Due to high college fees, students turn to financial aid including scholarships to cover some tuition expenses. A nursing scholarship essay is an essential part of the application process but one of the most difficult to write. The application process is highly competitive and you should aim to write a winning piece that stands out from other applicants.
Continue reading this blog to know how to write a winning scholarship essay for nursing and a unique nursing scholarship essay example.
A scholarship essay is an essay that students submit jointly with their scholarship applications. The essay shows the committee who you are, your goals, and what makes you stand out from other applicants. Students must fill in an application which includes an essay on a given prompt to be considered eligible for the scholarship.
The scholarship usually comes from organizations that support education and your essay should fit their interest. You must narrate a story about your experience, accomplishments, hobby, and interest.
You must write an outstanding essay to land a scholarship. The format of a nursing scholarship contains the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.
Start the introduction with a hook statement to grab your reader’s attention and introduce the main point. Summarize reasons why you need the scholarship and what your essay covers. Make it concise and convince your reader to continue reading.
Explain the reasons for studying nursing and what makes you the best candidate. Explain the skills and experiences required and support them with real-life examples and facts. You should also explain how you got to where you are, your inspiration, your interest in attending a nursing college, and how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals.
While writing the body, avoid generalization and ensure your content resonates with the scholarship provider’s interest.
Finish by explaining why the institution is right for you, restate your passion for nursing, and end with an impactful line. Also, explain how winning the scholarship will help you achieve your goals or impact the community. End the conclusion by showing gratitude to the committee for reading your essay.
A scholarship essay can be challenging to write and allows you to reflect on yourself and your accomplishments in life. The paper helps you to show your personality and what you are proud of in life showing the committee why you deserve to win. Your aim is to stand out from others and persuade the committee.
Below are tips that will help you succeed while writing a scholarship essay;
Give yourself enough time to prepare your work to avoid the last-minute rush. You only have one chance to submit the essay hence spending enough time preparing and researching is essential. Start writing early to have enough time to focus on quality and avoid pressure.
Research the organization offering the scholarship to know what qualities they might be looking for in the essay. Find their ideal candidate and try to fit into that picture which will help you tailor your piece to meet your audience’s requirements.
Some companies post essays from previous years and you can know the tone and quality they expect from applicants. You can also search for essay samples online to see how to approach different prompts.
Take time to develop a list of ideas for your essay and remember to answer the essay’s question. Brainstorm ideas that make good topics and select one once you know the prompt. Ensure your topic resonates with your passion and interest to motivate you while writing and engage the reader.
Once prepared to write an essay, you can start the writing process. The first step is to understand the instructions in the application and follow them. Some instructions to note include the words count, the writing format, the prompt, etc. It would be best to review the application noting down the skills, experience, and qualifications required to know your focus.
Create your essay’s outline including the introduction, body, and conclusion. For the body, write down the heading, subheadings, and brief points of what you will write in each section. An outline helps you organize your thoughts and enhance the flow of ideas from one paragraph to the next. Also, ensure your essay is concise to fit the required word limits.
The scholarship committee aims to know more about you. Writing about your personal experience shows them who you are and your qualities. Depending on the essay’s question, you might write a story about why you deserve the scholarship, your contributions to the local community, or why you stand out from other applicants.
Your essay allows you to show your personality and emotions through your writing which helps your content to be authentic. The committee doesn’t expect you to be perfect but to see how you handle obstacles that come your way.
Being professional is essential since it shows that you have maturity. It’s crucial to balance professionalism and showing emotions when writing your essay. Do not include too many emotions or humor, but you should moderate them.
The scholarship committee looks for confidence in essays. It would be best to be confident while writing but not arrogant. For example, if you are giving an example of managing a project, don’t sound like you did all the work but instead show how you encouraged others to be involved.
Many people use the conclusion section to summarize the entire essay. Think about something innovative, surprising, and attention-grabbing from beginning to end. You can consider leaving your reader with an interesting question to think about.
Once you have finished composing, proofread your work and correct errors that may interfere with readability. You can have a friend review your task to help identify mistakes and give feedback.
If you plan to apply for many scholarships, you don’t have to write from scratch every time. You can use your piece and make revisions depending on the prompt to save you time from writing again.
My nursing dream
I was twelve years when I first realized my passion for becoming a nurse. I admired nurses caring for newborns as I accompanied my mum at work. I felt excited and I knew that is where I belong.
I have been a school nurse for three years and I have been caring for children, families, and the entire community. I viewed the family aspect in a school setting and collaborated with other staff to provide medical care and find other pertinent resources. At the school, I realized that I need to offer more services to low-income families. That is why I decided to enroll in a family nurse practitioner program.
I wish to work as a nurse practitioner in a low-income community clinic to offer services to people who don’t have the resources to access medical care. I want to teach families how to live healthily and manage illness. I am very passionate about nursing and want to give back to the underserved community because it’s where I grew up.
I aspire to open a free health clinic for the uninsured community after completing the family nurse practitioner program. I also dream of taking mission work in the entire world. I want to participate in changing the world, and I believe I can positively influence today’s healthcare crises.
A nursing scholarship essay allows you to reflect on your accomplishment and personality which shows the committee why you deserve to win. Your aim is to make your essay stand out from other applicants and persuade the committee why you are worth winning the scholarship. Use the guide provided in this blog to write a winning essay for a nursing scholarship.