In this post, I will be sharing my advice and experience from the perspective of a successful GREAT Scholarship awardee which helped me to study my Creative Writing: Writing the City MA master’s course at the University of Westminster.

The process of applying for a scholarship can be daunting, believe me I know. While it is highly competitive, the essays make it even more dreadful. This is because there is no right or wrong answer to an essay. You could make sense to one reviewer, yet to another you could be wrong.
So, how do you write an essay that will put you ahead of the many good applicants you will be competing with? My top 5 tips are not all there is to writing scholarship essays, but if you follow them like I did, then you should be in an advantageous position to get that dream scholarship.

1. Study the specific eligibility criteria for each unique scholarship

Not all scholarships are for everyone and that is okay. These scholarship awarding bodies have certain candidate profiles they are always looking for. Don’t jump on every opportunity you see as that will lead to many disappointments. Some scholarships are specific to certain countries, like the one I got. My scholarship was for only one Ghanaian student at the University of Westminster. Imagine if a Nigerian or a Kenyan with beautiful results had applied, they would have been disqualified. Some scholarships are specific to certain courses, religious groups, and social groups like LGBTQ+ communities. Most scholarships consider the grades on your transcript and some consider the number of years you have worked before that application.

2. Start your essay with a short true story and be authentic. No sob stories!

I had the chance to meet the very person who read my scholarship essay, the regional manager for sub-Saharan African students at the University of Westminster. And to be honest, it was quite a surreal moment for me as I sat beside the person who gave me this opportunity. We had coffee together and the first question I asked her was “What made my essay unique? Why did you choose me?” I asked this question because the GREAT scholarship I received was for only one Ghanaian student, so imagine how tough the competition was. Her answer to my question was “…your essay was authentic, I can still remember the story you started with”. Believe me when I say that schoalrship reviewers know when an actual person wrote the essay or not. This is not to say that you cannot use AI or Grammarly, but these tools should only be used to improve your work, not generate ideas for you. Meanwhile, I did not use any of these tools when I wrote my essay! And oh, your story should be interesting enough to capture the attention of the reader so that they are willing to read till the end.

3. Capture your achievements that relate to the course and your contribution to society

It’s important to start by saying you should also capture what you plan to do for your society at the end of your studies at the University…take note – I said society, not the whole country.

Most scholarship essays ask the general question “How will this scholarship contribute to development in your country?” Now it may not be the same words, but they would like to know what you will do after the opportunity has been given to you. Talk about your society or community, for example, if you live in Obuasi (Ghana), specifically outline something that is not right in the community and what you would like to do to help that community, as that feels more personalized and real. It communicates to the review panel your love and attention to your community. Your contribution to society is a contribution to your country as well.

Answer all essay prompts subtly and intelligently. If a prompt in your scholarship essay question is “explain why you think you deserve this scholarship”, don’t start your answer with “I think I deserve this scholarship because…”. No. Always state your reasons and answers subtly and intelligently without starting with that statement. Make sure the name of the scholarship finds its way into your essay. Scholarship reviewers want to see intentionality. They understand that this is probably not the only scholarship you have applied for, so be sure to reference the specific name and details of each individual scholarship applied for. For example, this is how I included the name of my scholarship in my application essay “…with the little experience that I have in writing, I was able to help and guide a lot of students who reached out to me concerning their creative writing. The University of Westminster GREAT scholarship will be a great financial support system for me…”

I could have simply written “this scholarship”, but to show the scholarship review teams how intentional you are about their specific award, make sure you include their award name!

4. Focus on your attributes and plans, not your financial difficulties

Unless they specifically ask about your financial situation, don’t drag them into your family problems. Believe me, nobody wants to read sad stories all day.

5. Check your grammar, tenses, word count and sentence structure.

Don’t attempt to submit your very first draft. Always find someone to proofread your essay for you, and edit it repeatedly, you will be surprised at the mistakes they will find. We are always blind to our own mistakes, aren’t we?

With these tips, I hope you win that scholarship you dream of. Congratulations in advance(smiles) and thanks for reading to this point.

If you are still not sure, you can email me at ephyaamponsah@gmail.com with your scholarship essay, and I will be more than willing to read through it.

Best wishes,

Sylvia

For more insights from international students studying at the University of Westminster and living in the heart of London, please visit International Student Blogs

Information about scholarship opportunities at the University of Westminster can be found on the Scholarships page.