Great opening lines.

Most scholarships require an essay. I know it stinks. The thought of writing is enough to get anyone a little antsy. But, it's the cold, hard truth.

The hardest part of writing is to actually do it. I know that when I'm about to write something, I procrastinate because I don't know what I want to say, I want the words to come out perfectly, or I don't know where to start. Fortunately, I've found something that might give you some inspiration.

Stanford recently published the first sentences from stand-out personal essays written by this year's freshman class. This list is enough to get your wheels turning about your own opening lines for your scholarship or college admissions essays while also giving you some motivation. (These examples will help you realize that you don't need big words, lofty thinking, or super extraordinary experiences to craft a compelling, attention-getting essay.)

Take a look here for the examples. Let me know what you think: do these sentences grab your attention? Can you write a better opening line? Do you now feel that you could get into Stanford? 

Comment below when you get a chance. In the meantime, happy writing!

Quick tips on scholarship essay writing.

It might not be the easiest part of your scholarship application, but the essay portion is definitely the most important part. To help you write a killer essay, be sure to follow these quick tips:

1. Understand the question.

If you don't understand the question, you can't write a good response. If you need help understanding the subject or the question being asked, go over it with a friend or family member. Once you know what you need to write about, answer all parts of the question completely. 

2. Be succinct.

Nothing ruins an essay like being long-winded. Sometimes, we get carried away using big words or lofty descriptions trying to impress scholarship judges. This can be distracting and is unnecessary. To be blunt, don't use ten words when two will do. Clear, simple prose is the best way to make an impact.

3. Focus.

Don't get carried away by taking detours from your main point or theme. Keep you attention on the question being asked and only supply information relevant to the question. It's important to keep your essay organized and on point by using specific examples. Avoid using cliches(for example: bent out of shape, bite the dust, art imitates life, etc.) and writing that lacks specificity.

4. Be Personal.

The essay is your chance to express yourself as an individual and to introduce yourself to the selection committee. Instead of telling the judges what you've done by rehashing your activity list, reveal another layer of who you are. Use examples, experiences, and stories that highlight your personal characteristics. Especially those characteristics the scholarship organization emphasizes.

5. Develop Ideas.

Utilize quotes, examples, and specific facts to develop your main ideas. Ideas are readily accepted when evidence is provided. Don't make statements that can be questioned without offering the proof. For example, instead of saying "I volunteer," describe the experience: "Seeing the joy in the kids' faces made me smile--I saw that I helped them, that I made a difference. I gave them a high five, we shared some sour patch kids, and I wondered how I ever could have dreaded waking up early on Saturday mornings."

Anyone can write an essay. With these tips, you can write an essay that shines, separates you from your competition, and helps you win free money for college. Happy writing! 

Here's how you write a college essay.

This July, The New York Times Magazine published an essay titled "What's the Matter With College," and invited college students to write an essay in response to the article. Boy did they write. 600 students responded. 

The point is, I'm always being asked for examples of great essays. In addition, most students want to know the elements of a great essay so they can write one themselves. In my opinion, there are many ways to write a winning essay. When it comes down to it, the best essays elicit emotional responses from their readers. The winning New York Times Magazine Contest essays are great examples of writers generating emotion. 

If you are having trouble writing an essay, I highly recommend you read the winning essays from this contest: Click Here.  You'll be inspired, and write an award-winning essay yourself!

The key to stellar scholarship essays.

Watch the video below, and then I'll tell you how it relates to scholarship essay writing.

                                

   

Most likely, you have seen this commercial and were taken by surprise (I was). The viewer never expects these two friends to hit a car when they were just doing something we all do everyday: have a conversation while driving. What makes this commercial so good is that we are engaged the entire time and then surprised at the conclusion. Both elements combined make an extremely memorable advertisement.

The key to great essay writing is capturing your audience's attention (in your case, scholarship committees), and then making your message stick so you'll be remembered. But here's the kicker. If you don't engage your audience within the first few sentences, you're sunk.  

Here are four ways to create an essay that helps you stand out and makes you memorable:

1. Spend most of the time on your introduction. Like I said, you need to capture your reader's attention within the first sentence. Thus, your introduction is the most important part of your essay, because the goal is to keep your reader reading. Spend at least 60% of your essay writing time on your introduction and you won't be sorry.

2. Lead-in sentences should create a mystery. Lead sentences like "the person who made the biggest impact on my life was. . ." or "If I could have lunch with one person, that person would be. . ." are just plain boring and get committees moaning. The goal is to keep the reader reading. To entice them forward, create a problem or pose a question. For example, "I never thought the worst day of my life would end up teaching me my biggest lesson." With this type of sentence, the reader becomes intrigued: they want to find out what the lesson was, get it?

3. Surprise turn of events. Remember the Sixth Sense and the surprise ending? (I won't ruin it for you if you haven't seen it, but if you want to know what it is, email me). How crazy was that, and how many friends did you tell to see that movie? Here's the thing, if you conclude with a unexpected surprise--good or bad--your essay will be remembered, and committees will talk about you. In my mind, that's a good thing. 

4. Don't white-wash your essay. It is tempting to paint a pretty portrait for scholarship committees. Afterall, you want to make a good impression. However, "white-washing" (including only glowing reviews of yourself) is not a good idea. Committees realize that you are human, with shortcomings as well as talents. If you shed light on all aspects of your character--good and bad--you are more likely to be remembered as an honest applicant.

I know these are pretty general recommendations, so if you want more information, visit my website and sign up for my weekly newsletter: www.collegeboundresource.com. Have a great day and happy writing!

The Scholarship Essay. (Yikes)

One of the most nerve-racking portions of a typical scholarship application is the personal essay portion. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time writing about myself! Not only do I procrastinate in an effort to avoid this task, but I often bombard myself with a lot of negative self-talk (I am too boring, I don't have anything interesting to say, yada yada yada). The fact is, we all have something unique to share in an essay, we just need to uncover what it is and articulate it in a way that connects with scholarship committees.

First step: uncover your hidden talents

Like I said, the hardest part is getting over the procrastination and writing the first sentence. To make writing easier, take the pressure off: brainstorm instead. Write down all the activities you have participated in your life (even when you were a little kid playing in the sandbox). Write down what you like best about these activities, what gave you joy, any lessons you might have learned, or experiences you found scary or exhilarating. 

Second step: write down your favorite things

Do you have a favorite book? Author? Favorite TV show? Website? Do you like to write in your blog? Who inspires you and why? What is the best family vacation you have ever been on, where did you go? If you were trapped on a desert island, what would you bring with you?Write down anything and everything you enjoy. Your official "best of" list.

Third step: where are you going?

Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten? What is your dream for your life? (Don't be shy, if it's making a lot of money and being a ski bum in Colorado, write it down.) Write down your biggest fear--what would you regret not doing in this life?

OK, those are three steps or groups of activities to get your brain turning. Just turn on some music and start filling up a blank sheet of paper--no pressure here, the idea is to just get your mind working. Don't filter your thoughts (this is key). No one has to see this paper but you. 

In my experience, brainstorming has been the most helpful way to write an impressive essay. Once you get your ideas on paper, the hard part is over. Happy writing!