Research the organization offering the scholarship. Before you begin your essay, it's wise to understand the goals, values and mission of the scholarship provider. If the scholarship is a memorial fund, research the person whose name is attached to the funding. If the scholarship is provided by a private company, understand the work of the company and their motivation for offering the scholarship.
Research past winners of the scholarship. Frequently, winning scholarship essays will be featured prominently by the sponsoring organization. Read as many winning essays as possible and take note of any common features.
Understand the prompt. Consider how the topic of the essay relates to the mission of the sponsoring organization. Many scholarship essays consist of multiple parts or questions. Make sure that your essay addresses all parts of the prompt.
Organize your thoughts before writing. Even short essays should be carefully outlined and planned. 150 words isn't much space to make a winning impression, so make every word count.
Ask friends and relatives to read your essay. Peer review can uncover basic mechanical errors, unclear sentences or paragraphs or inconsistencies of tone or voice.
Pay attention to the submission requirements of the essay. For highly competitive scholarships, incorrectly formatted or submitted essays might be immediately eliminated from the running.