{"id":6717,"date":"2020-09-30T19:23:29","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T19:23:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scholarshipowl.com\/blog\/?p=6717"},"modified":"2022-07-11T09:09:46","modified_gmt":"2022-07-11T13:09:46","slug":"how-to-write-a-college-essay-about-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scholarshipowl.com\/blog\/apply-for-scholarships\/how-to-write-a-college-essay-about-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a College Essay About Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"

The scholarship you\u2019re applying to requires that you write an essay about yourself. Easy peasy, how hard could it be? After all, you\u2019ve been living with yourself for the last 17+ years! You know yourself better than anybody. You open your computer to start typing but your mind goes blank. Everything that you know about yourself suddenly seems unworthy of a $5,000 scholarship.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What in the world can you write about that will spark enough interest in the scholarship committee? Before you start panicking, check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a college essay about yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1: Brainstorm\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

The first way to tackle any scholarship essay prompt is to start with some thinking. We highly suggest that you take time before starting to write to brainstorm the essay prompt. This will not only get your creativity flowing, but your essay will be more organized and cohesive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Brainstorm Ideas\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

To start brainstorming, sit down in a quiet space with a pen and paper. Think about your background, your family life, your family\u2019s financial state, your academic history, your childhood, your education, sports you play, and anything else about yourself that makes you who you are. If you\u2019re stuck, strike up a conversation with your parents or friends about yourself to get you rolling. Jot notes about yourself down on the paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dig Deeper<\/b><\/h2>\n

Now, it\u2019s time to take the facts you\u2019ve written about yourself and dig deeper. The goal of your scholarship essay is to tell a story about yourself that will convince the scholarship committee that you deserve to win. How can you turn facts about yourself into a compelling story?\u00a0 What information can you provide about yourself that will broadcast your character?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It helps to think about who your audience is. To do this, get to know the scholarship organization better! Visit their website and read their \u2018about\u2019 section. What do they stand for? What kind of students do they award?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your audience might be interested in how much you studied to get your 3.8 GPA. Your GPA and test scores may have helped get you into college, but they might not be enough to win you scholarship money. Thousands of students have near to perfect GPAs, and writing about it can be a bit dry.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your audience wants to read about the challenges you\u2019ve faced along the way or meaningful experiences you\u2019ve had. Did you have to watch a younger sibling every day after school because your parents were at work? Have you experienced mental health challenges or learning disabilities that have made studying hard for you? How did you decide that you wanted to study business in college? This is what we mean when we say to dig deep. Go past the surface level.\u00a0 Talk about the experiences you have had that have gotten you to where you are today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 2: What to Include in an Essay About Yourself\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

A scholarship essay about yourself is obviously very broad. You can take your essay in many directions. Remember, you want to provide information about yourself that makes your essay worth reading. Including facts about yourself in your essay is fine. But, you better be seasoning those facts with a lot of flavors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some ideas to include in your essay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Topics You Can Address in Your Essay<\/b><\/h2>\n

There are plenty of ways you can talk about yourself in your essay. Remember, your essay must focus on yourself and your personal experiences in life. You can choose one or two of the following topics as the basis of your essay.<\/span><\/p>\n