How to Write Scholarship Applications that Stand Out

Deanna Green

Senior Scholarship Manager and Development Associate

Community Foundation for Southwest Washington

Staring at a blank screen and wondering how to write a scholarship essay can feel overwhelming.

Why is it so hard? Scholarship applications are designed to explore who you are, which is an uncomfortable subject for some people. The good news: standing out doesn’t mean having the most dramatic story or trying to sound perfect.

Writing a strong essay is really about being yourself. Every background includes personal experiences and strengths worth sharing, even if they don’t seem impressive to you at first.

What Makes a Scholarship Essay Stand Out

We already revealed what makes personal essays and statements memorable: you. And all good writing begins with research, so self-reflection is a natural starting point for this subject.

The goal is to connect your experiences, values and dreams to the question being asked. To do this, you need to get clear on who you are, what you’ve done and why you’re taking your studies further. Here's a great example we received last year:

The most significant challenge I've faced was finishing up my senior project graduation requirement for high school during COVID-19. I felt aimless and socially isolated, which made for an agitating combination. I failed to communicate with my mentor until graduation was coming up where I had to put my pride aside to ask for the resources to make up my project. Previously, I was a productive, high-achieving student, and my mentor granted me some leniency only with hard work. Ultimately, it's allowed me to learn how to fail and pick myself up again.

Even knowing what a successful essay includes, working through all of your thoughts can be difficult. So, let’s start with an exercise to help organize your thoughts and identify your greatest strengths.

Proven Ways to Identify Your Strengths

Everyone has unique strengths that help us handle challenges and make decisions. To figure out yours, we suggest a couple of approaches. The first is an exercise anyone can do — no special tools or costs required. In fact, I use a similar exercise during our personalized scholarship presentations.

Self-Assessment Exercise

Brainstorm answers to the questions below. Write down as many ideas as you can think of for each one. Then, highlight the answers that feel most important or true to you. If you want extra input, ask a teacher, coach, family member, counselor or mentor which of the strengths you wrote down are your strongest.

What are your strengths?
How do you spend your time?
What accomplishments are you proud of?
What experiences have shaped you?
What leadership experiences have you had?
What have you overcome?
What is important to you?
What are your passions?
What are you good at?

There are no right or wrong answers here. This exercise is simply about learning how to talk about yourself.

Take a Strengths Test

Unlike school exams, strengths and personality tests are fun to take. Below are two popular (and free) options that identify your educational and personal superpowers. Focus on answering the questions honestly to get the most useful results.

The HIGH5 Strengths Test helps you identify what you naturally do well and rely on most. It focuses on strengths like teamwork, problem-solving, or big-picture thinking, and shows how they show up at school, work, and in group settings. After taking the test, you’ll receive a list of your top five strengths with clear descriptions and ideas for how to use them in real situations.

Short for “Values in Action,” The VIA Character Strengths test helps you discover the personal qualities that guide how you think, act, and treat others — like creativity, perseverance or kindness. It’s designed to help you better understand what matters to you and how your strengths show up in everyday life. After completing the survey, you’ll receive a ranked list of your top strengths with simple explanations to help you recognize and describe them.

Once you finish your tests or brainstorming sessions, you’ll find you have a lot to write about. But don’t try to include everything in your application. Instead, choose two to three strengths that best connect to the scholarship you’re applying for. This will help you go deeper and show why you are a strong and deserving candidate.

7 Scholarship Essay Writing Tips for a Successful Application

Now that you know what to write about, let’s explore our top seven tips for how to write scholarship essays.

Be authentic and honest
Write in your own voice, using your own words. Share real experiences, including challenges and growth. Reviewers can tell when writing is genuine and when it’s not.
Choose one meaningful focus
Pick one topic or theme that reflects your values and strengths. Going deep on one experience is more effective than trying to cover everything. This also makes your essay clearer and easier to remember.
Demonstrate insight and growth
Scholarship reviewers want to know what you’ve learned and how you’ve grown. Ask yourself: What did this experience teach me? How did it change me? If you can, connect your story to a bigger idea that others can relate to.
Show evidence, and reflect on it
Don’t just say what happened — show it through examples. Then explain why it mattered and how it shaped you. Let the reader understand your thinking.
Craft a clear story
Science has proven that humans remember stories. Try to draw on personal memories or moments from your life to show your strengths or values in action.
Align your story with the scholarship’s purpose
Read the scholarship description carefully. Then, customize each response accordingly. Show how your own values and strengths align with its purpose.
Revise and polish.
Strong writing comes from revision. Read your essay out loud, fix confusing sentences, and ask someone you trust for feedback before submitting.

Final Thoughts on Writing Stand Out Scholarship Essays

Our volunteers read hundreds of scholarship applications every year, so we know what makes a strong submission.

When it comes to scholarship essays, what matters most is authenticity, focus, reflective storytelling and alignment. Review committees aren’t looking for perfection. They want to understand who you are, what you’ve learned, and where you’re headed.

What matters less? Being dramatic, overly polished or generic responses, and trying to cover everything at once. In fact, the strongest scholarship essays are simple and real, like this submission from last year:

In middle school, I was failing three classes and I wanted to improve my grades. My transformation began by writing with a ruler to perfect my handwriting skills. I became organized with the school by using a planner to keep track of all my assignments. I became a confident student by asking teachers questions for clarification, as I was no longer was afraid of teachers. I became a passionate, focused, and dedicated student in my work because of the motivation that grew inside me. By the end of the semester, I received excellent grades, and teachers were proud of my progress.

There are tools and resources that can help you along the way, but nothing replaces your voice. If you’re curious about using technology responsibly, check out our guidance on how to use AI when applying for scholarships. If you’re applying for Community Foundation scholarships, you may also find our tips for responding to our Insight Resume questions helpful.

At the end of the day, scholarship essays aren’t about selling a perfect version of yourself. They’re about helping reviewers understand your story and why supporting your education matters. So, open up and let your writing build a connection. Before you know it, readers will be rooting for you when it comes time to select a recipient.