Friday, April 22, 2016

Practice Scholarship Application (Updated)

Scholarship Essays
Here are a list of essays required by the Gates Foundation Scholarship; included with these prompts are examples of successful answers from the past. Choose one of these prompts to answer and bring with you to share in class. 
Prompt 1: Discuss the subjects in which you excel or have excelled. To what factors do you attribute your success? 
Prompt 2: Discuss the subjects in which you had difficulty. What factors do you believe contributed to your difficulties? How have you dealt with them so they will not cause problems for you again? In what areas have you experienced the greatest improvement? What problem areas remain?
Prompt 3: Briefly describe a situation in which you felt that you or others were treated unfairly or were not given an opportunity you felt you deserved. Why do you think this happened? How did you respond? Did the situation improve as a result of your response?
Prompt 4: Discuss your short-term and long-term goals. Are some of them related? Which are priorities?
Prompt 5: Discuss a leadership experience you have had in any area of your life: School, work, athletics, family, church, community, etc. How and why did you become a leader in this area? How did this experience influence your goals?
Prompt 6: Discuss your involvement in and contributions to a community near your home, school or elsewhere. Please select an experience different from the one you discussed in the previous question, even if this experience also involved leadership.  What did you accomplish?  How did this experience influence your goals?
Prompt 7: Other than through classes in school, in what areas (non-academic or academic) have you acquired knowledge or skills?  How?
Prompt 8: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about that may help us evaluate your nomination (i.e., personal characteristics, obstacles you have overcome)?
Prompt 9: ONLY for Nominees who graduated from high school or earned their GED more than one year ago: Describe those activities in which you have participated since completing high school (e.g., community service, leadership, employment) that you believe qualify you for this scholarship.
Notes on writing the essays
When writing the essays, remember:
  • The essays do not have to be perfect!
  • Answer the prompt. If the only thing you write is the exact answers to the prompt, then you at least provided the information that they are seeking
  • Proofread!
  • DO NOT be too verbose, pedantic, wordy…(you get the point). The people who are reading your essays are volunteers and they will be reading LOTS of essays so DO NOT bore them or make it a difficult read! Some of my sample essays are borderline pedantic so I am not a great guide on how to be short and to the point.
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