I Need a Sample Essay to Win a Scholarship

Sample Scholarship Recommendation Letter

If you're planning to apply for a college scholarship, your first thought might be, "I need a sample essay to win a scholarship." Sample essays are certainly useful tools to study during the application process, but it's important to keep in mind that scholarship committees are looking for new, original work from prospective applicants. While it is a good strategy to read through several sample essays from past winners, don't be tempted to closely mirror their words or ideas.

Finding Sample Essays

Many sample applications and essays are available to scholarship applicants. A good place to begin searching for these samples is the website of the scholarship organization or fund to which you are applying.

  • San Diego State University lists the full text of several winning application essays, so prospective applicants can study them and use them as starting points for their own ideas.
  • Students planning to apply for National Merit scholarships or Fulbright scholarships can also find winning sample essays that may help them with their work.
  • Before you contact your scholarship organization and say, "I need a sample essay to win a scholarship," try skimming other essays for alternate scholarships and coming up with a draft of your own.
Apple and a pile of books.

How to Use Sample Essays

One of the most important things to remember when reading through a sample essay is that it's meant to be a guide and an example only. You should never plagiarize sample essays, no matter where you found them, and you should never copy specific details from these samples or attempt to imitate their styles.

  • A significant strength of your scholarship application is the fact that it comes from you. Your individuality and personality will help you write the best essay you can, and it's an asset to draw upon your past experiences and unique thought processes when you prepare your work.
  • Rather than trying to use a preset style or tone in your work, give your writing a genuine voice that is professional yet compelling. Many winning essays reflect this combination of characteristics, but you shouldn't force your essay to sound a certain way or write it to cater to a specific type of reader.
  • Use available sample essays as you brainstorm topics and ideas for your own work. Try to think of a list of concepts to fit the scholarship theme, and write those concepts down. If you get stuck or you need something to stimulate your thought process, consult a few sample essays to give you a new set of ideas.

Still Thinking "I Need a Sample Essay to Win a Scholarship"?

If you have no idea where to start when trying to win a scholarship, you may feel reassured after looking at a few sample essays. They can spur good ideas that might help you outline your work, choose which of your topics is most fitting, and find a writing style that makes you feel comfortable.However, if you have trouble finding sample essays or can't locate any that seem to be relevant to your intended scholarship, relax! Some scholarship committees deliberately withhold sample essays from applicants because they want to see truly original work that hasn't been influenced by past winners. Do the best you can, and perhaps your own essay might be used as a sample someday!