With the cost of attending college rapidly increasing and the economy in an unpredictable state, the scholarship search process is more important for students planning to pursue higher education than ever before. Since winning scholarships has become increasingly competitive and many scholarship contests require some sort of essay, it is crucial to know how to write a winning scholarship essay.

In order to discover scholarship opportunities, there are several resources available. Online scholarship databases such as fastweb.com or zinch.com match students with scholarships that they are eligible to apply for. Students can also find local scholarship opportunities.

“National scholarships have so much competition,” Palo Alto High School college advisor Sandra Cernobori said. “Oftentimes the scholarships students have a better chance of winning are more local ones that students have some kind of connection with, through extracurricular activities, religious organizations, places they volunteer or a parent’s workplace.”

After finding a scholarship contest to enter, it is key to research the organization sponsoring the scholarship. Being knowledgeable about the organization’s mission and goals can help students tailor essays to align closely with the organization’s values and thus increase the chances that the essay will be a winner. Also, reading past winning essays on the sponsor’s website if they are available gives applicants the opportunity to note any common, winning features that could possibly be incorporated into their own essays.

Once the student has done a little research, it is time to begin writing the essay. Firstly, it is crucial to read and understand the prompt in order to ensure that the essay will address and answer the question. Just as English teachers always say, the brainstorm is a step that can never be skipped. Create an outline before writing. Most scholarship competitions require essays to be under a certain word count, which does not give applicants much space to make an impression. Thus, applicants must make every word count and not go off-track.

When writing the essay, an applicant must be original in order for his or her essay to stand out amongst the hundreds or thousands of other essays judges will read. This can be accomplished by sprinkling authentic anecdotes from one’s life into the essay where appropriate.

Everyone has unique life experiences that can add flavor to scholarship essays. Including specific details, such as referencing one moment in time as opposed to trying to address everything about one’s life in general terms will eliminate vagueness and make a stronger impression on readers. Consider whether another applicant could have written this exact essay; if so, it may need a little more personality in order to stand out to judges.

Another important writing tip is a favorite of many English teachers: “Show, don’t tell.” Rather than writing a list of accomplishments and positive traits, applicants should develop a story that shows what is great about them. For example, instead of saying “I am a very determined person,” an applicant could tell a story about a class at school that was difficult and how he or she went to the teacher for help, studied hard outside of class and ended up doing well. While the first example plainly tells the judges what is good about the applicant, the second example shows them, which ultimately makes a stronger impression.

Finally, proofread the essay out loud, as this is an effective way to catch grammatical and other errors. It is also ideal to have someone else proofread the piece. Before submitting, double-check the essay to ensure that all required materials are included and that the essay is formatted per any formatting instructions that may be outlined in the scholarship’s instructions.

This may be easier said than done, as scholarship money is highly in demand today. However, incorporating the scholarship search process into one’s routine by vowing to work on applications for, say, a certain amount of time each month and following the tips above for an effective scholarship essay can have favorable results.

“Every year, I hear stories about how many scholarships go unclaimed,” Cernobori said. “I realize how busy students are with college applications, but when they can carve out some time to work on scholarship essays, their effort can go a long way.”