Six Tips For Sculpting A Standout Scholarship Entry
As you create an entry for a scholarship application, you deserve to have all the resources possible to help you out! If you’re daunted by a scholarship application assignment, or wondering where to begin or focus your work, we have compiled a list of tips and tricks for creating the best application possible.
Many of the tips below are specific to written responses, yet EdOdyssey also encourages other forms of scholarship submissions and these tips regarding structural organization and the process of creating your work can be transferable to other submission forms!
EdOdyssey’s Virtual Program Scholarships are merit-based and accepting on a rolling basis so we encourage all students to apply! Why not explore your thirst for global learning? Show us your passion for world perspectives and share your unique story!
For reference, our submission options for virtual program scholarships include a poetry portfolio, written responses, videos, and photography.
Reflect
Take time to reflect and brainstorm before you create or write your final submission. Think about your past experiences, people who have impacted you, things that bring you joy, or challenges you have faced and overcome. Consider how these experiences, passions or people influence how you connect with the world outside of your community, or the way you see the world. Do they make you want to meet new people, see new places, or experience new things?
Plan
Once you have some ideas in mind, planning is key. Brainstorming techniques can help you plan out what you want to write or create. Some people find a helpful brainstorming technique to be free writing to get your ideas flowing. Others find that putting a pen or pencil to a piece of paper is a nice first step before typing anything up. Be sure to have the prompts in mind during this stage.
Select the type of work that best suits you
As mentioned above, EdOdyssey wants to see you highlight your strengths with this scholarship application. Select the submission type (video, writing, photography, etc.) that will be best for YOU! An inspired and passionate submission will be your best submission.
Create from your heart
Writing about or creating something you care a lot about or are passionate about will be a much stronger and powerful final product than trying to write something that you think we want to hear. What we want to hear is YOUR authentic voice! Be YOU and share your uniqueness with us!
Organize
Any submission should have a strong structure, beginning with an introduction, followed by your main points, and ending with a conclusion. The piece should be organized into paragraphs of 4-5 sentences based on your different points.
Providing real life examples and experiences to backup any claims you make is essential. Additionally, EdOdyssey’s scholarship applications are evaluated with the company values of Authenticity, Positivity, Harmony, Passion, Professionalism, and Adaptability, and our motto that “Travel Changes People, People Change the World”, in mind. Be sure to connect your responses to these!
Proofread before submitting
Before submitting anything, be sure to give your work a thorough review or read-through. Having a parent, friend, or fresh set of eyes look over your work often helps catch any mistakes you may not have noticed and add any final touch ups.
We look forward to reading and viewing your submissions! To learn more about the EdOdyssey Virtual programs scholarship application Entry form, click here!