How to Write a Personal Statement for Scholarships: Avoiding Mistakes


It is extremely important when applying for scholarships to make sure to include a personal statement. Writing a personal statement gives the scholarship committee an opportunity to get to know the person who is applying for the scholarship. The personal statement provides a more in depth look at the applicant and provides the committee with more than just a list of scholastic achievements. As with any paper, there is a specific list of steps that should be followed in order to create the most appropriate statement to reflect the person behind the scholarship application.

  • - Create an outline
  • - Brainstorm ideas on what should be included in getting to know more about you and your background
  • - Jot down key words/ideas that can be developed into comprehensive thought patterns and paragraphs
  • - Intertwine your scholastic merit with personal attributes that highlight being a top scholarship candidate
  • - Decide on a theme or main idea
  • - Use your brainstorming ideas to construct a solid theme that will resonate throughout
  • - Make sure your ideas and key points correlate directly to your theme
  • - Ensure that your main idea is reflective of the overall point you are trying to make
  • - Write a first draft
  • - Begin by writing cohesive sentences that highlight the main idea of the personal message you would like to convey
  • - Consider your audience and what tone you should set when describing yourself and your personal experiences
  • - Be sure to include examples and/or brief stories that highlight key personality traits
  • - Express why you are worthy of being a scholarship recipient and how you will benefit the organization that is considering awarding you with the scholarship
  • - Solidify your message
  • - Review your rough draft and be sure to edit the content
  • - Make any final decisions regarding content and experiences that speak directly to your character
  • - Conclude all thoughts and make sure they are written as accurately as possible
  • - Avoid possible mistakes
  • - Make sure you use proper grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure
  • - Check for possible inconsistencies in your transition sentences
  • - Avoid misrepresenting yourself
  • - Depict your life experiences as accurately as possible

Applying for a scholarship is a request to an organization to award you money for your own personal gain. Whenever you are asking someone to assist you financially, it is vital to depict exactly who you are, why they should help, and how it will benefit, not only you, but their organization as well. Keeping this in mind will give you an opportunity to place yourself in the brightest of lights with the scholarship committee and hopefully make you a proud scholarship recipient.