Take some time to reflect on your accomplishments and decide how to market yourself to the scholarship committee. List your accomplishments as you think of them and then reorder them from most important to least. Note the ones of which you're proudest.
Write down your career goals, aspirations and reasons for attending college, and create another list that includes all your extracurricular activities. Also include your community or service projects. Your lists should end up being an accurate representation of what you have accomplished in your young life, both in and out of school.
Keep these lists handy when writing the essays. You have only one chance to promote yourself to the committee, and the essay is crucial. Be conversational but professional. Write as though you're speaking to the committee members in person. Stilted, formal writing lessens your appeal and doesn't allow the judges to see your personality. Beware of being too personal or informal, however; an essay containing slang or unnecessary information won't be well-received by a committee seeking to award scholarships to the best possible candidates.
Check for any mistakes in spelling, grammar or style. Ask a teacher or parent to proofread the essay for you. The last thing you want to do is detract from your great prose by failing to spot a typo or realize that your construction is awkward in places.
Complete the entire scholarship application. Incomplete applications will likely be rejected. Check the application and essay carefully before sending them in.
Search and apply for as many scholarships as possible once you master the basics of writing your essay. It will likely take more than one scholarship to fund your full education.
Contact the Department of Financial Aid if you've already chosen a school, and ask for help in finding scholarships. Colleges generally have a number of scholarships to award each year; check out which ones you qualify for and apply for all of them.
Visit CollegeBoard.com and search for available scholarships with essays. Click "Scholarships and Aid," then "Search." Enter your personal information and scholarship criteria as directed. The search engine selects scholarships for which you are eligible. Download and complete the applications.