Millennials and Generation Z are living on a scale that would boggle the mind of most people in history. The market and the information highway have created a worldwide network of business and trade.
However, this accessibility and vast scale can also create problems. You will be competing with the entire world in anything that you choose to do. Be it business, college acceptance, or scholarships; countless other people will also want that status or position.
For a recruiter or committee, your name is just an item on a list. A good interview can make it more personal and give you a chance to prove yourself. Still, the chances of actually getting called to such an interview are slim. (adventurelandri.com)
Writing an excellent scholarship motivation letter is not obligatory. Yet, you may still choose to compose this a letter because it can give you an edge. Anything that will make you stand out is valuable.
Of course, a scholarship motivation letter is harder to write than a Studybay review, yet it is well within most people’s capability. As a side note, most tips learned here can easily apply to cover letters and other types of applications.
Defining a scholarship motivation letter
Its name is descriptive, given that it is a short, one-page letter that will accompany your resume. While it is intended to be a brief introductory device, it will allow you to advertise yourself as a good candidate for that respective scholarship.
Considering the expression “brevity is the soul of wit,” your letter must be a highlight reel of your aptitude and experience. It should catch the eye of very busy people who do not have time to meditate on your application specifically.
The main point:
Rambling will make people less interested in what you have to say, both in speech and writing. Ideally, your scholarship motivation letter will be laser-focused on two main points:
- Explaining why you are a good fit for the job.
- How will the education and scholarship aid your personal growth and development?
Side-stories and anecdotes are somewhat welcome, yet only as dressing for these two main points.
This letter is your opportunity to at least make the shortlist for candidates, as recruiters narrow their lists down to the very best. As you are writing, constantly remind yourself that you have the recruiter’s undivided attention for as long as he read the letter.
You will rarely have this opportunity.
Also, we must consider the nature of humans, even Academic staff members. When given a written task, most people will not bother to read something word-for-word. Due to a lack of interest or an attempt to save time, the reviewer will most likely skim your letter.
This fact implies that it is imperative for the candidate to format the letter and make it more skimmable properly. Formatting is king, with emphasized words and paragraphs that will catch the eye.
Regardless of how well your scholarship motivation letter is written, it will stir disinterest if all the presentation is in a massive block of text.
Sections and formatting
There can be differences in the requirements of each scholarship selection process. However, the main structure will remain the same. Letters will include an Introduction, a Body, and a conclusion.
Introduction
This section aims to inform the reviewer regarding your essential details. Be sure to include your full name and your education status. If the University is offering multiple scholarships, the letter must contain your intended subject matter.
These are the most relevant aspects of your info. Other things can be mentioned, but they will needly draw out the length of the piece.
Body
The body is supposed to contain the bulk of the information. Ideally, the body structure should hold about three paragraphs, yet you can extend it to 4-7.
Imagine reading a stranger’s information and how boring you would find it if it were long-winded. Of course, if you genuinely had an exciting life with plenty of experience, do not hesitate to mention it.
The first paragraph can describe your experience related to work or Academics. It does not matter if it was an unpaid internship, a part-time gig, or a full-time job.
Frame the events to describe your progression in both competence and experience. Then, end the first paragraph promising even more potential fulfillment once you get the scholarship and finish your studies.
To put it simply: this is the experience section of your letter. Nobody will mind if you make it larger. The first paragraph proves that you deserve the scholarship over the over candidates.
The second paragraph should be the most grounded and practical. How will this scholarship aid you in accomplishing your goals? What skills will you gain, and how will you apply them in the real world?
The second paragraph should ideally show that you are serious about your studies and not just an idealist with no direction. After all, the primary purpose of education is to grant you functional skills and turn you into a productive society member.
Finally, we have the third paragraph. This is the place where you should outline your hopes and aspirations. You can detail the continuation of your academic path ( Masters and Doctorate). You can also mention your hopes of entering the business world, either as a dedicated employee or an ambitious entrepreneur.
If you are interested in activism or philanthropy, you can also mention those aspects.
The third paragraph should be the “ How my life would look like if it turns out how I want it” section. Nobody will fault you for dreaming big here because your previous two paragraphs were more grounded and realistic.
The letter’s Conclusion
Up until this point, you have been building an argument. Your goal was to detail and demonstrate why you are worthy of the scholarship. The conclusion is where you mention this explicitly. Specify that from all that was written so far, it results in you being the ideal candidate.
Stay away from generic letters.
There are occasions in life when you need to streamline a process and save time. There are motivational scholarship letters available as templates, and you can input your personal info and print them.
This type of template is harmless if the person writing just needs help with the structure. A good structure is neutral, acting as a scaffold to be built upon.
However, some candidates will apply for multiple scholarships. To save time, they will be tempted to write a single generic letter that can be sent to all their desired programs.
Most people can easily tell when an application is just a template. Even if it is well-written, the letter will seem low-effort and impersonal, even insulting. It implies that you don’t care enough about the program to write a letter addressed explicitly.
Even though it can take you a few hours, just sit down and write individual letters for each scholarship program. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so you can spare a few moments to get it right.
Conclusion
Overall, writing an excellent scholarship motivation letter is not hard. Some rules must be followed, and many of them represent common sense.
It is reasonable for your letter to have a proper structure, making it easier to read. Also, the content itself should not look like a chaotic stream of consciousness.
You will be building an argument, similar to a court case or a scientific paper. By the end, you should stack so much evidence that the conclusion will be inevitable.
Laura C. Field is a passionate writer with an affinity for the process of education. She is interested in the infrastructure that makes education possible. She has written extensively on topics such as Academia, the impact of the current world health crisis, and educational aids such as paper writing sites.
