SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY TIPS

The 2024 application will CLOSE FEBRUARY 23, 2024 at 11:59 pm

Get started NOW on your essay! You may pick any question below and create a one page response. We suggest you start working on this as soon as possible.

The essay is part of your composite score. The composite score often serves as a “tie-breaker” when there are many students that meet a donor’s criteria. Other elements of the composite score are academics and activities. While you can’t go back in time to change your 9th grade GPA - you can write a great essay TODAY! This will improve your composite score and improve your chances at getting a scholarship!

• Discuss something you have done that made a difference in your community.

• Discuss a special attribute or accomplishment that sets you apart.

• Pick an experience from your own life and explain how it has influenced you.

• What ideas do you have to improve racial equity or address social justice issues within the Eagan community or within your school?

What do we look for?  

o   Write on one of the topics provided (don’t just submit a random essay) and write the topic at the head of your essay

o   Mechanics and Grammar – good sentence structure, punctuation, spelling/typos

o   Overall Flow/Organization (well thought-out, has a beginning, middle, and end)

o   Quality/quantity of the response:

• our reviewers look for a substantive response (one full page single spaced or two pages double spaced) and

• dynamic response (multiple supporting points, great details, insightful observations

Other Tips

o   Keep it interesting - Consider writing about something unique to you! Many students write about their driver’s test for example but that is a broadly shared experience. Is there anything more unique to your experiences that you can share?

o   Be creative! Try to have a unique opening, employ metaphors, and use vivid details