Making an outline may seem like something you only need to do in a writing class, but it is very helpful any time you are drafting an important document. When preparing to write your scholarship letter, an outline can help you assure you're going to cover all the necessary material in a logical, organized manner.
To prepare the physical outline (which can be done by hand or using a word processing program on your computer), you'll often want to begin with the basic skeleton of the document, as follows:
I. Introduction
II. Body
A. Main Point 1
B. Main Point 2
C. Main Point 3
III. Conclusion
Scholarship committees read hundreds (or more) applications each year. In order to make your submission distinctive, focus on something that makes you stand apart as a unique applicant. While honesty is certainly important, that doesn't mean you can't carefully select which of your experiences to highlight. If you overcame adversity, such as having a disability, recovering from or living with a serious illness, being displaced by a natural disaster, or living in abject poverty, your readers may likely be moved by your plight.
Most students hoping to receive scholarships have planned ahead for such applications by engaging in community service and other types of volunteerism. To highlight your experiences, focus on what makes your involvement distinctive. Make a list of the organizations and causes in which you've participated, and then note what you've done for each. If there are some where you have gone beyond standard membership to head committees, lead events, or organize new activities, plan to discuss this participation in more detail.
Once you know what you're going to focus on in your letter, go through the outline and assure you've placed everything correctly. Your introduction should tell the committee something about who you are, as a person and a student, and why you'll benefit the college as much as the education will benefit you. It's also important to assure the introduction sets up the rest of the letter -- which means you'll need to lead into the focus of your unique experiences.
If you feel your original outline doesn't reflect the letter you want to produce, move things around until you feel it is more effective. Once you have completed a full, well-organized draft of your outline, writing the actual letter becomes much easier.