Money-Winning Scholarship Essays and Interviews: Insider Strategies from Judges and Winners

by Tanabe, Gen S.

• ISBN13: 9780965755610
• ISBN10: 0965755614
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-04-01
• Publisher: Pgw

Summary

Analyzes the qualifications needed to obtain financial aid scholarships for colleges and universities, using sample interview questions and actual winning essays.

Table of Contents

The Secret To Winning A Scholarship	p. 13
You are 60 seconds away from the trash bin	p. 14
The scholarship strategies you'll learn	p. 15
Why we know so much about scholarships	p. 16
Not just looking for straight "A" students	p. 17
How To Find Great Scholarships	p. 19
Scholarship goldmines	p. 20
Looking to make an impact	p. 21
Ambassadors wanted	p. 23
Which scholarship is right for you?	p. 24
Work experience & financial aid	p. 25
Their mission is your mission	p. 26
When & where to find scholarships	p. 27
Inside information from past winners	p. 27
Judges' Roundtable: Inside The Selection Process	p. 29
Meet your scholarship judges	p. 30
What is the purpose of your award?	p. 30
Who typically judges the scholarship competition?	p. 32
How does your scholarship selection process work?	p. 34
What qualities do you look for when selecting the winner?	p. 36
What sets the winner apart from the runner-up?	p. 39
What advice do you have for future applicants?	p. 40
Participating judges & experts	p. 42
How To Write A Money-Winning Essay	p. 45
Why the essay is critical to winning	p. 46
Focus on solutions	p. 47
The making of a powerful essay	p. 47
Three common features of all money-winning essays	p. 49
Hard to believe but true essay mistakes	p. 51
How to find the perfect topic	p. 53
Essay writing tips	p. 53
Remember to focus on originality	p. 53
Share something personal	p. 54
Test your thesis with a simple question	p. 54
Expand on your accomplishments	p. 56
Beware of meaningless facts	p. 56
Don't write a sob story	p. 56
Show some positive energy	p. 58
The importance of going beyond the superficial	p. 55
An essay pop quiz	p. 57
The importance of editors	p. 58
Use examples & illustrate	p. 59
Recycle & reuse	p. 59
How to write a great introduction & conclusion	p. 60
Essays get better with each revision	p. 61
30 Money-Winning Essays	p. 63
The money-winning essays	p. 64
Experiences & challenges	p. 65
A scholarship support network	p. 69
The intangible benefits of applying	p. 75
Essays about family	p. 76
National or international issues	p. 84
Essay advice from the winners	p. 85
The importance of getting editors	p. 96
Community service & volunteerism	p. 97
Career plans or fields of study	p. 103
Essays about leadership	p. 112
Academic accomplishments	p. 114
More essay advice from the winners	p. 119
Essays about athletics	p. 120
Artistic talents	p. 122
A parent's essay	p. 125
Seeking genuineness	p. 127
12 Essays That Bombed	p. 129
Learning from failure	p. 130
Where's the point?	p. 130
The attempted tearjerker	p. 132
Miss America essay	p. 133
The life-changing voyage	p. 135
Convoluted vocabulary	p. 137
Behold! My statistics	p. 138
The most influential person in the world	p. 139
Be true	p. 141
Creativity overload	p. 141
The future me	p. 143
My life as seen on TV	p. 144
Excuses, excuses, excuses	p. 146
Complex problem, simple solution	p. 148
Judges' Roundtable: The Scholarship Essay	p. 151
Meet your scholarship judges	p. 152
How important is the essay to winning a scholarship?	p. 152
What qualities make an essay powerful?	p. 152
What common mistakes do students make on the essay?	p. 154
Participating judges & experts	p. 157
Winning Interview Strategies	p. 159
Face-to-face with the interview	p. 160
Two types of interviews	p. 160
How to ace your interview--friendly or hostile	p. 161
Transform an interrogation into a conversation	p. 161
Advice from a Rhodes Scholar	p. 163
You are not the center of the universe	p. 164
Dress & act the part	p. 165
The group interview	p. 165
What it's like to be an interviewer	p. 167
How to make practice into perfect	p. 168
The long-distance interview	p. 169
The hostile interview	p. 170
The disaster interview	p. 171
Post-interview	p. 172
Make sure you make your point	p. 173
Interview Question & Answer Examples	p. 175
Giving the right answers	p. 176
Achievements & leadership questions	p. 176
Tip #1 from a scholarship winner	p. 179
Personal questions	p. 179
Misinterpreting the judges	p. 181
Why you deserve to win questions	p. 184
Education & college questions	p. 186
Tip #2 from a scholarship winner	p. 187
Academic questions	p. 189
Tip #3 from a scholarship winner	p. 191
Your career & future questions	p. 194
Tip #4 from a scholarship winner	p. 195
Activity questions	p. 198
Opinion questions	p. 200
Tip #5 from a scholarship winner	p. 201
Judges' Roundtable: The Interview	p. 203
Meet your scholarship judges	p. 204
How important is the interview in determining who wins?	p. 204
What are some typical questions that you ask?	p. 205
What are qualities of a good interview?	p. 206
What common mistakes do students make in interviews?	p. 207
How should students prepare for interviews?	p. 208
Participating judges & experts	p. 210
Final Thoughts	p. 211
A personal ending	p. 212
Special request	p. 213
Scholarship Directory	p. 215
Web Resources	p. 239
Index	p. 243
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.