How to Write a Diversity Scholarship Essay
Preparing an essay for a college scholarship can be stressful, but if done right can be well worth the effort. Diversity is a popular scholarship essay topic. Colleges want to know what makes you different and how your diversity will contribute to campus life. Diversity doesn't necessarily mean race. A suburban, middle class, white student can still write an essay about diversity. Brainstorm about what diversity means to you and begin your essay.
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Things You'll Need
- Application information
- Application forms
- Any computer with a word processor
Instructions
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Read through all of the guidelines for the scholarship essay. Note the format requirements, such as font type and size, margin and headings. Colleges want to see that you can follow instructions. If you don't follow the correct format, your essay could be discarded.
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Brainstorm ideas. Think about what sets you apart from other students. Are you from another country? Are you a part of the LGBT community? Have you been socially ostracized because of a disorder or disease? Think about how diversity has made you a stronger person and how you will contribute to your college.
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Open a blank document in Microsoft Word and format your page. This is best to do at the beginning, so that you won't forget later.
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Start your essay with an introduction that gras your readers' attention. If you have a good anecdote dealing with diversity, start with that, or start with a strong quote or question.
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Develop a strong thesis. A thesis statement is one sentence that sums up what your essay is about. For example, you might say, "Learning how to adapt to life in the United States after spending the first 10 years of my life in Mexico was a challenge, but taught me how to overcome stigma, look past race and set goals for myself."
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Use transitions between paragraphs. A transition is one sentence that smoothly carries the reader from one paragraph to the next.
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Complete the body paragraphs. Talk about your goals and weave your diversity story throughout. Talk about your personal interests and motivations.
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Write a strong conclusion. The conclusion should sum up everything said in the essay and leave the reader with a sense of closure.
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Give your essay to a professor or friend to proofread. It's best to have as many eyes as possible read your paper, so that the first draft is mistake-free.
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Make any necessary corrections and read through the essay again, checking for spelling and grammar mistakes.
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Meet the length requirement. If you've gone over, reread your essay and cut out anything redundant or that doesn't add to the essay. If you don't have enough information, elaborate on your strongest points.
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Email or mail your essay to the address given. Include any other necessary documents such as an application, resume, letters of recommendation and high school transcripts.
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Tips & Warnings
Read through examples from past winners to note examples of effective writing.
Don't misspell words or make grammatical errors.
References
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