artificial intelligence. But it wasn’t until I read a quote by Alan Turing that I truly appreciated the transformative potential of this field: ‘We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.’ These words resonated with me deeply, and I realized that the possibilities of artificial intelligence are limited only by our imaginations and our willingness to take risks. Throughout my academic and professional journey, I’ve sought out opportunities to push the boundaries of what’s possible, from pursuing advanced degrees in computer science to working on cutting-edge research projects. Through these experiences, I’ve learned the importance of collaboration, innovation, and perseverance in tackling the toughest challenges facing our world today. And as I look forward to contributing to the field of artificial intelligence, I’m inspired by the limitless potential of this technology and committed to using it to make a positive impact on society.

Leadership quotes can help you showcase your ability to lead and inspire others, and your commitment to making a positive impact in your community. They can also demonstrate your understanding of the importance of teamwork, communication, and collaboration, which are essential skills in many fields of study and careers.

• “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell
• “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F. Kennedy
• “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
• “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” – Ronald Reagan
• “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
• “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis
• “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker
• “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” – Jim Rohn
• “The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.” – Tony Blair
• “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” – Ralph Nader

Here is an example opening paragraph of a personal statement where the candidate used a leadership quote to begin:

As an aspiring business leader, I am always striving to develop the qualities and characteristics that will enable me to make a positive impact in my chosen field. To me, leadership is not just about achieving success, but also about helping others to reach their full potential. That’s why I find inspiration in the words of former U.S. President John Quincy Adams, who once said, ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.’ This quote captures the essence of what I believe it means to be a leader – to inspire, to guide, and to empower others to achieve their goals. I am committed to embodying these qualities as I pursue my education and career in business, with the goal of making a meaningful difference in the lives of those around me.

Personal growth is a lifelong process of learning, self-discovery, and personal development, and it’s an important aspect of personal and academic success. Using a personal growth quote in your personal statement can demonstrate your commitment to self-improvement, your willingness to learn and grow, and your ability to overcome challenges and setbacks.

• “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
• “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.” – W. Clement Stone
• “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison
• “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
• “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
• “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas A. Edison
• “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
• “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus

These quotes can be particularly relevant for students who have excelled academically, or who are interested in pursuing a career in academia or research. Academic quotes can be used to demonstrate your knowledge, and intellectual curiosity, as well as your ability to think critically and engage with complex ideas. They can also show your dedication to your field of study and your commitment to academic excellence.

• “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
• “The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values.” – William S. Burroughs
• “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – W.B. Yeats
• “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
• “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates
• “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
• “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
• “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey
• “Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
• “Education is the movement from darkness to light.” – Allan Bloom 

These quotes can be used to demonstrate your understanding and passion for your chosen field, as well as your commitment to excellence and professionalism. They can also be used to highlight specific skills or achievements that you have acquired in your professional pursuits, such as teamwork, problem-solving, or leadership.

• “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
• “Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” – David Rockefeller
• “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” – Colin Powell
• “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” – Chris Grosser
• “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
• “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

These quotes can help you showcase your appreciation and understanding of cultural diversity, your willingness to learn from different perspectives, and your interest in contributing to the global community. They can also be used to highlight any experiences or achievements that you have had in cultural immersion, cross-cultural communication, or intercultural exchange.  

• “No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.” – Mahatma Gandhi
• “Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.” – Jawaharlal Nehru
• “Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers.” – Paulo Coelho
• “Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.” – Rita Mae Brown
• “Culture is not a luxury, but a necessity for every society.” – Pearl S. Buck
• “Culture is the arts elevated to a set of beliefs.” – Thomas Wolfe
• “Culture is the sum total of all the things that make a society distinctive.” – Clifford Geertz
• “The beauty of culture is that it evolves through time and generations, shaping our values and beliefs.” – Chinua Achebe
• “The richness of our culture reflects the diversity of our people.” – Unknown
• “Culture is the window reflecting the soul of a nation.” – Wang Meng

They can also be used if you want to showcase your ability to think outside the box or to approach problems in a creative and innovative way, regardless of your field of study.

• “Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought.” – Albert Einstein
• “The creative adult is the child who survived.” – Ursula K. Le Guin
• “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” – Sylvia Plath
• “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein
• “Creativity takes courage.” – Henri Matisse
• “To be creative means to be in love with life.” – Osho
• “The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” – Julia Cameron
• “The chief enemy of creativity is ‘good’ sense.” – Pablo Picasso
• “Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye.” – Dorothy Parker
• “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” – Albert Einstein

Perseverance is a universal quality that is admired by all, and demonstrating a strong work ethic and determination to overcome challenges can be valuable in any academic or professional setting. Whether you have overcome personal obstacles or worked hard to achieve academic or professional success, using a perseverance quote can be a powerful way to convey your resilience and determination to admissions committees.  

• “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison
• “I have failed again and again throughout my life. That’s why I am a success.” – Michael Jordan
• “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot
• “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan
• “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe
• “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson
• “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison
• “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb
• “The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the story you keep telling yourself that you can’t achieve it.” – Jordan Belfort
• “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” – Newt Gingrich
• I hope these quotes provide some inspiration and ideas for your personal statement! Remember, choose quotes that speak to you personally and help showcase your unique strengths and qualities to the admissions committee.

Selecting the right quote to begin your personal statement can be a powerful tool to help you stand out in the admissions process. By choosing a quote that resonates with you and reflects your unique qualities and aspirations, you can set the tone for your personal statement and make a memorable first impression on the admissions team.

Whether you choose a quote about perseverance, leadership, or anything else, make sure it authentically represents who you are and what you hope to achieve. With these inspiring quotes as your guide, you’ll be one step closer to crafting a personal statement that showcases your strengths, character, and potential.

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay Introduction (With Example)

David Nov 27, 2018

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With the thousands of scholarships out there, you have a chance to win serious money to put towards your college tuition. But, the scholarship application process can be quite stressful, so we are here to help. The most difficult part of the application process for students is usually the essay . How do you write it? What should it include? We are going to focus on how to start a scholarship essay introduction.  

Scholarships are super competitive and the reviewers may not even have time to read the entire essay submitted. So, the first sentence of your scholarship application is your first and best chance to convince the reader to continue reading. For this reason, your essay’s introduction is crucial.

That sounds stressful, but rest assured, your introduction can actually be your best tool for success. Luckily, there is no one right way to write a scholarship introduction, but there are some things you must keep in mind.

You need to catch the judges’ eyes from the very beginning of the essay. Imagine that your readers have to read hundreds of applications. You must make your essay stand out.

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Your introduction should include the following three things:

• Attention-grabbing first sentence
• A short explanation for what you will talk about in your essay
• The thesis statement in which you address the essay prompt

Your introduction should be short, sweet, and to the point. This is the place to establish for the reader what you will be discussing in the rest of the essay.

Do you have a short story you can open your essay with? Jokes, metaphors, and anecdotes are a great way to capture your reader’s attention. Try to develop a personal connection with the reader from the start of your essay- readers are more likely to remember you if you give them something personal.

Take a look at the following two examples:

• Example #1: It is important to take responsibility for your actions for a few reasons.
• Example #2: December 2, 2015 was the day my life took a major turning point.

Do you notice the difference? Which example makes you feel like you want to know more about the writer? Of course, example #2. This is the effect that your essay introduction should have on the reader.

Be sure to maintain a unique voice in your introduction and throughout your essay. Remember that there are many other accomplished students like yourself who are fighting for the scholarship. Dive into your passions and share with the reader what makes you special.

Here are things you should avoid doing in the introduction paragraph:

• Avoid using big words only to sound intelligent. Your introduction should sound natural.
• Avoid starting your essay with quotes; those are somebody else’s words, not your own. Instead, use your own words and let your personality shine in the essay.
• Avoid obvious statements such as “I am interested in this scholarship.”
• Avoid introducing yourself

Also, remember to keep in mind the values of the organization or the school that you are writing the scholarship for. Express yourself in a way that the readers will appreciate. Yes, it’s important to be yourself. But, it’s also important to share the side of yourself that your reader will appreciate. To find this information out, you must research your audience to know what their values are.

Adapt your personal statement for different scholarships. Finally, make sure that you understand the instructions and essay questions before you begin writing.

Scholarship Essay Introduction Example:

Prompt: Please give the committee an idea of who you are and why you are the perfect candidate for the scholarship.

• Scholarship Essay

David Tabachnikov is the CEO of ScholarshipOwl. Formerly at Waze and Google, David is an experienced CTO/R&D manager with over 10 years of experience of leading tech teams. David fervently believes that students should have greater access to education, and is passionate about using technology to help them achieve that goal.

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What’s the Best Scholarship Essay Format?

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Many scholarships require students to write an essay as part of their application. These writing and essay scholarships want to learn about your experiences, interests, or background as a student through your essay. But once you have finished writing, you may wonder: What is the best way to format my scholarship essay?

Should you include a title? What about spacing, page numbers, or citations? These are important questions and should be essential parts of your editing and revising process. Keep on reading to make sure that your essay is formatted properly!

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Getting started with essay formatting

The first rule of the scholarship essay format is following all of the rules that the scholarship application states. Whether that is spacing, citations, or font size, you should always follow the directions. There isn’t a faster way to get a scholarship committee member to say “nah” than ignoring the directions.

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Essay titles.

Should you begin your essay with a title? In my experience reading essays of all types, a title is very optional. If it is an especially clever or necessary title, then sure, go for it!

Otherwise, I would recommend saving your valuable word count and put it towards the actual essay. If you write your essay and are feeling stuck on a title, let it go and don’t worry about it. Prepare for your scholarship writing endeavors  by reading our short essay guides for 250 word essays , as well as 500 word essays !

Related: How to write an essay about yourself

Font size & style

The MLA recommends using size 12 font, and that’s what we’d recommend using. As far as the style of the font, you should stick to something that is legible and easy to read. Times New Roman or Arial are both going to be good bets. The scholarship essay is not the best place to get creative with a funky, hard-to-read font.

Should I single or double space the essay?

We know that most of your essays for school are probably double spaced. This is usually a good call for scholarship essays as well, because it makes the essay easier to read. In addition to spacing, you want to make sure that your scholarship essay is broken down into paragraphs and is not one single block of text.

Are page numbers required?

On many school papers, you may have to put a page number on each page. This is not necessary for your scholarship essays unless it is a clearly stated requirement.

Does proper scholarship essay formatting require citations?

If you are citing other sources, it is a good idea to use citations. It does not matter whether you are using MLA, Chicago, or some other type of citation (unless it is specifically required). Instead, it is important to simply be consistent in how you cite your sources. Most essays probably will not require outside sources or research, but if you are applying to certain research-based or STEM scholarships you may want to brush up on your citations.

Do’s and don’ts for scholarship essay formatting 

Final thoughts.

Writing can be a very stressful process for students, both in the scholarship process and the college admissions process. One of the best things that you can do is give yourself plenty of time to write and refine your essays. Ideally, you will also have a trusted outside reader serve as an editor for all of your essays.

The major rules of scholarship essay formatting are to follow the application instructions and make sure that your formatting is not distracting. Ultimately, you will want to ensure that the essay reader can easily and clearly read your essay and not distract them with sloppy or unconventional formatting.

Additional resources for writing essays

Here at Scholarships360, we have nearly every resource to help you write your best scholarship essay and to help you through the college admission process. Learn how to write winning scholarship essays , including how to start a scholarship essay and how to end a scholarship essay as well! Maybe you are writing a “Why this college” essay ? We can help with that too! Also, be sure to check out our individualized supplemental essay guides for schools that require them.

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Key Takeaways

• First and foremost, always carefully read the instructions of what format is required 
• Unless otherwise specified, double space your essay and break it down into easily digestible paragraphs
• If not stated, use easy to read fonts like Times New Roman or Ariel
• Never use information without citing, and if you do need to cite, be consistent with citation style (such as MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)
• Always. always double check that your essay is not only formatted correctly, but thoroughly proofread for grammar and spelling

Frequently asked questions about scholarship essay formatting  

Should a scholarship essay be double spaced, what citation style should i use in a scholarship essay, is it better to include a scholarship essay title, what font is good for a scholarship essay, scholarships360 recommended.

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3 More College Leaders to Face Congress Over Antisemitism Claims

The heads of Rutgers, Northwestern and U.C.L.A. will be the first university leaders to testify since a wave of protest encampments roiled college campuses.

By Sharon Otterman ,  Ernesto Londoño and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

For the fourth time in six months, the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce is summoning school leaders to Washington to be questioned about accusations of antisemitism at their institutions.

This time, on Thursday, the committee’s focus will be on how three diverse universities reacted when pro-Palestinian encampments sprung up on their lawns as part of an international wave of student activism against the war in Gaza.

Two of the schools whose leaders will testify — Northwestern and Rutgers — made deals with protesters to end their encampments peacefully. The third, the University of California, Los Angeles, called in the police to dismantle its encampment, but only after a violent attack by counterprotesters the night before caused the situation to veer out of control .

Representative Virginia Foxx, the chairwoman of the committee, has blasted Rutgers and Northwestern for negotiating with the demonstrators, whose views she has described as antisemitic and supportive of terrorism. But she has also derided U.C.L.A.’s chancellor for calling the police too late, saying he allowed his campus to become a “severe and pervasive hostile environment for Jewish students.”

“The committee has a clear message for mealy-mouthed, spineless college leaders: Congress will not tolerate your dereliction of your duty to your Jewish students,” Ms. Foxx said in a May 16 statement announcing the hearing. “No stone must go unturned while buildings are being defaced, campus greens are being captured or graduations are being ruined.”

The three college leaders do not dispute that Jewish students have faced antisemitism, both on and off their campuses. But all have largely defended their responses, saying that they have taken steps to stop it.

How aggressive they will be in pushing back against the committee’s claims, however, remains to be seen.

School leaders have taken different approaches at past hearings. The presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania were measured and legalistic; the president of Columbia was conciliatory. Three public school superintendents, who testified earlier this month, ceded little ground, sparring with lawmakers in ways rarely seen on Capitol Hill.

Those who distrust the committee’s motivations in grilling the college leaders hope Thursday will represent another moment of pushback. Many faculty members and students have seen the hearings as government intrusions motivated more by partisan politics than real concern for Jewish students.

Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, the chair of religious studies at Northwestern, defended the school’s decision to end its encampment using negotiation as a model of constructive conflict resolution.

“We can be proud of our administration and we can be proud of our students,” she said. She added that it pained her to see Northwestern’s president “dragged up there and subjected to this inquisitorial process that is so reminiscent of McCarthyism.”

Thursday’s hearing represents the first time that leaders of public universities — U.C.L.A. and Rutgers — have been brought to testify about campus antisemitism since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. This changes the hearing’s context somewhat, as public universities must follow First Amendment principles of free speech on their campuses, while private universities have more freedom to restrict what can be said.

It is also the first time that university leaders have been questioned since the decision of Columbia’s president, Nemat Shafik, to call in the police to end a pro-Palestinian encampment on April 18, shortly after her own congressional testimony.

Since then, at least 65 other university leaders across the country have cracked down on pro-Palestinian student protesters by detaining or arresting them, with nearly 3,000 arrests so far , according to a New York Times tracker. But more than a dozen colleges have reached agreements with demonstrators, often by consenting to talk about their key demand: severing their school’s financial ties with companies that profit from Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

The university leaders speaking before the committee Thursday face a variety of circumstances at their campuses, and their testimony is likely to vary in style and focus.

Only months from a preplanned retirement, Gene D. Block, the chancellor of U.C.L.A. and an expert in neuroscience, may feel freer than the other two college leaders to parry with committee members.

His campus was thrown into turmoil three weeks ago amid a flurry of conflict over the pro-Palestinian student encampment there. The conflict culminated in an attack on the camp on April 30 by a group of pro-Israel counterprotesters. The following night, the police arrested more than 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Since then, Dr. Block and the university’s police force have faced criticism on multiple fronts. Many have questioned why the counterprotesters were allowed to attack students in the encampment for several hours before the police intervened, and why only members of the camp — and not those who attacked it — have been arrested so far.

“It wasn’t that we were arrested that bothered us — at least for me, it was, What is this unreal double standard?” said Aidan Doyle, a third-year student who was arrested in the pro-Palestinian encampment after being injured by counterprotesters.

The education committee has charged that U.C.L.A. did not act soon enough to clear the camp, allowing acts of harassment against some Jewish students.

In his written testimony to the committee, provided to The Times, Dr. Block mentioned his childhood as a Jewish boy growing up in the Catskills region of New York, with relatives who were Holocaust survivors. He described how as chancellor of a public university, he must both allow free speech and keep students safe from discrimination, a difficult balance.

He also took some blame, acknowledging that U.C.L.A. was insufficiently prepared with security resources when violence broke out around the encampment. He pledged reform.

“With the benefit of hindsight, we should have been prepared to immediately remove the encampment if and when the safety of our community was put at risk,” he said.

On Wednesday, the school removed the campus police chief , John Thomas, from his post and reassigned him, according to U.C.L.A. officials.

Michael Schill , the president of Northwestern University since September 2022, is a legal scholar who has made safeguarding free speech one of his core priorities.

On April 29, Mr. Schill became the first university president to strike a deal with students who had called on their school to sever financial ties with companies profiting from Israel’s military campaign.

Under the agreement, students dismantled their tent encampment and Northwestern promised to be more transparent about its financial holdings. It also agreed to award scholarships to five Palestinian students affected by the conflict and to create roles for two Palestinian professors.

The deal restored a sense of normalcy on campus, but it was met with vociferous criticism from pro-Israel groups, which accused Mr. Schill of condoning antisemitism. Mr. Schill, who is Jewish, is expected to face tough questions about the deal on Thursday.

“I used to say that it was very hard to make everyone happy,” Mr. Schill said in an interview days after the agreement was announced. “Today it’s virtually impossible to make anyone happy.”

Eman Hamed, a junior at Northwestern who helped organize the pro-Palestinian demonstrations, said lawmakers and university administrators had focused too much on allegations of antisemitism while glossing over instances of harassment and abuse directed at Arab students.

“There’s a single story being told right now by presidents like Schill, who only honor and condemn antisemitism with no regard for rampant anti-Arab sentiment,” said Ms. Hamed.

Jonathan Holloway , the president of Rutgers since 2020, is a historian specializing in African American history. One of his goals at Rutgers, he has said , is to foster “a beloved community,” a university culture defined by tolerance, diversity and the spirited exchange of opinions and ideas.

He has also come under considerable criticism since negotiating an end to a large pro-Palestinian encampment on Rutgers’s campus in New Brunswick, N.J., on May 2. Under the agreement, the university will welcome 10 displaced Palestinian students to finish their educations at Rutgers, plan for a new cultural center for Arab and Muslim students and allow protesters to formally present their divestment requests.

Two Democratic congressmen from New Jersey, Donald Norcross and Josh Gottheimer, denounced Dr. Holloway’s response in a letter.

“We are concerned that Rutgers appears to have incentivized people to act in a lawless and threatening manner by appeasing the demands of violent and hateful agitators,” they wrote of the deal.

But Dr. Holloway has defended his approach, noting on May 6 that “the result of our actions was a peaceful return to the normal course of business.” (He has also allowed a second, smaller tent encampment to remain at the university’s Newark campus for three weeks. On Tuesday, administrators told protesters to “ leave now .”)

While some Jewish faculty members and students are upset by what they view as a capitulation to the protesters, others support Dr. Holloway.

“The negotiated agreement avoided the brutal confrontation with the police that we have seen unfold on other campuses across the country,” several Jewish Rutgers professors wrote in an open letter that has now been signed by more than 600 Jewish professors nationally.

Sharon Otterman is a Times reporter covering higher education, public health and other issues facing New York City. More about Sharon Otterman

Ernesto Londoño is a Times reporter based in Minnesota, covering news in the Midwest and drug use and counternarcotics policy. More about Ernesto Londoño

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports on national stories across the United States with a focus on criminal justice. He is from upstate New York. More about Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

The Campus Protests Over the Gaza War

News and Analysis

​​A union for academic workers in the University of California system announced that an ongoing strike challenging the system’s handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations would extend to two more campuses , U.C.L.A. and U.C. Davis.

​​With speeches canceled , students at the City University of New York School of Law ceremony chanted, carried signs and walked out .

​​Hundreds of students walked out of Harvard’s commencement ceremony , while hundreds of others chanted “Let them walk!”, a reference to 13 student protesters who were not allowed to graduate.

A Complex Summer:  Many university leaders and officials may be confronting federal investigations, disputes over student discipline  — and the prospect that the protests start all over again in the fall.

Graduation’s Pomp Goes On:  Commencement is the rare American ritual that still has rules. That’s why it’s ripe for disruption .

A New Litmus Test:  Some Jewish students say their views on Zionism — which are sometimes assumed — have affected their social life on campus .

College President Openings:  Presidential posts are available at U.C.L.A., Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Penn and many others. But the job is not what it used to be .

Harry Edwards to sociology grads: Even in turbulent times, believe in yourself

By Public Affairs

May 24, 2024

Follow  Berkeley Talks , a  Berkeley News  podcast that features lectures and conversations at UC Berkeley.  See all  Berkeley Talks .

Allena Cayce/UC Berkeley

In Berkeley Talks episode 199 , Harry Edwards, a renowned sports activist and UC Berkeley professor emeritus of sociology, gives the keynote address at the Department of Sociology’s 2024 commencement ceremony. 

“As I stand here before you, in the twilight of my life’s time of long shadows,” said Edwards at the May 13 event, “from a perspective informed by my 81 years of experience, and by a retrospective assessment of the lessons learned over my 60 years of activism, what is my advice and message to you young people today? What emerges as most critically germane and relevant in today’s climate?

“First: Even in turbulent times, in the midst of all of the challenges, contradictions and confusion to be faced, never cease to believe in yourself and your capacities to realize your dreams. 

“From time to time, you might have to take a different path than you had anticipated and planned, but you can still get there. Achievement of your dreams always begins with a belief in yourself. Never allow anyone to dissuade you of this imperative disposition. And if someone so much as even tries, you tell them that the good doctor said you need to go and get a second opinion.”

[ Music: “Silver Lanyard” by Blue Dot Sessions ]

Intro:  This is  Berkeley Talks , a  Berkeley News  podcast from the Office of Communications and Public Affairs that features lectures and conversations at UC Berkeley. You can follow  Berkeley Talks  wherever you listen to your podcasts. New episodes come out every other Friday. Also, we have another podcast,  Berkeley Voices , that shares stories of people at UC Berkeley and the work that they do on and off campus.

[Music fades out]

Raka Ray: Well, hello everyone. It’s a delight to be here with you today to congratulate the class of 2024 and everybody else who is here in support of them. Today I get to introduce to you a man who is not only a foot and a half taller than I am, but also truly a giant of a human being in every way, Professor Harry Edwards, who was professor of sociology at Berkeley between 1970 and 2000.

Born in St. Louis Missouri, Harry Edwards was awarded an athletic scholarship to San Jose State University, completed his Ph.D. degree in sociology from Cornell, and then joined the Berkeley faculty. His experiences as an African American, as an athlete and as a sociologist helped him to keenly understand in the late 1960s that sport in America was deeply racialized and discriminatory. With this understanding, he set about transforming race relations in sports through his research, teaching, mentoring and activism.

Some of you might have seen the statues of Tommy Smith and John Carlos in San Jose State. If you haven’t, they’re great athletes, Tommy Smith and John Carlos, who won the 200 meters race in the 1968 Mexico Olympics and then raised their fists in a Black power salute. This was done because of Harry Edwards who encouraged them to do this.

He created the Olympic Project for human rights, which challenged racism in sports and called for the boycott of apartheid South Africa. Just the other day, he arranged for a personal video to be sent by gymnast Simone Biles to encourage a heartbroken 8-year-old Black Irish gymnast who had been ignored during a medal ceremony. He has used his keen sociological imagination and eye for justice to affect transformation in every sphere of sports that he could.

As professor in the department, he taught thousands of students about the sociology of sports and race, effectively creating the field of sociology of sports, even as he advised the NBA, the NFL and the major baseball league. Always a scholar and activist, he has insisted that struggle not be divorced from strategic analysis and intellectual consideration. Earlier this year, I was honored to present Harry with the Social Science for the Public Good Award for 2024. We have now renamed it the Harry Edwards Social Science for the Public Good Award. Please join me in welcoming Harry Edwards to the podium.

Do you need to adjust this?

Harry Edwards: Oh, yeah. A little bit. I got to make an adjustment here. People are vertically challenged, so I got to make up for that. Dean Ray, thank you for that gracious and profoundly generous introduction. I hope that one day soon you and I and that gentleman that you introduced will be in the same room and I’d like to meet him because he sounds like a heck of a guy.

Graduating class of 2024, families and guests, colleagues, thank you so much for this opportunity to address you on this August occasion. The problem with being the last speaker is that everything that needs to be said has been said, you just haven’t had a chance to say it, but I will try not to be too repetitive.

Today we stand again on the threshold of transformative times. Sixty-plus years ago, my undergraduate graduation was a time of exhilaration, high expectations and joy. I was a 21-year-old honors student and former scholarship athlete with the options of entering the pro football or basketball drafts, or accepting one of several fellowships to graduate school.

Strongly influenced by Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the 1963 march on Washington, I indulged the dream of helping to create a society where people would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character, the caliber of their competence and the magnitude of their contributions to society.

But hanging over and clouding my personal excitement and aspirations was a growing concern about what was happening in society and the world around me. American society was already badly divided over civil rights issues and there was a growing division over the nation’s expanding involvement in a far-off war in a place called Vietnam, and the president was coming under increasing criticism and pressure related to both.

The trajectory of the domestic political climate had been set by the assassination of a popular president, John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963 — a tragedy that, for me, was all the more bewildering because it occurred at what was a major coming of age phase of life for me. I was a graduating honors student with fellowships to Ivy league universities, and Nov. 22, 1963 was my 21st birthday.

The tragedy was followed by a long list of others, all within the period of my subsequent graduate school matriculation, including the murder of civil rights workers Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner in Philadelphia, Mississippi; the assassination of the martyred president’s brother, himself a presidential candidate; and other national leadership figures, some of whom I’ve come to know and work with personally, including Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., over the course of my graduate matriculation.

By 1970, in my Ph.D. graduation from Cornell, I had organized the 1968 Olympic project for human rights and protest of racial conditions in America, America’s support for apartheid in South Africa and the continuing involvement in a war where casualties on all sides were escalating and young Black men were being drafted and killed in grossly disproportionate numbers. Nationwide campus protests demanding that colleges and universities divest from apartheid South Africa had melded with what by then was a tsunami of anti-Vietnam war protest that even had disrupted the Presidential Nomination Convention in Chicago in 1968.

And most graphically, the nation’s first war with real time saturation TV coverage had brought into our living rooms the horrific scenes of religious figures setting themselves afire in front of the U.S. embassy in Saigon, of dead and wounded anti-war student protesters at Kent State, and of Black students in Orangeburg, South Carolina, killed and wounded while protesting segregation.

And again, all considered, it would seem that today we stand again on the cusp of similarly turbulent times: a society badly divided over issues of race, immigration, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights and more.

A president under increasing criticism and pressure for both his domestic political agenda and for his policies relating to America’s involvement with, if not trending complicity, in a far off war that has spawned popular dissent, campus protest, and now an active-duty soldier setting himself afire outside of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C, all of which have exacerbated our already existing divisions as a people on the eve of what is developing through the most significant presidential election at least since 1968, if not 1860. There is even a presidential convention again being scheduled in Chicago. All of this combining to make the challenges we face today all the more explosive, convoluted, complex and difficult to resolve.

But there are critical differences. As a people we did not know about the depths and scope of human tragedy that came with the expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia, or in the wake of that expansion, the horrors perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge until after these events happened. We did not know about the Rwanda genocide until after it happened. For the most part, we did not know about the scale and magnitude of 6 million-plus souls whose lives were viciously and horrifically snuffed out until the gates and ovens of Buchenwald and Auschwitz were open to the world after it happened.

But today, right now, we know about 1,200 Israeli civilian deaths, 5,100 wounded and maimed, and 253 kidnapped and initially held hostages. We know about 35,000-plus Palestinian civilian deaths, over 7,000 wounded and maimed, with thousands more buried under bombed-out rubble in Gaza, nearly 70% of them women, children and babies. We know about a burgeoning, administratively induced famine and the massive starvation in Gaza. Again, most of those threatened being women, children and babies. And these differences between now and back in my day make a difference. And if you’ve ever wondered what you would’ve done had you been around and known about the march up to the atrocities in Cambodia, in Rwanda, in 1930s Germany. Today, you’ve got your answer. It’s exactly what you are doing now.

We can be honest even when we can’t be right. The reality is that the last 75 years of this Middle East perennial conflict have taught us, attack after attack, war after war, that there is no military solution to this tragedy. The only viable resolution is for the parties involved to come together at the peace table and establish a mutually agreed-upon and sustainable peace, not just the ceasefire, not just a temporary halt for hostilities in order to get in humanitarian supplies, but a sustainable peace. Other measures simply have not worked. Occupation is not peace, and a body count is not a measure of victory.

Now, sanity compels us to concede that the only real question remaining is how many bodies each party to this conflict is going to insist upon climbing over to get to the peace table. And to this point, nobody on either side appears to even have a number in mind. The parties involved continue to forge headlong, down the same paths, employing the same bankrupt strategies and expecting different outcomes — outcomes that have only spawned more war and more violent attacks, doing the same things expecting different outcomes. The very definition of insanity.

As I stand here before you then in the twilight of my life’s time of long shadows, from a perspective informed by my 81 years of experience, and by a retrospective assessment of the lessons learned over my 60 years of activism, what is my advice and message to you young people today? What emerges as most critically germane and relevant in today’s climate?

First, even in turbulent times, in the midst of all of the challenges, contradictions and confusion to be faced, never cease to believe in yourself and your capacities to realize your dreams.

From time to time, you might have to take a different path than you had anticipated and planned, but you can still get there. Achievement of your dreams always begins with a belief in yourself. Never allow anyone to dissuade you of this imperative disposition. And if someone so much as even tries, you tell them that the good doctor said you need to go and get a second opinion.

The Founding Fathers believed in themselves, and they were not just a bunch of old dudes as typically portrayed and memorialized. When you look at one of them paintings of 1776, everybody, if they’re not gray, they’re wearing a gray wig. On July the 4th, 1776, among the signers of the Declaration of Independence creating the United States of America in the face of threats of hanging and a declaration of war from the British Empire was James Monroe, 18, Aaron Burr, 20, Alexander Hamilton, 21, James Madison, 25, and old Thomas Jefferson, 33. Don’t let anybody tell you you’re nothing but a bunch of kids and don’t know what you’re doing.

As I look at this situation today, it’s easy to see how much ageism works into our perceptions and understandings of what we are and what we’re dealing with. Don’t get caught up not only in you’re too young, but the presidential candidates are too old. I was listening to somebody the other day … Did you see Biden trying to run up on the stage? Did you see him trying to hop up on the steps of Air Force One? He looked horrible. Hey, I want to tell you something. I’m Biden’s age. I’m 81. I couldn’t run out of sight if you gave me all day.

You are not electing somebody who can run a hundred meters. You’re not electing somebody who can set a world-class time in 110 meter high hurdles. You are electing a president. We need to get over this nonsense and understand that this ageism and this ageist bias, there’s no place for that. If they’re too old, hey, guess what? Don’t tell anybody old Edwards told you that, but it sounds to me like that’s a problem that’s going to probably take care of itself. At the end of the day, get out and vote, get your friends up off the couch where they start talking about, “Yeah, we can talk about how old the candidates are,” as we go to the poll and vote. Get out and vote.

You are part of the most informed, technologically savvy and sophisticated generation in human history, you have capabilities and access to information, analysis and communications technology that in the 1960s and ’70s we not only did not have, we could not even imagine. The mobile phone that you routinely use every day puts more information retrieval analysis and computing power at your fingertips than the rocket ship that took men to the moon in the 1970s and brought them back home safely. In fact, given the volume and scope of information you need to make a habit of checking, cross-checking and verifying everything, hold to your dreams, but learn to dream with your eyes open.

Second, keep the faith, not only in yourself, but in the ideals and promises of this nation, its institutions and, most of all, the majority of the American people. They’re eminently decent, intelligent and, for the most part, value and treasure freedom.

Though controversial and dismissed in some political circles as protestor capitulation, and alternatively as pandering to protestors, it is affirming to see student protestors, counter protestors and university administrators coming together across the nation from San Francisco State and Sacramento State to Rutgers in New Jersey to discuss and debate issues of urgent and mutual concern. To paraphrase a number of university presidents and chancellors across the nation, “If we cannot come together to discuss and debate these issues even on our college campuses in an America that so many have struggled to realize and have fought and died for then that America is doomed.”

Adversarial parties, not just reaching over, but coming out from behind their barricades to sit down and discuss and debate contentious issues, is a development that speaks persuasively to the conviction that American democratic traditions and processes not only work and can be saved, but that they are worth saving.

And do not be concerned about the lack of apparent, popular political cultural leaders. We never see them coming. We never have been able to see them coming. We didn’t see Dr. King, a 26-year-old Baptist pastor coming out of Birmingham. We didn’t see Malcolm X, a 26-year-old convict coming out of prison. We didn’t see Donald, what’s his name, coming, and didn’t believe it when he got here.

This old age is something you forget. You just forget. Stay positive, you’re going to be all right. America is greater at this kind of struggle than any other nation on Earth.

Third, always cast and view societal challenges and their proposed solutions through a prism of inclusiveness.

We as a people are more successful and effective at any task undertaken when we work together, as opposed to working separately or against each other. To quote the illustrious writer and public intellectual James Baldwin and his warning in 1962 to the Civil Rights Movement, no less than America more generally, “Unless we dare to include everybody in our strategic change strategies and efforts and goals, we are doomed to realize the prophecy of those words from the Bible put the song by a slave,” and God gave Noah the rainbow sign, “No more water, the fire next time.”

And in our deafness to Baldwin’s message, between the 1962 publication of his warning and his classic book of essays, The Fire Next Time, at the turn of the decade in 1970, over 150 American cities were ravaged with fire, riots, rebellions from Watson Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey. Episodes of lawlessness typically carried out by masses of people who felt left out and left behind by both mainstream America and a Black middle class oriented Deep South focused church-based civil rights movement.

And finally, do not be afraid.

The greatest storehouse and repository of human creativity, ingenuity and strategic solutions on Earth is in all probability the cemetery. Because far too often people are afraid to step out of their comfort zones, to take the chance of actively and aggressively pursuing their dreams and purposes in life, so tragically for everybody concerned. Ultimately, they end up taking their dreams and potential contributions to the grave with them.

And by no means should you be in fear of and immobilized by controversy. Controversy is all too often part of the deal. I heard a parent tell his daughter last week who was participating in demonstrations, protesting war and carnage, “You’re involved in something controversial.”

I was born in controversy and became even more controversial than that. You can get past it, you can get over it. Being controversial does not equate with being wrong, even when law enforcement is deployed against you. Police were sent in to break up student sit-ins protesting segregation at lunch counters and other public accommodations. In the 1960s, police were sent in to break up voting rights protests, marches led by John Lewis and others at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Police were called on Rosa Parks for not giving up her seat on a bus and she was arrested. Police were deployed to break up many of his protests, marches and they arrested Dr. Martin Luther King 29 times. Deploying law enforcement to arrest protesters is not necessarily right or even a moral act. It is a legal act. It is an act of power, and all too often, depending upon the cause and its urgency, might still doesn’t make right.

In the broader context, we have an even greater problem with fear in these turbulent times. Fear and fear-mongering have become staples of our social political life as a society to the point that it appears that everybody is afraid of somebody. Fear the left, fear the right, fear the immigrants, fear the progressives, fear the liberals, fear the conservatives, fear the Republicans, fear the Democrats, fear the government. Fear the evangelicals. Fear the secular humanists. Fear the Muslims. Fear the Jews. Fear Black males in hoodies. Fear the rich in their power, fear the poor in their demands. Fear women and their agenda for healthcare and equality. Fear the MAGA devotees and their agenda. Fear the LBGTQ+ and their agenda. Be whatever you want to be today. But first of all, be afraid and someone it seems is always there pledging to save you from everybody and everything that you fear in exchange for your money, your loyalty, your support, your idolization and your adulation of them.

Let me conclude then with this. As I look out upon this graduating class, I am not the slightest bit hopeful that you and your generation will successfully confront and manage the challenges of these turbulent times. I am confident that you got this.

You are just that much smarter, better equipped and better prepared than any other generation in American history. Now, at this commencement, as you start your journeys into the rest of your lives, as an old scholar-activist and UC Berkeley professor, I feel certain and completely convinced that the struggle to form that more perfect union and to create a better world is in good hands. And I salute and applaud you. Congratulations, best of luck and Godspeed.

Outro:  You’ve been listening to  Berkeley Talks , a  Berkeley News  podcast from the Office of Communications and Public Affairs that features lectures and conversations at UC Berkeley. Follow us wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can find all of our podcast episodes, with transcripts and photos, on  Berkeley News  at news.berkeley.edu/podcasts.

Watch a video of the Department of Sociology’s full commencement ceremony.

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