Applying for scholarships can be a daunting task, but a well-written essay can make all the difference in standing out from the competition. As a Nigerian student looking to win scholarships, you need an essay that grabs the attention of the scholarship committee and makes you memorable.

A scholarship essay allows the committee to learn more about you, your background, achievements, goals, financial needs, and writing skills. With thousands of applicants for each scholarship, you need to craft an essay that makes you shine.

This guide will walk you through the entire scholarship essay writing process, from brainstorming to editing, with tips tailored specifically for Nigerian students.

 

Step 1: Choose the Right Scholarships

The first step is finding scholarships to apply for. Look for ones that match your background, interests, academic major, talents, community service experience, ethnic heritage, religious affiliation, parents’ employers, career goals, or any unique life experiences. Leverage any connections or hooks that make you an ideal fit.

Scholarship databases like Fastweb.com and Scholarships.com can match you with relevant national and local scholarships. Don’t forget about scholarships offered by your university, employer, religious organization, or community groups. Apply to ones where you meet all eligibility criteria.

 

Step 2: Analyze the Scholarship Essay Prompt

Once you identify relevant scholarships, closely analyze the essay prompt or question. Determine exactly what the committee wants to learn about you. Make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt. Some prompts are very open-ended and broad, allowing you to shape your response, while others are more specific.

If given multiple essay options, strategically choose the one that plays to your strengths and aligns with your background. Consider the scholarship’s purpose and what qualities or characteristics they seek in applicants when brainstorming your essay.

Step 3: Brainstorm Stories and Standout Qualities

Next, brainstorm stories and standout qualities about yourself that align with the scholarship criteria. Reflect deeply on experiences that showcase your talents, character, leadership, community impact, perseverance in overcoming challenges, and future potential. Think about what makes you unique and how you’ll contribute to society.

What details or anecdotes best illustrate these attributes? What accomplishments demonstrate your abilities and promise? Come up with a master list of stories, awards, acts of service, academic projects, hobbies, extracurriculars, internships, jobs, etc. that make you an ideal candidate. Later, you’ll choose the best ones to highlight in your essay.

Step 4: Create an Outline

Now craft an outline for your essay. While each essay must respond to the specific prompt, your outline should generally follow this format:

Introduction: Catch the reader’s attention with a hook and briefly introduce yourself. State the scholarship you’re applying for.

Body paragraph 1: Share a compelling story/detail that shows your most salient quality/attribute.

Step 2: Discuss another standout experience that adds dimension to who you are.

Body paragraph 3: Explain why you’re a good fit for the scholarship; your qualifications, needs, goals, and how you’ll use the scholarship money.

Conclusion: Restate your promise and potential; express appreciation.

 

Step 5: Write a First Draft

With your outline as a guide, write a first draft of the essay. For the introduction, consider using a relevant quote, statistic, question, anecdote, or bold statement to draw readers into your essay. Share an experience from your childhood or background story that influenced your passion or worldview.

In the body paragraphs, dive into the standout qualities, skills, and experiences you brainstormed. Use vivid details and anecdotes to showcase your personalized story. Explain how experiences shaped you. Weave in leadership roles, academic/professional projects, talents, interests and hobbies, community service, extracurriculars, internships, work experience, academic achievements, adversity overcome, etc. Back up claims about yourself with specific evidence and examples.

For the conclusion, tie together the main ideas from the body paragraphs. Close by reiterating why you’re a strong candidate for the scholarship. Express passion for using the scholarship to achieve your dreams and make a difference. End with a memorable final sentence.

Throughout the draft, vary your sentence structure. Show, don’t just tell, through descriptive details, analogies, and active voice. Proofread to fix errors. Then set aside your draft for a day before revising it with fresh eyes.

 

Step 6: Revise and Fine-Tune

Next, revise your scholarship essay draft to further hone and refine it. Carefully reread your draft line-by-line several times over, looking for ways to improve sentence variety, flow, organization, word choice, transitions, and descriptions. Scrutinize any areas that seem disjointed or underdeveloped. Strengthen your introduction and conclusion. Break up and combine sentences appropriately.

Vary how you transition between ideas. Cut any repetitive or irrelevant details to tighten your essay. Make sure the stories and qualities you highlight are those most essential to conveying who you are and why you deserve the scholarship. Verify that experiences are presented in an interesting yet honest way. Replace general statements with more specific, vivid examples. Double-check that you directly answered the prompt. Finally, ensure your passion and personality shine through.

 

Step 7: Edit and Proofread

With your content finalized, shift into editing and proofreading mode. Thoroughly check for any spelling, grammar, punctuation, or capitalization errors. Read your essay backward to catch more mistakes. Have a teacher, mentor, or friend proofread your essay to get a fresh perspective.

Refine wording to be more concise, compelling, and persuasive. Varying sentence length and structure enhances flow. Substitute overused words and phrases with strong alternatives. Verify you met all scholarship requirements like word/page limits, formatting rules, etc. With careful editing and proofreading, your essay will be polished to perfection.

 

Conclusion

Writing a winning scholarship essay takes time, planning, and refined writing skills. But following this strategic 7-step process can help Nigerian students craft an essay that makes them stand out. First, identify relevant scholarships and analyze prompts carefully. Next, brainstorm your standout qualities and experiences that make you the ideal candidate. Then outline your essay before you dive into the draft. Write a compelling first draft using vivid stories and details. Revise to refine descriptions, flow, and organization. Finally, meticulously edit and proofread your essay to perfection.

An outstanding scholarship essay requires introspection, self-analysis, writing skills, and time devoted to revising and polishing. By showcasing your unique background, talents, perseverance, leadership, and passion, you can write an essay that helps you win scholarships to achieve your educational dreams. With dedication and focus, while following this process, your scholarship essay can reflect your inner voice on the path to academic success.