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How Strict is Word Limit on Scholarship Essay?

Question: I am typing a scholarship essay that is supposed to be 500 words long. I was typing and continued to type and type and soon realized I was at 600 words. So I finished up and was about to submit it when I saw in smaller print in the instructions that it is supposed to be 500 words or less. Should I cut out some of my essay or submit it with all 601 words? I have heard that they may not even look at it or they may cut it off at 500 and not even read the rest. I really liked my essay but if it means being disqualified then I will definitely cut some parts out. Thanks!

If the online form did not actually cut you off at 500 words, then you don't have to worry about an exact count. BUT ... I have NEVER (in three decades) read a student essay that couldn't use at least a little shortening in order to be stronger. So I suggest that you try to carve off at least 50 of those extra words.

Be particularly aware of first-paragraph "throat clearing." Often when I edit a student essay, the first thing I do is to delete all or most of the opening sentences.

For instance, if the topic is "Tell us about an experience that helped you to learn something about yourself," it's common to see an essay that starts something like this:

People learn about themselves in many ways. Sometimes it is from a pleasant experience and sometimes it is an unpleasant one. Sometimes it takes a while to learn the lesson and sometimes it is learned immediately. But most of us realize that both the good and bad times we have in our lives will teach us lessons that will stay with us forever.

The day I broke Ephraim McEwan’s Volvo window with a socket wrench was just the beginning. It wasn’t intentional but it wasn’t entirely accidental either … depending, of course, on how “accidental” is defined. For starters, I should tell you that I’m pretty handy with tools. I’ve been repairing my own bike since I was 7; I built the bookcase in my bedroom when I was 12; and I’m in the process of helping my father restore a 1968 Plymouth Suburban station wagon that has been in the family since he was a teenager. So having a wrench in my back pocket was completely legitimate. I only wish now that it had stayed there …

Sixty-three words were wasted on the first paragraph … almost entirely hackneyed drivel! The second paragraph is immediately engaging, and the author should have saved those initial five-or-so-dozen words and started with the Volvo window.

Likewise, take a look at what you can lop off of your essay, but don’t feel that it’s imperative that you cut it down to exactly 500 words, if 50 or fewer extras will still fit in the space.

(posted 6/21/2012)

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.

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Tips and strategies for crafting an outstanding scholarship essay.

Scholarship essays are an essential part of many scholarship applications. They provide an opportunity for you to showcase your personality, goals, and achievements to scholarship committees. Crafting a winning scholarship essay requires time, effort, and attention to detail. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide you with tips and strategies to help you write a compelling and successful scholarship essay that sets you apart from the competition.

From understanding the prompt to drafting your essay and polishing the final draft, we will walk you through each step of the process. You will learn how to identify key themes, structure your essay effectively, and highlight your strengths and experiences in a way that resonates with the scholarship committee. Whether you are a high school student applying for a local scholarship or a college student seeking a national award, this guide will equip you with the tools you need to create a standout scholarship essay.

The Importance of Scholarships

Scholarships play a crucial role in helping students achieve their educational goals. They provide financial assistance to deserving individuals who may not have the means to fund their education on their own. This support can make a significant difference in a student’s ability to pursue higher education and achieve their dreams.

Furthermore, scholarships not only alleviate the financial burden on students and their families but also promote academic excellence. By incentivizing students to strive for academic success, scholarships encourage individuals to work hard, stay motivated, and excel in their studies. This can lead to a more educated and skilled workforce, benefiting society as a whole.

In addition, scholarships can open doors to opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach for many students. They can provide access to top-tier universities, prestigious programs, and valuable experiences that can shape a student’s future and career prospects. Scholarships empower individuals to reach their full potential and pursue their passions without the constraints of financial limitations.

Overall, scholarships are not only important for individuals seeking to further their education but also for society as a whole. By investing in scholarships, we invest in the future of education, innovation, and progress. Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their communities and the world, thanks to the support and opportunities provided by scholarships.

Why You Should Apply

Applying for scholarships is a smart and strategic move for students looking to further their education. Here are a few reasons why you should take the time to apply:

• Financial Support: Scholarships offer a valuable source of funding that can help offset the cost of tuition, books, and other educational expenses.
• Merit Recognition: Winning a scholarship is a testament to your hard work, dedication, and academic achievements. It can boost your confidence and open up new opportunities.
• Reduced Debt: By securing scholarships, you can reduce the need for student loans and graduate with less debt, giving you a stronger financial foundation after graduation.
• Networking Opportunities: Many scholarship programs provide networking opportunities with other scholars, mentors, and industry professionals, helping you build valuable connections for the future.
• Personal Growth: The process of applying for scholarships forces you to reflect on your goals, achievements, and aspirations, fostering personal growth and self-improvement.

Overall, applying for scholarships is a worthwhile investment in your education and future success. Don’t miss out on the chance to secure the financial support and recognition you deserve!

Benefits of Winning

Winning a scholarship can offer numerous benefits to students, both academically and personally. Some of the key benefits include:

• Financial Assistance: Scholarships provide financial support for tuition, books, and other educational expenses, reducing the financial burden on students and their families.
• Recognition and Prestige: Winning a scholarship can enhance a student’s academic resume and demonstrate their merit to future employers and academic institutions.
• Opportunities for Growth: Scholarships often come with additional opportunities such as internships, networking events, and mentorship programs, which can help students develop their skills and build connections in their field.
• Increased Confidence: Achieving a scholarship can boost a student’s confidence and motivation, encouraging them to aim higher in their academic and personal goals.
• Debt Reduction: By receiving a scholarship, students can decrease their reliance on student loans and minimize the amount of debt they accumulate during their education.

Overall, winning a scholarship can have a transformative impact on a student’s educational journey, opening doors to new opportunities and providing valuable support along the way.

Key Elements in Scholarship Essays

Scholarship essays are crucial for securing financial aid for your education. To craft a winning scholarship essay, you must include key elements that showcase your unique qualities and experiences. These elements include:

1. Personal Story: Share a personal story that highlights your values, goals, and aspirations. This will help the scholarship committee get to know you better.

2. Relevance: Make sure your essay is relevant to the scholarship you are applying for. Tailor your essay to fit the requirements and objectives of the scholarship program.

3. Clear Structure: Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Use transitions to connect your ideas smoothly.

4. Strong Thesis: Present a strong thesis statement that outlines the main point of your essay. This will guide your writing and keep your essay focused.

5. Unique Voice: Use your unique voice and perspective to stand out from other applicants. Avoid clichés and generic statements.

6. Proofreading: Proofread your essay carefully to eliminate errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. A polished essay shows your professionalism and attention to detail.

By incorporating these key elements into your scholarship essay, you can increase your chances of winning financial aid for your education.

Understanding the Prompt

One of the most crucial aspects of writing a winning scholarship essay is understanding the prompt. Take your time to carefully read and analyze the prompt provided by the scholarship committee. Pay attention to the key points and requirements outlined in the prompt, such as the essay topic, word limit, formatting guidelines, and any specific questions that need to be addressed.

Create a table or list to break down the prompt into manageable sections. Highlight the main themes or keywords that you should focus on in your essay. By understanding the prompt thoroughly, you can ensure that your essay directly addresses the criteria set by the scholarship committee and increases your chances of success.

Highlighting Your Achievements

When crafting a scholarship essay, it is crucial to highlight your achievements in a way that showcases your skills, talents, and accomplishments. Be sure to emphasize your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community service involvement, leadership roles, and any awards or recognition you have received. Use specific examples and anecdotes to demonstrate the impact of your achievements and how they have shaped you as a person. By highlighting your achievements, you can effectively communicate your potential to the scholarship committee and increase your chances of receiving the scholarship.

Tips for Writing a Standout Essay

When it comes to crafting a winning scholarship essay, there are several key tips to keep in mind to ensure your essay stands out from the crowd:

Showing Your Unique Voice

When crafting a scholarship essay, it’s important to remember that you are the only person who can truly tell your story. Don’t be afraid to let your personality and voice shine through in your writing. This is your chance to stand out from the crowd and show the scholarship committee why you deserve to win.

Whether it’s through a unique storytelling style, a powerful personal anecdote, or a quirky sense of humor, find a way to make your essay memorable and engaging. Your essay should reflect who you are as a person, not just your accomplishments and achievements.

Use your own words and express your ideas in a way that is authentic and genuine. Your unique voice is what will make your essay memorable and resonate with the scholarship committee. Be yourself, and let your personality shine through in every word you write.

Structuring Your Essay Effectively

When it comes to crafting a winning scholarship essay, the structure is just as important as the content. Here are some tips on how to structure your essay effectively:

1. Introduction: Start your essay with a strong hook that grabs the reader’s attention. Introduce yourself and provide some background information about your achievements and goals.

2. Body paragraphs: Divide your essay into several paragraphs that each focus on a specific point or idea. Make sure to provide clear examples and evidence to support your arguments.

3. Conclusion: Summarize your main points and reiterate why you are the ideal candidate for the scholarship. End with a strong closing statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

4. Editing: Before submitting your essay, make sure to proofread and edit it carefully. Check for grammar and spelling errors, as well as clarity and coherence in your writing.

By following these tips, you can structure your scholarship essay effectively and increase your chances of winning that coveted award!

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How to write a scholarship essay

With the increased cost of college tuition, students often need to apply for grants and scholarships in order to pay their way through school.

There are scholarships and grants for everyone from recent graduates to first-generation college students – even if you’re still a high school student.

Most scholarships require more than just good test scores. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to win one of these awards, read on. The scholarship application process usually includes an essay question that the scholarship provider’s own committee will ask you to answer.

Scholarship applications can be stressful for students – especially international students. The worst part is that applicants don’t always know what they are doing wrong and how to fix it. This takes skill and preparation (and some good luck!).

Read this blog before you start writing – it will give you lots of tips that will help you write a great essay, so that your chances of winning the scholarship to attend college will increase dramatically!

Writing a Winning College Scholarship Essay

Great scholarship essays show the real person behind the application and this could be what gives you the edge over the competition (as long as you meet the other criteria for the scholarship).

Scholarship Essays

Scholarship essays are like college admission essays. They have a lot in common and they are similar in the way that you write them. Prospective students applying for scholarships are in competition with each other, as many will have good grades and great prospects. Your essay is a great chance to distinguish yourself from other applicants.

When applying for a scholarship, it is important to write an essay that the committee will notice. The committee will receive many, many versions of the same essay. All of these similar essays will blend together – in other words, you need to stand out by writing an attention-grabbing story in a unique voice.

These are some tips to think about when writing your essay:

Scholarships are not always based purely on grades, so it is important to mention what makes you strong outside of academics.

It is best to find a scholarship related to your academic or future career goals.

One way to make sure your essay meets the requirements of each scholarship competition is to do some research on which type of essay it requires.

How to write a winning scholarship essay – scholarship essay tips

It’s not enough just to know what you want to write about. You also need to meet any given requirements and develop a plan for researching the topic before starting on your essay.

Scholarship Essay Instructions

Before you start working on your essay, make sure to take a moment to read the instructions and fully comprehend what is required of you. If it’s not clear, then look over them one more time until you have all of the information that you need. Do not start writing until everything is clear in your mind. If you have any questions about the scholarship essay prompts, contact the scholarship committee and ask for instructions. This shows that you are serious about the essay prompt and will not make you look worse than if you did nothing at all.

Pay attention to the prompt and be sure you maintain focus on that

When reading the prompt, make sure to read it carefully several times and try to understand what is being asked. Scholarship essay prompts will typically ask a variety of similar themes, such as how receiving the scholarship or gaining your degree will change your life. A good way to start the essay would be figuring out which specific question the prompt is asking you.

You should also avoid adding anything unrelated to the prompt. You should be able to talk about the specific topic in-depth. Stay focused on the prompt when writing your essay.

If you can, choose a topic that you are interested in

You’ll create better work and be more expressive if you care about what you’re writing. You may get to choose the topic of your scholarship essay for some applications.

So if you have a choice, choose a topic that you are passionate about. This should make it easier to write your scholarship essay without having to do more work.

If the prompt is asking for your past, present or future goals and aspirations (or something else), it’s best to tie those into how receiving this scholarship will change what you’re able to do.

If you make your writing from your heart, it will be more meaningful.

Avoid Negative Topics

Don’t do essays that are about negative things. That’s not good to read or write.

Scholarship program administrators are most impressed with essays that inspire and give hope, shed light on overlooked problems, or tell stories of overcoming great obstacles.

Don’t be shy

Who are you? What makes you special? This is your chance to talk about what you want to say that you couldn’t say in other parts of the scholarship application essays. When you tell the story of your own life in a scholarship application or essay, it will seem more real to the people reading it.

Spelling and grammar are important

People notice mistakes in grammar. Even small mistakes can distract a reader from your message, and nailing the spelling and grammar in your scholarship essay shows your writing ability and attention to detail. This includes good sentence structure and a wide vocabulary throughout your entire essay.

Proofreading your essay is crucial to submitting an application that will be in with a chance of winning.

Stick to the word count

When you write a scholarship essay, the prompts usually tell you how many words (or characters) to use, so follow instructions and stick to the rules. You would be surprised how many applicants go over the word count, and despite submitting a well written scholarship essay, they make a bad first impression by sending something in that doesn’t meet the scholarship requirements.

You may not know what 250 words looks like. It’s hard to tell. As a general guide, you need to write 250 words for one typed page (double spaced). That means you need to write 500 words for two pages and so on. Microsoft Word and Google Docs both have functions to show you your word count.

You can’t go over the word or character limit. If you do, you may be disqualified. You do not need to write an essay that exactly hits the limit, but it is good to come close.

It’s easy to think that when you write more than the word limit, people will think you are working harder, have put in extra effort, and are therefore more deserving of the scholarship money. In truth, the people reading your essay care about how well you follow directions as much as they care about a well written essay.

For a great scholarship essay, do some research

What do you know about the organization awarding this scholarship? Look them up online. Learn about why they are offering the scholarship and their mission statement.

Learn about the award or scholarship provider’s mission and objectives. As you write your scholarship essay, think about the point of the company’s mission and what it is they are looking for in a successful candidate. Then share a story from your life that demonstrates how passionate you are for the organization or cause.

Many scholarship providers also showcase previous winning scholarship essays on their websites. You can see what a winning essay looks like and learn from their experience. Studying other scholarship essay examples will give you many ideas about what to write in your personal statement, how to create your essay’s introduction and a really good understanding of the scholarship essay format you should use.

Start the essay writing process early

Time management is key when applying for scholarships. Plan ahead to ensure you have the proper time available and be sure to check deadlines and requirements.

Give yourself plenty of time to come up with a thought-provoking essay. Take the time to brainstorm ideas, compile an outline, and edit your entry thoroughly just like you would for any assignment.

It is best to do your work before the deadline. That way you have time to make sure that it is good and you can fix anything if it needs to be fixed. When you finish writing the essay, leave a few days before you edit it. You’ll have a better chance of finding errors and places for improvement if you do not edit it right away.

Here are some scholarship essay tips:

Introduce the essay with a strong introduction or “hook.” Try to make your first sentence engaging enough to grab your reader’s attention.

Introduction, body, conclusion – a classic framework. Start with an introduction. The introduction should tell the readers what you are going to say in your essay. Write a body that tells about the main idea of your essay. The body should have many details, sentences, and paragraphs to support your argument. Finish by writing a conclusion that tells the reader what you talked about in the body of your

New ideas should always start new paragraphs. Paragraphs should be short and concise for easy reading!

Try to tie up any open threads and bring your essay to a conclusion with a personal statement.

Be truthful

The most memorable essays are written with the utmost authenticity and are often built around a series of events that detail how these experiences have impacted your life. Remember, you do not need to embellish or make up details to try to seem more deserving for the scholarship money.

Show, don’t tell

This is the most important tip for writing an essay. Instead of just explaining how you feel, try to paint a vivid picture through your words. For example: instead of saying that I’m really stressed at work and school, illustrate what stress looks like to you – late nights studying and forgetting to shower for days?

Keep it concise

Clear, specific and concise writing is one of the best tips for a solid scholarship essay. 

Providing a compelling and concise essay is challenging, but necessary. Employing simple language with specifics and vivid imagery will help you do just that.

Write about resilience

Scholarship essays are rigorous and require a lot of thought. Often, the essay will ask you to write about an important issue in your life that required you to be very resourceful when solving it, or a specific hardship you have overcome.

Many applicants make the mistake of writing more about their struggles with overcoming obstacles and not giving much insight into how they actually accomplished it.

One of the most important components for crafting a worthy scholarship essay is to focus on one event that has influenced or had an impact on your life. If you have experienced many different adversities throughout your life, it can be hard to narrow down which one to focus on.

However, by choosing a central theme you will be able to provide a more concise, coherent essay and will be able to tell the story of overcoming your obstacles in greater depth.

Use a professional tone, but also show who you really are

Instead of using overly colloquial language, focus on professionalism. But don’t be too formal – this is still your essay! Just keep readers interested by being yourself and sounding like you instead of trying to sound stuffy or formal.

Balance humility and pride

Your scholarship essay is the place to share your accomplishments and backstory, but don’t just list all of your virtues in an effort to prove that you deserve a scholarship. It’s important to strike a balance between being humble and proud of what you’ve accomplished.

Avoid these common errors

Now that you have a general sense of how to approach your essay, let’s review what we should avoid mentioning.

Generic inspirational quotes

By all means put quotes on social media. Or on your desk. But for a scholarship essay, you should not use them.

Instead, include advice or wisdom you’ve been given from the people who are important to you. Doing this will add a personal touch and give readers insight into what motivates you.

Platitudes, cliches and meaningless phrases

Be original. Don’t paint the same picture as everyone else when you’re applying for scholarships.

Platitudes are common phrases that people use all the time. For example, “Good things come to those who wait.”

Try not to use them in scholarship essays because you will sound like everyone else if you do.

Cliches are overused phrases or stories that no longer have any power or meaning. If you want to write a great scholarship essay, don’t use any clichés.

Swearing 

Sounds obvious, right? You’d never even think of doing this in a scholarship essay, would you? You’d be surprised at how many people actually do – and it can cost them the scholarship! 

Try to avoid any swear or curse words, even if you hear others use them frequently in mainstream media or TV shows. 

It’s unlikely that you will offend anyone, but be safe rather than sorry.

Use a thesaurus to find new exciting words and paint vivid imagery of your experience.

Txt spk and emoji

While you may be accustomed to using abbreviations and acronyms in daily conversations, keep them out of your scholarship essays.

The scholarship essay is one of the best places to showcase your writing skills, so it’s important that you write in a formal style unless otherwise directed.

Avoid using slang and informal language in your essay. Keep it professional and academic but also personal. A scholarship committee is looking for a special person with unique qualities.

The same goes for emoji. Keep them out of your scholarship essay! ;p

Trending topics

Don’t address a currently trend, controversial topic unless the essay prompt asks you to. A winning scholarship essay will be about you and your experience, not the latest trending topics. 

It’s ok if you touch on these ideas as part of your essay, but not as the main theme.

The most compelling essays often deal with personal subject matter rather than popular topics.

DO take a strong stance on causes that you care about and show how winning this scholarship award will help you continue fighting for them if appropriate, though. A critical thinker will stand behind something they can argue for convincingly.

Writing scholarship essays requires following the prompt and avoiding unrelated points. 

Photos, and fonts

Don’t make your scholarship essay a visual project. Keep it professional. You want people to read it without getting lost in all the pictures and fonts.

If you there are no formatting instructions, when uploading your essay to an application, use Times New Roman font and size 12.

If you copy-paste your essay into the text box on an application site, this will format your content for you.

Ensure that your writing follows all formatting requirements for headers and footers, margins, and single- or double-spacing.

Extreme statements

Scholarship essays should not only consist of extreme perspectives. Avoid unnecessary pessimism about the future and strong stances on irrelevant issues. 

If the prompt asks you about a problem facing the world today, you can answer by focusing on the hope for the future and the possibilities to overcome the issue. Many scholarship essays focus too much on the problem and not enough on the solution.

Criticism of other applicants

It is not okay to say that someone else – like another applicant – is less deserving of financial aid than you are. Scholarship committees really frown on this as a practice. You can tell the committee why you are deserving of the scholarship money without putting any other applicant down.

Your life story

Every scholarship essay needs to be focused and concise, so it is important to remember that you only have limited space. It can be tempting to write a lot about your life, but stay focused on the prompt given.

So while the story of your life may well be worth writing about, you probably can’t do it within the word limit set, and it almost certainly won’t meet the brief in full.  

You can choose to focus on one period of time, or one important event in your life that will allow you to write your essay and show a different perspective from all the other applicants. 

Essay Writing Process

Understanding how to write a scholarship essay can be difficult, but we’re here to give you some help.

Idea generation or brainstorming

Many students just dive straight into writing their essay. But if you want yours to really stand out, you should start thinking, planning and generating ideas before you begin writing.

Think about the essay prompt. Start to think of what you want to write about to address it fully.

To ensure that your idea fits with the prompt and communicates what you are trying to say, brainstorming is necessary. As you think of ideas, write them down as bullet points or notes on paper.

An outline is a useful tool to help you avoid structural mistakes, omission, repetition and fluff in your scholarship essay.

Your outline is like a complete answer to the essay prompt but without any of the detail.

As you write the full version of your essay you will have all the space you need to expand on what you’ve decided on in your outline.

The outline can help you structure your scholarship essay properly.

Your outline should allow you to see that you have answered the prompt, and done so in a logical order such as:

An introduction that sets out your ideas for the essay

Explanations that support the ideas you raised

A conclusion that summarises your points and wraps up the essay

Once you’ve drafted your article and outlined its key points, you can begin writing the piece for real. Be sure to follow your outline and check it for anything you may have missed while drafting.

Try to be succinct, avoid rambling on about unrelated topics and make your point quickly and clearly.

If the scholarship doesn’t mention a maximum essay length, a good rule of thumb is that your essay should be around one full page long.

Take 5 (or longer)

When you’ve completed a first draft of your essay, stop for a little while. Take a break by getting outside for some fresh air or going for a short walk. This will give you time to take in your own work and get some perspective on it.

When you return from your break, the essay will seem clearer in your mind than before. If possible, wait until the next day to come back to your essay. Continuing to edit it fresh in your mind will help you make any final revisions.

With a fresh set of eyes on your scholarship application essay you may notice things that you want to change, add or remove. Is there a better way to say something? Do you need to elaborate more on a certain part? Is there something that doesn’t make sense?

You also need to look out for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and typos.

When revising your essay, you should always ask yourself if there is a better way to express what you want to say. Are any of the sentences not necessary? Could they be shortened or rewritten? Is it clear how this section connects with another?

If you find that you’ve repeated the same words too often, you try to vary your language. It will make reading and understanding your essay easier for a reader who is not familiar with what you’re trying to say.

Tools such as Grammarly can help find errors in writing, so it’s a good idea to check your work there before submitting anything or sending off your application.

Once you’re happy with the content it’s time to format your essay by following the instructions provided in the brief.

If no specific instructions are given, then our advice is to use a standard 12 point font like Arial, Times New Roman, Helvetica, Courier, or Georgia font.

Double spacing is a standard requirement for many scholarships.

It is also important to use a ‘Title Page’ and include the following information: name, address, year of study, current course(s), email address.

Ask someone to read your essay

It can be hard to be objective when reviewing your own work. That’s why you should ask someone else to read through it before you submit.

Ask them what they think about your writing, and if the essay presents all of the main points that were requested in a clear way.

If there are any gaps then ask them for ideas so that everything is well-balanced.

Ideally someone who has experience with reading essays would be the best person – someone like a teacher or counsellor. But really anyone like a friend or family member will do here because their perspective will be different than yours.

Take their advice and update your essay not submit your essay until you have made the requested changes.

This will give you an edge and help ensure greater success!

Don’t quit!

If you get tired, rest but don’t give up. Writing a scholarship essay is not an easy task, but if you break it down it is manageable. If you need more money to be able to afford to study abroad then winning some extra financial aid in the form of scholarships could make all the difference to your financial stability in college.

We hope that you’ve learned something new about how to write a scholarship essay in our article. Now it’s over to you…

Do you have any other scholarship essay tips? Let us know in the comments below!

Find your scholarship here .

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Medicine scholarships: Medical scholarships for medical students

Posted in International Education , International Scholarships

When I was a kid. A drunk driver hit the bus me with my family and other passenger’s was making journey with, while’ I was in the backseat. I have very few memories of the incident, but I do faintly recall seriously, but calming face as if I was gently lifted out of the vehicle. The paramedic held my hand as I was rushed to the hospital. I was in the hospital for several weeks, and that same paramedic came to visit me almost every day. During my stay, I also got to know the various doctors and nurses in the hospital on a personal level. I remember feeling anxiety about my condition, but not sadness or even fear. It seemed to me that those around me, particularly my family, were more fearful of what might happen to me than I was. I don’t believe it was innocence or ignorance, rather I trust in God and abilities of my doctors. It was as if my doctors and I had a silent bond. Now that I’m older, I fear death and sickness in a more intense way than I remember experiencing it as a child. My experience as a child sparked a keen interest in how we approach pediatric care, especially as it relates to our psychological and emotional support of children facing serious medical conditions. It was here that I experienced first-hand the power and compassion of medicine, not only in healing but also in bringing unlikely individuals together, such as adults and children in uncommon yet profound ways. And it was here that I began to developed interest of becoming a doctor. My interest sparked more even now I was recently admitted into university, I remember days back when I was asked to assist in a study one of my teacher during senior secondary school days, he was conducting on how children experience and process fear and the prospect of death. This teacher was not in the medical field; rather, his background is in cultural anthropology. I was very honored to be part of this project at such an early stage of my life. During the study, I discovered that children face death in extremely different ways than adults do. I found that children facing fatal illnesses are very aware of their condition, even when it hasn’t been fully explained to me, and on the whole I’m willing to fight the illnesses, but also more accepting of their potential fate than many adults facing similar diagnoses. I concluded our study by asking whether and to what extent this discovery should impact the type of care given to children in contrast to adults. I am eager to continue this sort of research as I pursue my medical career. The intersection of medicine, psychology and socialization or culture. (in this case, the social variables differentiating adults from children) is quite fascinating and is a field that is in need of better research. Although much headway has been made in this area in the past many years ago, I feel there is still a tendency in medicine to treat diseases the same way no matter who the patient is. I’m slowly learning that procedures and drugs are not always universally effective. Not only must we alter our care of patients depending upon these cultural and social factors, we may also need to alter our entire emotional and psychological approach to them as well. It is for this reason that I applied to All Saints University College of Medicine, as they has top programs for medicine and surgery in the academic subjects, as well as several renowned researchers delving into the social, generational and cultural questions in which I’m interested. My approach to medicine will be multidisciplinary, which is evidenced by the fact that I’m already prepared and decided from early childhood psychology and pre-med, with a minor in cultural anthropology. This is the type of extraordinary care that I received as a child—care that seemed to approach injuries with a much larger and deeper picture than that which pure medicine cannot offer, and it is this sort of care I want to provide for my future patients. But financial inadequate is becoming an impediment to the desire I have for society, I turned what might have been a debilitating event in my life and devastating motor accident—into the inspiration that has shaped my life since. I am careful and passionate. And while I know that the medical studies at All Saints University will likely be the second biggest challenge I will face in my life, I know that I am up for it. I am ready to be challenged and prove to myself what I’ve been telling myself since my Secondary School Days: I will be a medical doctor.

Good luck with everything!

Thanks a lot for helping me. This can prove to be so important for my career. I have been making these mistakes like using extreme statements and all and even used it in my last essay. Now, I got to know that these are wrong. I can’t be more thankful to you for such in-depth information.

Glad you found it useful, Blaze.

What would be the best study university to study Early Childhood Education Curriculum development?

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How Long Should Your College Essays Be?

Cait Williams is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cait recently graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Journalism and Strategic Communications. During her time at OU, was active in the outdoor recreation community.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

For the most part, colleges tell you exactly how long your college essays should be, but what happens when they don’t? In this article, we will go over the reason behind word limits and what to do if a college you’re applying to does not provide a word limit.  

Why is there a word limit? 

Because most colleges receive such a large volume of essays, they don’t have time to read through multi page essays from every student.  If you’re having trouble staying within a given word limit, you might begin to feel frustrated. Maybe you are asking yourself, “why is there a word limit?” Rest assured that colleges don’t just come up with these word counts randomly. They know how long it should take for the average student to answer the given questions.    

Additionally, having a word count can be beneficial to you, even if you don’t initially realize it. Without a word limit, you might find yourself feeling anxious that you didn’t say enough or that you said too much. A word count can help you gauge how much detail you should go into and help reassure you that you said what you wanted to say within the guidelines. 

How to draft your essay with a word count 

Word count is a limitation to factor into your college applications, but it shouldn’t be what dictates how you answer essay questions. Write the first draft of your essay without a word limitation. Simply write down what it is you would like to convey and how. This will give you a good starting point from which you can tailor your essay to be either longer or shorter.  

You can use some of the questions below if you find that your essay is getting too long or too short.  

Is your essay too short? 

• Did you mention all necessary details and clearly convey your message?  
• Is there an added point that you would like to make that could strengthen the core of your essay? 
• Is there another essay question that you could answer in addition to the one you just answered? 

Having an answer that you struggle to make long enough isn’t always a bad thing. If you can get your point across in fewer words, while not compromising the core of your essay, that’s okay. However, you should certainly check back through your answer a few times. The last thing you want to do is submit an answer that is too short and doesn’t fully answer the question asked.  

Don’t miss: How to end a scholarship essay

Avoid “fluffy filler”

You might feel tempted to use a lot of filler words in order to hit a certain word count, but this isn’t the best strategy. College admissions officers want to read engaging responses to get to know you. With such limited space to show off who you are, it’s important to take advantage of the space you have. If you’ve entirely answered the essay and are short on words, try incorporating an added point that ties well to your essay. 

Is your essay too long?  

• Are there any details that could be omitted without changing the core of your essay?  
• Is there anything you said that could be inferred and doesn’t need to be explicitly said? 
• Did you use any filler words or is there wording that you could change to be more concise?  

Having an answer that is too long means you probably very thoroughly explained your answer, which is a good thing. But it also might mean that you went off track a bit and mentioned some things that weren’t necessary.  

Scan back through your article and try to be as concise as possible with your writing. If you can’t find anywhere to make cuts, have a family member or friend read through it for you and offer an outside perspective.  

Okay, but what happens if your essay really is too long, and you absolutely cannot cut it down… 

What happens if you exceed the word limit?  

If you exceed or come in just below the word limit by a few words and you’re sending your essay through a PDF or attached file, it’s not the worst thing. College admissions officers probably won’t notice that they had to read ten, or potentially even twenty extra words. The same goes for if you are below the word count.  

However, if you have to answer the essay question within a textbox, or a provided space, you may be unable to submit your answer unless it falls somewhere within the word count. So, keep that in mind as you move forward. You may not have any other choice but to revise your answer to make it fit the word count.  

Related: Tips for a successful college application

Additional resources

We have plenty of resources to help you with essay writing, so before you start writing. Learn some tips on writing 250 word essays as well as 500 word essays. Maybe you need help starting your essay? Learn how to  start a scholarship essay (with examples!)  One of the hardest things to do is write about one’s self. We can help you there too! Learn how to write an essay about yourself and wow whoever reads your essay! 

Key Takeaways

• Word counts aren’t meant to be an added challenge to the college application process 
• Before writing your essay, verify if you will be sending it via PDF, Word document, or if you will need to type it directly into a designated space 
• Write the first draft of your essay without a word count in mind and then critique your essay from there 
• If possible, give yourself a few different times to sit down and write various versions of your essay  

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I've been applying for a few scholarships lately and I'm not sure how long these essays should be. To those who've written scholarship essays before, any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Hey there! It's great that you're applying for scholarships. The length of scholarship essays can vary depending on the specific requirements provided by the scholarship organization. Some may have a strict word limit, while others might have a suggested range or not specify a length at all.

In general, a good rule of thumb is to aim for about 500-800 words for a scholarship essay unless otherwise specified. This length typically provides enough space to effectively communicate your main points and elaborate on your thoughts, while also remaining concise and engaging for the reader. Always make sure to carefully read the guidelines and follow any word count or formatting instructions provided for each scholarship you apply to. Good luck!

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The short-answer questions invite you to share in your own words what you have done, who you are, and what you aspire to do in the future. We ask you to answer three questions:

• Describe your short term and long term academic and professional intentions. (250 word limit)
• Please tell us when you: a) engaged with someone with a different perspective, b) acted with courage, and c) fell short of expectations. (250 word limit combined)
• Please tell us eight improbable facts (things that are unlikely but true) about you. (150 word limit combined)

The essay prompt invites you to reflect deeply on your life’s journey and the people, events, and circumstances that have impacted it.

There is no right answer, topic, or format — only you can tell your own story — and yet we hope you will focus much less on what you have done and much more on who you are. The strongest essays balance introspection with recognition of external influences, and are so personal that no one else could have possibly written it. The essay topic:

• Connect the dots. How have the influences in your life shaped you?   (500 word limit)

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: what are improbable facts.

A: Improbable facts are aspects about you - experiences, beliefs, traits, skills, etc. - that seem unlikely but are true.  These could include: facts that people wouldn’t expect to be true and/or facts that others are surprised to learn about you. This does not mean a list of achievements. Use this as a way to show a different side of you. And have some fun!

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How Long Should a College Essay Be? | Word Count Tips

Published on September 29, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on June 1, 2023.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit. If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

You should aim to stay under the specified limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, if you write too little, it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a thoughtful and developed essay.

Table of contents

Word count guidelines for different application types, how to shorten your essay, how to expand your essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Each university has a different suggested or required word count depending on which application portal it uses.

Some application portals will allow you to exceed the word count limit, but admissions officers have limited time and energy to read longer essays. Other application portals have a strict limit and will not allow you to exceed it.

For example, in the Common App , the portal will not allow you to submit more than 650 words. Some colleges using the Common App will allow you to submit less than 250 words, but this is too short for a well-developed essay.

For scholarship essays , diversity essays , and “Why this college?” essays , word count limits vary. Make sure to verify and respect each prompt’s limit.

Don’t worry too much about word count until the revision stage ; focusing on word count while writing may hinder your creativity. Once you have finished a draft, you can start shortening or expanding your essay if necessary.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

On some application portals, you can exceed the word limit, but there are good reasons to stay within it:

• To maintain the admissions officer’s attention
• To show you can follow directions
• To demonstrate you can write concisely

Here are some strategies for shortening your essay.

Stay on the main point

It’s good to use vivid imagery, but only include relevant details. Cut any sentences with tangents or unnecessary information.

My father taught me how to strategically hold the marshmallow pierced by a twig at a safe distance from the flames to make sure it didn’t get burned, ensuring a golden brown exterior.

Typically, my father is glued to his computer since he’s a software engineer at Microsoft. But that night, he was the marshmallow master. We waited together as the pillowy sugary goodness caramelized into gooey delight. Good example: Sticks to the point On our camping trip to Yosemite, my family spent time together, away from technology and routine responsibility.

My favorite part was roasting s’mores around the campfire. My father taught me how to hold the marshmallow at a safe distance from the flames, ensuring a golden brown exterior.

These college essay examples also demonstrate how you can cut your essay down to size.

Eliminate wordiness

Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay. If a word doesn’t add value, cut it.

Here are some common examples of wordiness and how to fix them.

Use a paraphrasing tool

If you want to save time, you can make use of a paraphrasing tool . Within the tool you can select the “short” mode to rewrite your essay in less words. Just copy your text in the tool and within 1 click you’ll have shortened your essay.

If you’re significantly under the word count, you’re wasting the opportunity to show depth and authenticity in your essay. Admissions officers may see your short essay as a sign that you’re unable to write a detailed, insightful narrative about yourself.

Here are some strategies for expanding your essay.

Show detailed examples, and don’t tell generic stories

You should include detailed examples that can’t be replicated by another student. Use vivid imagery, the five senses, and specific objects to transport the reader into your story.

Reveal your feelings and insight

If your essay lacks vulnerability or self-reflection, share your feelings and the lessons you’ve learned.

Be creative with how you express your feelings; rather than simply writing “I’m happy,” use memorable images to help the reader clearly visualize your happiness. Similarly, for insight, include the follow-up actions from your lessons learned; instead of claiming “I became a hard worker,” explain what difficult tasks you accomplished as a result of what you learned.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

If your college essay goes over the word count limit , cut any sentences with tangents or irrelevant details. Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay.

You can speed up this process by shortening and smoothing your writing with a paraphrasing tool . After that, you can use the summarizer to shorten it even more.

There is no set number of paragraphs in a college admissions essay . College admissions essays can diverge from the traditional five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in English class. Just make sure to stay under the specified word count .

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Scholarship Essay Examples

With college tuition costs rising each year, many students apply for merit scholarships to help make college more affordable. However, merit scholarships can be competitive—and that’s where our scholarship essay examples come in. By reading our scholarship essay examples, you can learn what it takes to write an award-winning essay. 

Scholarships are an excellent opportunity for students to lessen their college tuition costs. Most merit scholarships require a brief application, usually including one or more essays. Below, we’ve rounded up our best scholarship essay examples.

Reading winning scholarship essay examples, especially scholarship essay examples about yourself, can help you begin the scholarship essay process. By reviewing essay examples, you can learn how to craft a strong essay. You’ll also get a better sense of what scholarship committees look for when they review applications.

In this guide to Scholarship Essay Examples, you’ll find tips on how to write the best scholarship essay, as well as:

• Various scholarship essay examples about yourself
• A strong scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship
• Scholarship essay examples about financial need, and more!

We’ve included scholarship essay examples specific to schools, including UC Berkeley, as well as specific programs, like the SHPE scholarship. We’ll also discuss the different types of scholarships you’ll find on your scholarship search. 

Now, before we jump into our essay examples, let’s learn more about getting scholarship money for college.

What is a scholarship essay?

A scholarship essay is an essay you’ll include in your merit scholarship applications. In many ways, your scholarship essays might resemble your college essays. So, the scholarship essay format should seem familiar. 

The best scholarship essays will highlight who you are and why you deserve money for college. Scholarship essay prompts will ask you to include various information, from details about your background to explanations of why you deserve a scholarship.

Crafting a compelling, well-written essay can help you win substantial financial awards to help cover your college tuition costs. However, not all scholarship essays are the same. Later on, we’ll review different winning scholarship essay examples to show you what kind of essays you’ll write in your application process.

Types of Scholarships

There are many different types of scholarships available to students. You can find a variety of scholarship opportunities on scholarships websites. The earlier you start your scholarship search, the more scholarships you’ll find. 

While some scholarship applications accept applicants of all backgrounds and abilities, some have very specific eligibility guidelines. So, you may not be eligible for every scholarship. If you’re not sure whether or not you’re eligible, you can find eligibility information on most scholarships websites. 

Here are a few different scholarship types you may come across in your scholarship search:

• Academic scholarships
• Merit scholarships
• Essay competitions
• Community service scholarships
• Military scholarships

Scholarship essay prompts will differ across programs. As you’ll see in our winning scholarship essay examples, the prompts can vary in word count and complexity. We’ll provide you with descriptive essay examples to help you get an idea of what to expect.

Merit-Based Scholarships

Most scholarships we’ll highlight in this article are merit-based scholarships . A merit-based scholarship is money awarded by a college or community organization based on your academic achievements. 

In contrast, a need-based scholarship is awarded based on a student’s financial need. If you are applying for financial aid, be sure to check out our scholarship essay examples about financial need. You’ll find both merit- and need-based scholarships on your scholarship search.     

To qualify for a merit-based scholarship, you generally must meet specific criteria. Scholarship committees look at your grades, academic achievements, extracurriculars, and even test scores. Need-based scholarships can have similar requirements, but they’re primarily concerned with your family’s financial status.

There are many merit-based scholarships available to help students afford college, including:

• National merit scholarships
• Gates Scholarship
• Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship
• Robertson Scholarship

Check out our guides on these popular merit-based scholarships for more details. There, you’ll find tips on how to write a winning essay. Our descriptive essay examples can also help prepare you to apply to these programs After all, while prompts vary, the scholarship essay format remains fairly standard. 

Finding scholarships

In this guide, we’ll highlight some scholarships you may be eligible for. However, make sure to check out the rest of our resources to help you approach the scholarship search. 

Some scholarships we’ll discuss include:

• QuestBridge scholarship : helps low-income students attend elite colleges
• Park scholarships : for students attending NC State University
• SHPE scholarship : offers financial assistance for Hispanic students interested in STEM degrees. 

Scholarship essay examples about financial need will help you prepare for your scholarship applications. For instance, if you apply for the SHPE scholarship, you’ll include a lot of details about your background. 

You can also use scholarship search portals or scholarships websites to find other scholarships you may be eligible for. 

How do you write a scholarship essay?

While scholarship essay prompts may differ, you’ll usually stick to the same general scholarship essay format. 

One resource that can help you write the best scholarship essays and find money for college is Sallie Mae. Sallie Mae is a private lender offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional student loans. They also grant scholarships and provide aspiring college students with a scholarship search portal on their scholarships websites. Here’s what they have to say about having a winning scholarship essay format.

Organization

When writing a scholarship essay, it’s best to start with a scholarship essay format that organizes your thoughts. This will allow you to follow a plan that clearly and concisely gets your points across. You should begin your essay with a solid introduction. Then, introduce your supporting arguments and add an appropriate conclusion. 

A good scholarship essay clearly states why you deserve to win money for college with evidence to back up your argument. You’ll see how to do this in our scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. The best scholarship essays will be original and honest. It should be written in an inspirational and positive tone, highlighting your strengths and capabilities. 

When you feel like you have put your best foot forward, you should ask others for their feedback. This can be from a teacher, counselor, or one of our advisors here at CollegeAdvisor! Proofread your final essay and make sure you’ve caught any spelling and grammatical errors before submitting your application.

Up next, we’ll get into our descriptive essay examples and the different scholarship essay prompts they responded to. 

By looking at scholarship essay examples, you can learn what exactly makes a good essay. So, let’s look at some descriptive essay examples written by students looking to secure money for college. 

First, we will walk you through scholarship essay examples about yourself. Then, we’ll look at a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. Lastly, we will provide you with scholarship essay examples about financial need. Remember to keep these scholarship essay examples in mind when writing essays of your own!

Scholarship Essay Examples About Yourself

Let’s take a closer look at some scholarship essay examples about yourself.

Scholarship essay prompts vary quite a bit, so make sure you understand what the prompt really asks of you. That way, you can answer the question or address the prompt in its entirety.

Some scholarship essay prompts may ask how the scholarship will make a difference for you. They may also ask about any contributions you have made to your community. 

Ready to look at some winning scholarship essay examples? Check out these scholarship essay examples below.

The first of our scholarship essays is for Phi Sigma Rho. Here’s the prompt: 

How do you promote Phi Sigma Rho and STEM on your campus or in your community? (300 words Max)

Phi sigma rho scholarship essay.

In my campus and community, I strive to promote Phi Sigma Rho and STEM by promoting Phi Rho’s values and sharing my experiences and passion for Phi Rho.

My involvement in the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has allowed me the opportunity to promote Phi Rho and STEM. These activities have given me insight into how to successfully create a network that will support and encourage women in engineering to continue their careers. 

Within WEP, I served as a sophomore orientation leader (Envoy), mentoring first-year women and assisting with program logistics. As an envoy, I was able to promote Phi Rho ideals of friendship and encouragement. I was also able to informally recruit for Phi Rho by sharing my experiences and passion for the sorority.

Within SWE, I was the Internal Relations Chair my freshmen year and am the Director of Member Engagement this year. Both roles are related to member engagement, allowing me to promote friendship within engineering. Member engagement is important for creating a community among female engineers. Similar to my envoy position, my leadership within SWE has allowed me to share my love for Phi Rho.

Additionally, my volunteer experience with Engineering Ambassadors (EA), a STEM outreach group, has allowed me to promote STEM in the community. In EA, I give presentations on engineering, speak on panels, and lead hands-on activities for K-12 students. EA has taught me strategies to promote STEM to children and teenagers.

Because of Phi Sigma Rho, I have the confidence to inspire and encourage the next generation of female engineers. I hold the values of scholarship, friendship, and encouragement in the highest regard and strive to embody those in every leadership position and volunteer role. Through SWE, WEP, and EA, I have promoted Phi Sigma Rho, its values, and STEM as a whole in both my campus and community.

This is, in many ways, a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. The writer clearly highlights how they’ve engaged with Phi Sigma Rho and how their values align with those of the organization. The writer also provides specific examples of their leadership positions, skills, and accolades. 

The next two of our scholarship essay examples about yourself are for the SHPE scholarship. Here they are: 

SHPE Scholarship essay example #1

Essay prompt:.

Summarize your life experiences and any challenges that have impacted your path to higher education. (250 Words) 

Essay Example:

I vividly remember the first day of First Grade because I didn’t know the Pledge of Allegiance like the rest of my classmates. Growing up in a Hispanic household, I had never learned what the pledge was. This was the beginning of several years of disconnect. 

From receiving weird looks when I told classmates my family opened Christmas gifts at midnight, to my parents’ confusion when I didn’t want them to speak Spanish in public, both sides of my life never understood the other. As a result, I always felt out of place in school, like I was behind in some way because I didn’t share the same upbringing as my classmates. In contrast, academics felt like a level playing field, something we were all learning together in the same way.

While I couldn’t tell you who won the super bowl, I could do mathematics or read just as well, if not better, than my classmates. Socially, I always felt out of place, but academically I was always comfortable, and as a result, I tried to excel in that area of my life. That desire to succeed created the relentless work ethic I have today and the appreciation I have for education.

Despite the lack of emphasis from my parents on schoolwork, I developed this sense of responsibility and persistence to pursue an education. Although my family’s Hispanic culture made my life difficult when I was younger, it made me a more resilient person.

More scholarship essay examples

Shpe scholarship essay example #2.

Discuss your educational and career aspirations as well as your ability to complete and achieve these goals. (250 words)

Using a degree in engineering, I hope to work on improving sustainability and efficiency in the aerospace industry by creating cheaper, safer, and more environmentally-conscious options.

Recently, Pratt and Whitney designed an engine that is 16% more efficient and will release 3600 less metric tons per airplane per year. Excitingly, it also greatly reduces the noise footprint of an airplane. Innovations like these will allow the aerospace industry to evolve and improve while reducing negative environmental impact. I hope to work at the forefront of this innovation, pushing the boundaries of improved engine performance and efficiency. 

Last semester, I started working in the Experimental and Computational Convection Laboratory on campus to learn more about turbines. Some current projects in the lab involve new turbine cooling techniques and additive manufactured heat exchangers. Throughout the course of my undergraduate career, I hope to learn more about the barriers facing improved engine and turbine efficiency. Following undergraduate, I plan to attend graduate school to gain a deeper knowledge of these topics. Following graduate school, I may go into industry working on turbines and jet engines. Due to beginning research early, I believe graduate school is an attainable educational goal.

The potential ability to make a difference in the environmental impact of the aerospace industry is exciting. To accomplish this, I know studying Mechanical Engineering will give me the skills necessary to fulfill my career goals.

Both of these scholarship essay examples use specific details to highlight the writer’s strengths, experiences, and accolades. In reading these winning scholarship essay examples, we get a sense of who the writer is both as a person and as a student. 

Scholarship Essay Sample about “Why I deserve the scholarship”

Another scholarship essay prompt you may come across is “why I deserve this scholarship.” A good scholarship essay clearly highlights why you deserve to win the scholarship and provides evidence to support your argument. 

Below, you’ll find scholarship essay samples about why I deserve the scholarship. You can use these as a guide to help you tackle your own scholarship essays. 

Here’s the first of our scholarship essay examples, which was used for the Park Scholarship: 

The Park Scholarship is an investment in the potential of young people. It prepares scholars to make lifelong contributions to communities, states, nations, and the world. Tell us a story that illustrates your potential to make these lifelong contributions. (What have you done that should compel us to invest in you?) (Max. 3,990 characters including spaces.)

Park scholarship essay example.

Coming from a Venezuelan family, I have always been able to connect with total strangers through Spanish. Whether I’m eating at a restaurant or volunteering, I am constantly stumbling upon other Spanish speakers. The ability to converse in their language allows me to bond with them in a way I couldn’t in English, something I do not take for granted. 

Because of my experience, I believe that learning a foreign language is an incredibly important skill. Being able to speak in a second language allows a person to understand another community and reach out to people within that community. Additionally, speaking a second language assists in appreciating other cultures. This appreciation is important for fostering open-mindedness, something America as a whole struggles with today. 

In my school district, foreign language classes are not offered until late middle school. Once in high school, many students drop the class. In addition, those who stay in the class often find that the classes provide little more than a basic understanding of the language and then become discouraged in their learning. On a larger scale, this issue affects America as a whole. Second language programs often come second in terms of funding and planning and are not encouraged as rigorously as other academic courses. As a result, many Americans are ignorant to the benefits of bilingualism and are unable to understand the viewpoint of those who are multilingual.

After my freshman year of high school, my frustration with my community’s lack of priority for second language learning culminated in my desire to take some sort of action to promote foreign language education. In my sophomore year, a classmate and I created and ran an introductory Spanish program, Spanish in the Spring, at my local library for young children in the district. I spent hours at home creating lesson plans, activities, themes, and advertisements for the program. I placed heavy emphasis on cultural aspects and the importance of the Spanish language in America and the world as a whole.

My purpose for this program was to introduce children at a young age to learning a foreign language, so their desire to learn would continue throughout their life. Through the program, I was also able to share my belief of the importance of learning a second language with the children, as well as their parents. After the final day of the program, I was thrilled when one parent mentioned their desire to learn a foreign language program themself. I felt that if I made an impact on one person or family, the entire program was worthwhile. 

Unfortunately, this past spring I was unable to continue the Spanish in the Spring program due to library scheduling restraints. However, I hopefully plan to offer the program again this spring with some changes that will improve and expand the experience. One of these changes will include the immersion of parents into the experience to encourage foreign language education as a family activity.

While this program was only offered once, the impact was immeasurable, for the children, for the cause of foreign language education, and for me.

This is another scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. In it, the writer clearly and directly answers the prompt—that is, they highlight their potential to make a lifelong impact on members of their community. 

Ready for another scholarship essay example? Here’s the next one: 

How will a ScholarSHPE impact your life and education? (200 Words)

Shpe scholarship essay example.

Receiving a ScholarSHPE will give me the gift of time and opportunities. My parents are unable to support me financially throughout college due to large amounts of accrued debt. A ScholarSHPE will reduce my financial stress and allow me to improve my overall health as a result. It will also prevent the need to work several hours a week at a part-time job to pay for tuition, books, and living expenses, which will limit what I can do academically and outside of class. A ScholarSHPE will allow me to spend more time on research pursuits, engineering extracurriculars, volunteer work, and school work, instead of long hours at a part-time job. 

This essay sample is fairly straightforward. In it, the writer follows a clear scholarship essay format, explicitly answering the prompt. 

UC Berkeley Scholarships essay examples

Let’s look at some school-specific merit scholarship essay examples. 

At the University of California – Berkeley , students can apply for a variety of merit scholarships. These scholarships can help offset the cost of UC Berkeley tuition. 

Below, we’ve included various scholarship essay examples for the UC Berkeley scholarships. These UC Berkeley scholarships can help students cover their college tuition costs. This can make the UC Berkeley tuition less of a barrier for students hoping to attend. 

You’ll find a variety of UC Berkeley scholarships that can help you afford UC Berkeley tuition. Available UC Berkeley scholarships include: 

• Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship
• Fiat Lux Scholarship
• Middle Class Scholarship
• Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship

These are just a few ways to cover the cost of UC Berkeley tuition. UC Berkeley students also receive more than $10 million per year in outside scholarships to cover college tuition costs. If you are interested in exploring non-UC Berkeley scholarships, check out this list of outside scholarship resources . 

To help you get started, check out our winning UC Berkeley scholarship essay examples. The authors of these scholarship essay examples about financial need all won money to help cover their UC Berkeley tuition.

UC Berkeley scholarship essay examples

I am grateful to realize how fortunate I am today. All the loved ones around me and their acts of kindness have given me such a great life. I also realize the sacrifices that those around me have had to give up in order for me to succeed. It is because of this that I have realized what “paying it forward” truly means. I have been given the opportunity to make an impact in my community and I have fully taken advantage of this opportunity. I have been a volunteer for the Buddyball Sports Organization, which is a non-profit sports organization dedicated to providing the opportunity for children with developmental disabilities to play sports.

Growing up, watching and playing sports has been one of my greatest pleasures of life, so teaching these less fortunate kids has been something I have enjoyed doing every single weekend. On top of this, I am also both a volunteer at the South Orangetown Ambulance Corps and the Nyack Hospital. With the desire to pursue a career in the medical field, volunteering at these places has given me a great idea of what my career could look like in the near future. While all of these volunteer activities have had a significant impact on me, little did I know that this summer would truly make a lasting difference in my life. 

This past summer, my family decided to go on a vacation to India to visit my relatives. This was the first time in my life that I was going to India and this was only because my grandmother came down with Parkinson’s disease and was extremely sick. Little did I know at that time that my visit to India would be a life-changing experience. Never could have I imagined such a filthy village. Everywhere I looked, there was garbage and to make matters worse, no one seemed to do anything to try to ameliorate the repugnant image of my home country.

While I realized on my flight home that I was not going to be able to make a difference and help my community back in India, there was nothing stopping me from doing so right here in Rockland County, New York. When I was told that I would have the opportunity to help organize and direct “Make a Difference Rockland,” I joyfully accepted! Make a Difference Rockland is a free public meet and greet for all local non-profits and other government agencies in an attempt to promote different community service opportunities within the public. By gathering all the local non-profit organizations and giving them a chance to present themselves, people learn more about all of the local community service opportunities that are available to them. This way, the community will be able to recruit volunteers and will not have to suffer through calamitous conditions.

As one of the people in charge of organizing, it was my responsibility to adequately contact, invite and help prepare for hundreds of people. Once I gathered their contact information, I had to ask each one of these places if they would be interested in joining the fair. If interested, I had to also prepare a table for them to present themselves at the fair. The feeling of bringing all of these community service groups together brought me a feeling of happiness that I will never forget. 

The best scholarship essays will teach the reader about who the writer is, what they care about, and why they deserve a scholarship. The essay above does just that—it highlights the writer’s background and describes how they give back to their community. 

Next, let’s dig into a few more scholarship essay examples. 

If you’re interested in more descriptive essay examples, keep reading. 

Reading a ton of winning scholarship essay examples is a great way to pick up on what makes them winners. Over time, you’ll start to notice how the details, tone, and flow all work together to tell a story.

Below, you’ll find a few more scholarship essay examples. Our first one is from the NC Parks Scholarship. Here’s the prompt:

What do you do to serve your community? Why do you do the service that you do? What impact have you made? What challenges or insights have your service contributions given you? (Max. 3,990 characters including spaces.) 

Community-focused scholarship essay example #1.

“What are the boys like in high school?” “Is it easy to get a boyfriend?” Sighing, the other frustrated leaders and I look at each other as we read the questions posed by the younger girls. Every year at Girls’ Night Out (GNO), a program that introduces and prepares eighth-grade girls for high school, the girls question the leaders about relationships and dating ad nauseum, irritating other leaders to the point of ignoring the questions. 

Giving each question a careful and deliberate answer is often difficult, but instead of disregarding the issue, I try to offer my most sincere and honest advice. Originally, when I began as a group leader in the program I would give the same response, “You shouldn’t worry about boys. Instead, enjoy your friends, and do things you enjoy.” While that advice is true, it is often not the answer that will satisfy the girls. Through many years in the program, I have learned that advice is not “one size fits all”; it must be individualized to the person’s needs. Now, when faced with a question about dating, I respond with more questions before giving “words of wisdom”.

Many times I am able to understand the perspective of the middle school student, allowing me to give advice accordingly. Supplying proper advice about sensitive topics is one of the most impactful parts of GNO. As a role model and positive influence for the girls, I largely impact their ideas and perception of the environment when entering high school. In addition to teaching the students valuable lessons, volunteering at GNO has taught me that various perspectives may present themselves identically. To better understand those around me, it is important that I look beyond the surface for the other person’s viewpoint.

Beyond understanding other viewpoints from GNO, I have learned from other service that understanding a person’s situation is essential for providing exceptional assistance. Through Key Club, I volunteer many times a year at the local food pantry. As a volunteer, I help the recipients “shop” at the small grocery store using a point system. The process takes up a lot of time because shoppers do not always know what they want. Originally I  thought this was a poor design. I believed it would be much more efficient to just hand out the food rather than giving out points and shopping with the food pantry recipients.

Upon expressing my opinion to one of the adult food pantry staff, he explained to me that the grocery store aspect of the store taught the recipients life skills. Additionally, by giving them autonomy over what food they “bought”, they retained a sort of independence, an important skill to have if they find themselves above the income level required to use the food pantry.

The next time I volunteered I took note of the skills presented. Budgeting of points, deciding whether or not they needed something, determining the quality of the fruit, and decision-making of choosing extra food or toiletries, were all skills that those above the poverty line have ingrained. For those who have been using food pantries and other assistance for prolonged periods of time, these skills are not so natural. As a result, teaching the people means after they no longer need the services of the food pantry, they have valuable skills necessary for their independence.

From this experience, I learned an important lesson: helping people is not just giving them what they need at the moment, but understanding what they will need in the future and providing that as well. After realizing this, I emphasize the abilities that the food pantry teaches whenever I dedicate my time. By doing that, I am positively affecting the development of those skills. 

When reflecting on the various ways I have served my community, one thing stands out to me: I always understand another viewpoint or gain a new perspective afterwards. For me, the ability to look at something from different angles is an unparalleled talent, and one of the most important skills a person can have.

Describe your volunteer or community experience with SHPE or other organizations and any internships you have held.  (250 Words)

Community-focused scholarship essay example #2.

In SHPE, I have been involved in planning the Penn State College of Engineering STEP-UP (Student Transition Engineering Program at University Park) Program as a chair. The STEP-UP program helps students from Penn State branch campuses smoothly transition to the University Park campus through a 3-day program in the spring. The program introduces them to engineering resources, other engineering students, and provides professional development. Due to COVID-19, this year it was held virtually. 

Within the Society of Women Engineers and the Women in Engineering Program, I have volunteered at different STEM events in the community for elementary school students. I am also currently serving as an Envoy (a mentorship and logistical position) for the Women in Engineering Program Orientation. Additionally, I participate in many of SWE’s service events, such as donating and collecting donations, cleaning up areas on and around campus, and visiting nursing homes.

On campus, I am also involved with Engineering Ambassadors (EA), a group that does STEM outreach around Pennsylvania from the elementary school to high school level. EA goes virtually or in person to schools, does engineering presentations and activities, and answers questions.

Prior to COVID-19, I had secured an internship with Pratt and Whitney, however, they had to cancel their internship program. As a result, I was fortunate enough to obtain a Process Quality Engineering internship at Brentwood Industries for summer 2020.

Both of these scholarship essay examples highlight how the writers have given back to their communities. These winning scholarship essay examples highlight the writers’ strengths. In doing so, they highlight why these writers deserve help with college tuition costs. 

Reflecting on scholarship essay format

As important as the content of your essay is, your scholarship essay format is equally important. As you write, be sure to adhere to the scholarship essay format guidelines provided to you. 

However, there are some things all of the best scholarship essays have in common. Here are some general tips, tricks, and outlines to help you in your own writing process.

Three scholarship essay writing tips:

• Word counts are hard to adhere to, but the other applicants must adhere to them, too. Make sure every word counts. 
• When you write a solid essay, you can repurpose some of your key points, including specific anecdotes and details, in other scholarship applications.
• Writing a good essay helps you solidify who you are and what you want. This sets you up for success in the scholarship application process and beyond. 

Three essential elements to include in your essay:

• State your goals. Scholarship committees are investing in your future and your potential. To take a chance on you, they need to know your plan and what you want to do with your award. 
• Establish an implicit or explicit link between your goals and the scholarship you are applying for. Describe to the committee how the specific scholarship will help you attain your goals. Give them a tangible reason as to why you deserve their investment. 
• Share your story. Use personal details about your experiences that highlight your identity and objectives. How have you pursued your goals and prepared for your future? How will the scholarship help you going forward? Get personal and be honest.

Storytelling in your essay

Some of the best scholarship essays utilize good storytelling strategies. You should share the details of your personal story in a narrative, using a logical order. Remember, telling personal details about yourself and your goals does not mean simply restating your resume!

By the end of the essay, the scholarship committee should have an in-depth sense of why you applied. You should reveal:

• When and how you arrived at your future goals
• Your motivations to accomplish these objectives
• What traits or skills you have developed along the way
• The meaningful experiences that drive you to your goals
• Any personal challenges you have faced and how you have overcome them
• What has shaped you and your worldview

These details humanize you and show your complexity as a person and an applicant. It’s helpful to use anecdotes and personal experiences to give life to facts and details about yourself. Sharing real-life experiences will help make your essay more interesting and more fun to read.

Creating your scholarship essay format

Once you have thought about what you want to say, start thinking about your scholarship essay format. You may start by making a list of what your reader may be interested in:

• How you spend your time
• Your accomplishments
• What your passions are, etc.

Start by brainstorming everything you may want to include in your essay. Then, think about whether the stories you include support your arguments. Ask yourself, “What did I learn?” or “How did this get me closer to my goals?”. These reflections help the reader connect to your purpose for writing. 

Make sure to organize your thoughts in a narrative order. However, there isn’t just one way to write an essay. So, don’t limit yourself to one version of your story. You may find yourself writing multiple drafts before you get to your final scholarship essay format.

Editing and proofreading your essay

When you think you have finished, be sure to proofread and edit to ensure it’s ready to be submitted. Check that you’ve adhered to all the scholarship essay format guidelines (like the word count). 

Reviewing also includes getting input from others! An outside reader’s opinion can help you confirm your essay effectively communicates your ideas.

Tips for scholarship essays

You may notice some similarities between the scholarship essay examples about yourself we’ve provided. That’s because the authors of the best scholarship essays all use similar strategies to make their essays great. 

Here are 5 tips from U.S. News to help you make all of your scholarship essays stand out:

Tips for writing stand-out scholarship essays

1. get personal and be specific.

The best scholarship essays will share an authentic story with impactful details. The key is to be yourself and not shy away from personal details. The more the committee gets to know about you, the more likely they are to invest in your future. You want your essay to offer a genuine, in-depth look into who you are as a person.

2. Tell a story

Your essay should be more than a collection of facts—it should tell a story. That means having a solid introduction that grabs the reader’s attention from the very start. Then, you should include a logical flow of experiences or details. By the end of your essay, you want your reader to have learned something valuable about you.  

3. Tailor the scholarship essay to the prompt

Some of your scholarship essay prompts may be similar across different scholarship applications. However, it’s important that your essay is specific to each prompt and answers the question entirely. While you can repurpose an essay you’ve already written as inspiration or a starting point, be extra attentive when doing so.

4. Don’t tailor yourself to the reader

Many students fall into the trap of telling a story they think scholarship foundation committees want to hear. Instead, stay true to yourself as you craft your scholarship application essays. Don’t tell your reader what you think they want to hear—just tell them who you are. 

5. Follow directions

This final tip may arguably be the most important. Above all else, students should follow instructions. This means adhering to the scholarship essay format guidelines and word count. It also means answering the essay prompt in its entirety. Application readers can be easily frustrated by a student’s failure to follow directions. This could reflect poorly on you and your essay in the long run. 

Use these tips to guide you as you approach the scholarship essay format. 

Scholarship Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

We hope our roundup of scholarship essay examples has shown you how to approach your scholarship applications. With rising college costs, scholarships should be a part of your college financial planning process. Take the time to do your own scholarship search based on your specific interests. You can find plenty of scholarships to apply to on scholarships websites and college financial aid pages. There are many different scholarships websites to help you with your search. 

Save this guide

Feel free to save this guide and review our scholarship essay examples about yourself and about financial need. You can always look back on our scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship when writing your own essay. 

Start with an outline that organizes your thoughts. Then, make sure your essay is clear and concise. Be original and honest, and include personal details and anecdotes when appropriate. State why you deserve to win the scholarship. Then, support your claim in a way that makes a scholarship committee invested in your future. 

We’re here to help

Don’t forget to proofread your essay and ask others for their feedback. When in doubt, reach out to our advisors at CollegeAdvisor. Our team is always here to help support you find and apply for scholarships!

This article was written by Bailey Bennet. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Scholarship Essay Writing

Scholarship Essay - A Complete Writing Guide

19 min read

Published on: Mar 8, 2021

Last updated on: Jul 23, 2024

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Are you a student who is struggling to write a scholarship essay that stands out? 

Are you worried that your application won't get noticed among the hundreds of others that the scholarship committee receives? 

Many students face this challenge every year. But the good news is that there are ways to improve your essay and increase your chances of success.

In this blog, we will explore how to write a scholarship essay that captures the attention of the scholarship committee.

By the end of this blog, you'll have everything you need to write an essay that showcases your qualities and potential. 

Don't miss out on valuable scholarship opportunities - let's get started!

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What is a Scholarship Essay?

A scholarship essay is a writing type that a student drafts to impressive the committee to receive financial aid.

This essay is the most crucial part of your college application. It allows the committee to decide why you deserve the scholarship among all the applicants.

Scholarship Essay Format

Every institute requires a specific format in which the applicants are instructed to write their scholarship essays.

However, if there are no requirements for the formatting, work with the basic style. The general formatting of the scholarship essay can be done in the following way:

• Use Times New Roman font in size 12pt for the entire content.
• Use double spacing between the lines.
• Align your content leaving a one-inch margin on all four sides
• If your essay's length is more than a page. Then, present your last name and the page number in the top left corner.

A scholarship essay is not lengthy and is usually within a word limit of 500 words. Keep the introduction short, interesting, and clear. 

In order to leave a good impression on the scholarship committee, make sure that you have formatted your essay as per the right and proper scholarship essay format. It will provide an image of your better understanding of the requirements and instructions.

Want to create an impressive scholarship essay? Read our scholarship essay format guide !

How to Start a Scholarship Essay?

If you want your essay content to be effective and focused, carefully take all pre-writing steps. The planning or the pre-writing steps makes it easier for you to present information in a systemized manner.

Start your scholarship essay by taking the following steps:

The first and foremost step to take is to read and understand all the instructions provided. Every college/university provides a set of instructions to let the students know the basic requirements of the document.

All the basic requirements, including the formatting style, are usually given in the guidelines, so read them attentively.

Understanding the prompt is equally important as writing strong content. If you fail to understand the prompt, you will never produce a document that will fulfill the committee's requirements. This will end up affecting the opportunity to avail of financial assistance.

Understand what objectives and purposes your scholarship essay should be serving and draft your content accordingly. Avoid adding irrelevant information and stick to the actual requirements.

Unlike other essay types, the audience of your scholarship essay is the committee that needs to be impressed. When you know what your audience is looking for in your essay, it will be easier to write according to them.

Your scholarship essay should reflect the best of your personality and the reason for the committee to grant you the scholarship.

The first attempt to grab the reader's attention is through an interesting essay topic. Select a good topic that you think will make the audience want to read your essay. Pick a topic or theme that you are passionate about and is important to you.

Moreover, make sure that a topic perfectly reflects your content, and best describes your personality.

Once you have a topic in hand, start gathering information. Brainstorm ideas that perfectly complement the prompt and topic of the essay. Conduct research by going through some winning scholarship essay examples.

Carefully observe how they are drafted and what you should include in your assignment. During the planning phase, make bullets about the information you think is relevant enough to help you get the scholarship.

All the gathered information needs to be organized in order to make it understandable for the readers. Arrange the collected data according to the essay outline to ensure logical harmony in the document.

Take steps to prepare a plan for your scholarship applications, and make the writing procedure simpler.

How to Write a Scholarship Essay?

According to the plan developed, start writing your scholarship essay. The planning will keep you focused throughout and will not let you wander or add irrelevant information.

Draft your scholarship essay by writing the following sections:

• Introduction
• Body Paragraphs

Let's discuss the writing process for each section.

1. Introduction

An introduction of an essay is the first section that either encourages or discourages the audience from reading the entire text. It introduces the applicant and his personality which is discussed in the body section of the essay.

In other words, the introductory paragraph gives a quick review of what your essay will be talking about.

The introduction should be very exciting for the committee. Make your introduction creative and exciting to make the judges read the whole document.

• A good introduction will include the following elements:
• The name of the writer and the place where they are applying for the scholarship
• A catchy hook statement
• An interesting piece of information to motivate the readers to read the document
• An unanswered question that will make the audience curious

2. Body Paragraphs

The body of the essay is the second and longest section. It includes all the details about the statements and questions made in the introduction section. If you want your essay to be strong, draft this section according to the committee's requirements.

Also, add the following information:

• Interesting Real-Life Experiences - Share interesting events and experiences of your life that inspired you in any way. Show how those courses of events changed your perspectives and behavior.
• Educational and Career Goals - Precisely present your educational and career goals, the field of study, and college. State the need for financial assistance and why you best deserve it.
• Achievements and Strengths - Discuss your greatest achievements and strengths that helped you overcome difficult situations.
• Obstacles -  State obstacles and issues that you faced. Share how you dealt with them and what you learned from them. Discussing the obstacles attempts to connect the writer with the readers emotionally. So creatively mention the challenges and excite the audience.

Your body of the essay should be properly written with connections and transitions between all the paragraphs. Make sure that each paragraph is gradually taking the audience toward the conclusion .

3. Conclusion

Do not worry about thinking about how to end a scholarship essay. Just keep in mind to write this section perfectly as the audience will remember this part of your essay vividly.

The concluding paragraph should contain the following information:

• Emphasis on the need for financial aid and how you can best make use of it
• Present the lessons learned from the challenges
• How tough situations resulted in self-growth
• A final statement that connects the introduction and the concluding paragraph.

4. Proofreading and Editing

Your work does not finish here.

Once you have written your essay, spend some time revising and proofreading the document. Go through the text a couple of times to make sure there are no punctuation, spelling, or grammar mistakes.

Recheck the formatting done and analyze whether it is understandable by the audience or not. Cross-check your content with the guidelines provided to make sure everything is according to the requirements.

Readout loud or let someone read your essay for you to see how your writing is sounding to the audience. 

Make all edits before submitting the final draft and impress the committee with a well-written and structured piece.

You can also check out this video guide on how to write a scholarship essay!

Scholarship Essay Outline

Developing an outline for your scholarship essay plays a vital role in the overall structuring of the document. An outline is a plan through which you prepare your scholarship essay and make sure no important information is missing in the content.

A scholarship essay can be written using the  basic essay outline .

According to this outline, your scholarship essay will be divided into the following sections:

7 Winning Scholarship Essay Examples 

In order to help you understand the writing process and the format better, some examples of scholarship essays are provided.

Go through these examples carefully and observe how students wrote winning essays.

Why this essay works:

This essay is effective because it tells a compelling story. It showcases the applicant's passion for engineering and their dedication to their education despite financial obstacles. 

Additionally, the essay ties the applicant's career goals to a broader vision of making a positive impact in the world. This shows a sense of purpose and motivation. 

Overall, this essay is well-written, clear, and concise, making a strong case for why the applicant deserves the scholarship.

This essay is effective because it tells a personal story. It highlights the applicant's financial need and how it has impacted their educational journey. 

Additionally, the essay shows the applicant's determination and hard work in overcoming obstacles. 

Overall, this essay is well-written, genuine, and compelling, making a strong case for the scholarship.

This essay tells a personal story that highlights the applicant's determination and perseverance in the face of challenges.

The essay also clearly explains the applicant's career goals and how the scholarship would help them achieve these goals. 

Overall, this essay is well-written, authentic, and compelling.

This essay is effective because it demonstrates the applicant's passion and enthusiasm for the CFA program and investment management in general. 

The essay clearly explains why the applicant is interested in the program, including the emphasis on ethics and professionalism. 

The essay also shows the applicant's understanding of the program's benefits and how it would help them achieve their career goals. 

Overall, this essay effectively conveys the applicant's dedication and potential in the field of investment management.

Here are some more scholarship essay examples for you:

300 Word Scholarship Essay (PDF)

Scholarship Essay Sample About Why I Deserve The Scholarship (PDF)

Scholarship Essay Example About Yourself (PDF)

Scholarship Essay Example Financial Need (PDF)

If you need a whole blog just for examples, you can explore our scholarship essay examples blog!

Scholarship Essay Prompts

Writing a scholarship essay is all about answering the essay prompt correctly. No matter which institution you are drafting your essay for, it should be specifically designed to provide answers for the prompt.

Following are some of the prompts that are commonly required to answer for your scholarship application essays:

• Who or what influenced you to become a dedicated student? What experiences persuaded your decision?
• How did you face the most challenging situations in your life? How have those challenges influenced your perspectives about life and people in general?
• Discuss your achievements and the challenges you faced between the journey.
• What are some of the amazing skills you have that differentiate you from other people? How did they develop?
• What is one trait that makes your personality strong?
• Were you passionate about getting something in life and you succeeded? What were the factors that contributed in your success?
• What made you identify your weaknesses? And how did you manage to get rid of them?

Select a prompt if you haven't assigned one. Start drafting a strong essay to avail yourself of the scholarship opportunities. 

Need more prompts? You can always explore our scholarship essay prompts and questions blog !

Scholarship Essay Writing Tips

Looking for professional tips to make your scholarship essay out of this world? Expert essay writers of CollegeEssay.org have gathered some easy tips for you to help you write a winning essay.

Follow the easy tricks provided below:

• Follow a narrative structure for your information
• Stick to the prompt provided the whole time while writing your scholarship essay.
• Choose a topic that you enjoy talking about
• Conduct research and read the already existing scholarship applications that worked for the committee.
• Do not exceed the word limit provided
• Use appeals such as ethos, pathos, and logos to connect to the audience
• Be honest and share only true stories and events
• Avoid repeating and exaggerating things
• Be specific and concise
• Be professional but be yourself at the same time
• Avoid using cliches
• Start writing the essay way before the deadline to have enough time to proofread

Only a strong scholarship essay will let you avail of the financial assistance offered. With the right approach and mindset, it can also be an opportunity to showcase your strengths and achievements. 

If you are confused about writing this document, we suggest not risking the opportunity and getting professional assistance. 

CollegeEssay.org is a professional writing company that provides custom services for all academic types of assignments. Whether you need help with your college essay, scholarship essay, or any form of academic paper, our expert scholarship essay writing service will help you.

Simply place your order to get high-quality assignments written by an expert college essay writer . 

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you start a personal scholarship essay.

The following are some tips that help you to start a personal scholarship essay. 

• Introduce yourself 
• Highlight your accomplishments 
• Give a brief background about your academics 

Is it necessary to include a title for my scholarship essay?

While a title is not always required for a scholarship essay, it can provide a concise preview of your essay's content. A well-chosen and creative title can catch the reader's attention and create a positive first impression.

What are some common mistakes to avoid in a scholarship essay?

Common mistakes to avoid in a scholarship essay include:

• Submitting an essay with spelling and grammar errors
• Failing to follow the specified guidelines or word limits
• Including irrelevant information
• Being overly generic or impersonal in your writing. 

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CFA Scholarships: How to Successfully Get Them

Aside from the time commitment, there is a considerable  cost to pursuing the CFA charter , especially for students. Level 1 enrollment and registration fees alone can be as high as $1,600, not including any  third-party materials  you might need.

Luckily, there are a variety of CFA scholarships available for candidates, allowing you to reduce the enrollment and signup fees to as low as $250. I was fortunate enough to be awarded Access Scholarships thrice, and in this article I’ll share my experience in applying and receiving one of the CFA Institute’s scholarships.

Here’s all you need to know about the latest CFA scholarship application process (including deadlines, application windows, requirements, CFA scholarship essay tips etc), and some sage advice to improve your chances of securing one!

First, a little about me

I’m Alexander Law, hailing from the greater Austin area in Texas. I recently completed by MS Economics at Baylor University, in addition to some elective coursework from the Baylor Law School.

​In my final year, I participated in a two-semester practicum course of Small Cap Investing, which is similar to the Phillip M. Dorr & Friends Large Cap Endowment Fund I served as an analyst for the Healthcare sector in the Fall of 2016, with proceeds going towards student scholarships.

In addition to my undergraduate background in finance, I also have strong academic and internship experience in the healthcare sector, and would ideally want to leverage this towards a career in the finance area of healthcare to help increase operational efficiencies. My pursuit of the CFA charter is also part of my aim to be better equipped to serve in this capacity.

CFA scholarships are undersubscribed, so grab the opportunity

I had a busy semester and was worried about whether my existing scholarships would make me less attractive for the need based portion of the CFA Access Scholarship.

My professor mentioned about the dearth of applicants for the Access Scholarship, which was encouraging since my local charter was a much smaller city than my professor’s charter.

The various CFA exam scholarships, summarized

All CFA scholarships also have varying deadlines and application windows, so make sure you understand them and apply early to stand a chance of receiving one.

Most scholarships are completed online, but some (e.g. Regulator Scholarship) will require you to email CFA Institute directly.

The main requirements and differences of all CFA Program scholarships are outlined below.

CFA scholarship application: 13 handy tips & advice

• Know the form : You can save your current progress in the application for later and return to earlier sections of the form. However, you cannot proceed to a later section of the online application without first fully completing the earlier sections. This may be a small nuisance to some.
• Save your personal statement on your own platform : For applications that require a personal statement (e.g. Access and Women scholarships), we recommend typing up your 3,500 characters max personal statement on a word processor for grammar and spelling check, but more importantly to have a backup that you can easily copy over into your application later.
• While this applies only to Access and Women scholarship applicants, our research suggests that the more personal your answer, the better.
• CFA Institute is interested in learning about you, why you would like to earn the CFA charter and how it helps you achieves your goals. Tell them your story (succinctly)!
• how you found out about the exam and scholarship;
• your career goals;
• how the scholarship helps your financial position, why you need the scholarship, or in essence “how will this scholarship make a difference for you and your pursuit of the CFA designation?”;
• the value CFA would bring (i.e. why you need the CFA charter);
• An additional point for Level 2 and Level 3 candidates could include what you’ve learnt so far from the CFA exams and how it has been directly applicable for you.
• No changes allowed after submitting : Make sure that all the details in your application are correct before submitting.
• Apply for the scholarship(s)  before  registering for the exam . You don’t qualify for the scholarship if you have already registered for the exam, as it indicates that you do indeed have the ability to pay. However, if you are not selected for a CFA scholarship, you can receive the early exam registration fee discount on the next exam registration, which is valid for approximately one year (this was verified with CFA Institute directly).
• Wait for the scholarship decision  before  registering for the exam : Once you’ve applied for a scholarship, you will need to wait for an official decision on it prior to exam registration. Your scholarship application will be declined/voided if you’ve gone ahead and registered for an exam without a result on your scholarship application.
• Get your international passport done . You will need your international travel passport when registering and taking the CFA exams , as no other form of identification is valid. For those whom haven’t got a passport, this is something you should keep in mind, due to the length of time it takes to obtain or renew a passport.
• You can apply more than once : Fortunately, you can receive a CFA scholarship more than once, so provided that you qualify, it is worth applying again after your first exam. Even if you’ve failed an exam, you still can apply for a scholarship for your retake.
• You can apply for multiple scholarships at once : If a candidate receives multiple scholarships (of any kind), the scholarship that is most recently awarded will be applied.
• No double-dipping : You will not qualify for a scholarship if you start working for an employer that offers reimbursement for exam registrations, but of course you wouldn’t really need the scholarship in that case anyways.
• You still need  some  funding . Do also keep in mind that even with the scholarship, you still have to pay an additional $150 for the physical copies of the curriculum if preferred. The eBooks themselves are included in the registration fee, and it is worth worth trying out the digital version first before paying extra for the physical copies, as they are handy and easily accessible across different platforms. The eBooks are especially helpful when travelling abroad, although I personally prefer paper copies of textbooks whenever possible.
• References : ​In the latest updates, it seems that CFA Institute has removed the need for any references in your Access scholarship applications. Yay!
• Gross household income and net assets:  Firstly, there is no minimum or maximum income or asset level for scholarship candidates. Although this section may look thorough, just go through each category of income and net asset systematically, then add them up to form your best estimates in US$. Put what you think is most accurate and would be in line with the CFA Program Code of Ethics. You don’t need to send supporting documents unless requested, nor should you upload any documents that contain personally identifiable financial information.
• Wasting the scholarship is a costly decision : It also goes without saying that if you are awarded a scholarship, you should treasure the opportunity by studying hard, giving it your best shot and sit for the exam. Even worse, if you don’t turn up for the exam as a scholarship recipient, this may disqualify your future scholarship application(s).

Hope this helps with your CFA scholarship application. If you have further questions, leave a comment below – good luck! ​ Meanwhile, here are other articles which you may find interesting:

• CFA Program: A Beginner’s Guide
• CFA Exam Fees: How Much Does It Really Cost?
• 7 Reasons Why You Should Be Considering Getting the CFA Charter
• 2024 CFA Exam Dates: Updated Deadlines for Your Calendar
• CFA Exams: 20 Things I Wish I Knew Beforehand
• How to Become A CFA Charterholder
• Does the CFA Charter Increase Your Salary? If So, By How Much?

289 thoughts on “CFA Scholarships: How to Successfully Get Them”

Thank you for this great information.

I have a question though.

If I registered for level 1 in feb 2025 without access scholarship application (because window is currently closed) and paid the full amount.

Will I be able to apply for access scholarship for level 2 exam for Aug 2025. Or will my application be revoked because I had paid for the first exam? I wonder whether that would affect my chances of getting the scholarship for subsequent exams.

Thank you again.

Hi, If I work for employer who offers CFA support but I don’t intend to use it am I eligible to apply for access scholarship?

I attempted CFA Level 1 without scholarship and failed. I need money to retake the exam. Am I eligible for the scholarship even if previously I havn’t applied for it? And if I’m eligible, will it decrease my chances?

Hi PS, sorry to hear about the recent result. You can apply for scholarship, it shouldn’t impact your chances. It’s always prudent to try. Good luck!

Hi, I received access scholarship but failed once can I again register for the same reduced price

Hi Atharva, Access scholarship only applies once. If you failed, you need to reapply for the scholarship.

Hi! I want to apply for the Access Scholarship 2024 (the window is currently open till 18th October, 2023). Will I still get to register for the CFA L2 Exam in May 2024 at the Early Bird Registration Price of $940 if I don’t receive the scholarship? How does the early bird discount get applied to your application if you are denied the Access scholarship?

Hi CFALevel2aspirantA, yes you do get the early reg price if you don’t receive the scholarship – see the highlighted point 5 in this section .

I’m not sure how it is exactly applied, but I assume a discount would be automatically applied when you register, as it would have your info in the profile that you’ve applied for a scholarship. Best of luck!

Hi Michael – now that’s a conundrum! Is putting your CFA Society in the application optional? Can you submit the application without putting a CFA Society in at this stage? I would imagine this issue affects all scholarship candidates. If your application is submitted and can’t be changed, I suggest contacting both CFA Institute ([email protected]) and your CFA society about this to see what they say.

Hi, I wanted to know when would the window open for the Access and Women’s scholarship again as I want to give CFA L2 in May 2024

I want to apply for the scholarship but the window opens on 1st September. I wish to give the November attempt but if I wait for the scholarship result, I’ll lose the early applicant discount. What should I do?

I want to apply for scholarship for CFA L3 August 2023 attempt. I’m employed but my employer doesn’t sponsor for CFA.

So in case If I applied and by any bad chance, if I don’t get selected.

Will I be offered to register for CFA L3 August 2023 at early registration fee?

Hi I want to apply for the access scholarship which is due on 1st September 2023 .I just want to know that in case I an awarded the scholarship then it will be valid for how many windows? because I want to give the exam in August 2024 . And if I am awarded the scholarship from November 2024 and I register for August 2024 then what will happen?

I’ve got a question that would appreciate your help with.

I would like to sit for level III in Aug 2023, and I also want to apply for the CFA scholarships. Will I be able to register for that preferred exam window however the scholarship result?

Hi Team, I had earlier registered for the exam in Feb 2022 but was unable to take the exam for personal reasons. I had paid the one time registration fees already. Does this disqualify me for all scholarships?

No, I believe you can still fill out the scholarship form and point out your inability to pay the full or actual fees This (if scholarship granted) will help you to pay the reduced amount as your exam fees

Hi, Could I re-use my last essay that I used to submit for the CFA scholarship for the next application cycle? Could doing so be consider self-plagiarism?

I’m sure you could reuse it. I can’t comment on how much it affects your chances though!

I’d use it as a base and tweak it as necessary, adding in your experiences with the first cycle and why you’re re-applying for the scholarship. Hope that helps, and let me know how it goes!

Hey can you please guide me in writing access/women scholarship. I applied for access scholarship but didn’t get it. I don’t know what was exactly missing in that essay. I am now planning to apply for it again. Just need some guidance as you said you’d got scholarship.

Hi I have some questions, which I would love for you to help with Firstly I am currently in my third year (penultimate) in uni. I want to be sure if I can sit for the exams. Also for the access scholarship as we would have to wait till march 2023, would the CFA give us materials or we would have to get that ourselves? Thank you for your time.

Hi Samuel, so if you’re applying for the next Access scholarship window between 17 Jan 2023 – 14 Feb 2023, with results only being announced in March 2023, you can only register for CFA Level 1 after March 2023. So looking at the exam registration deadlines , the earliest exam window you can register for is August 2023.

As part of your registration, you would receive CFA Institute’s study materials, although quite often some candidates also pay for third party prep provider’s study material either to supplement or replace (if insufficient time) the curriculum books.

Hi Sophie Would you advice I pay for other study materials because I don’t think I would have enough preparation time if I were to wait till March for my registration since I intend on sitting for the exams August. Just so as to cover for potential missed time

Hi Samuel, it’s a hard one because everyone’s situation is different. If it is something you can afford, I’d recommend it.

Alternatively if cost is an issue, you could look at getting some 2022 curriculum books since there are only minor changes in readings for Level 1 from 2022 to 2023. You can check the differences in curriculum changes in this useful summary article and plan your studies from now till March accordingly before you get the 2023 curriculum. This will enable you to start studying now at a slower/less stressful pace without costing too much money.

Hope that helps!

hello sophie here if we got rejected for the scholarship then are we still eligible for earlybird registration for aug because early bird registration for aug ends at the month end of january.

Thank you so much Sophie. I took your advice on getting outside materials before march 2023, so I can get ahead and start my preparation. When the results of the scholarship arrives I can then start my reading with the latest curriculum ahead of the exam in August. Also finally, if I were to get the scholarship would I have the option to choose between sitting for the exam in August or November. Thank you and I hope you had a wonderful holiday.

you’re welcome! Good luck with the studies Samuel!

Hi, I’m Sun. Currently, I just finished my CFA Level I exam in Aug 2022 and I am waiting for the result. That said, the CFA Women’s Scholarship application window is now open and will be closed on 3 Oct 2022 when I will probably not receive my result yet. So could I apply for Women’s scholarship for my CFA Level II exam while waiting for my CFA level I official result?

hey, even I have the same doubt. please let me know if you get any sort of information regarding the scholarship eligibility criteria for level 2 exam.

Hello! Thank you for all the information 🙂 I would like to know if I wait for the next cycle of application of the women’s scholarship (September) and I don’t get the scholarship, can I access to the early exam registration fee discount on the exam registration of February 2023 (even if the regular date of early exam registration fee for that exam finishes on August 9th)? Thank you very much!

I do have same question. Could someone please confirm today as early registration deadline is 9th August?

Hi Ursula and Siddhika, the answer is already in the article itself, highlighted in bold yellow under the “CFA scholarship application: 13 handy tips & advice” section 🙂

Thanks Sophie 😊

Hi All I was awarded the scholarship for L1 but still total fees is coming to 1450$ is this correct or the system will take few days to get update!?

Hyy gaurav can you give a rough idea on what you wrote in that essay ?? It would be helpful I mean coz I am also L1 candidate:)

Hi…thanks for the valuable information. I actually got an access scholarship in 2018, however I was not able to register due to some personal problems. Can I apply again? As far as I know that if you register and then not appear in the exam, you will be disqualified from receiving future scholarships. However I did not register. Can you please guide in this scenario.

I got access scholarship for Level 2 but I could not register. I passed level 2 in Nov-2021 exams and paid personally for that exam. Will I still have a chance if I apply for access scholarship for Level 3 in 2023?

Hi there! The above blog on scholarships mentions that- However, if you are not selected for a CFA scholarship, you can receive the early exam registration fee discount on the next exam registration, which is valid for approximately one year (this is confirmed with CFA Institute in 2022). Is this even if the early registration date has ended? Or this is because you applied for scholarship but you didn’t get one so the early registration date is extended?

Scholarship applicants cannot register for the exam until they receive their scholarship results. Since they may (unfairly) miss out on early registration discounts, this is CFA Institute’s way of making sure scholarship applicants still get the early registration discount if they are unsuccessful in their scholarship application.

In the Annual Household Gross Income section for students do we need to write family income(parents) as it is asking about our income and not the parent’s income.

Obviously there’s room for interpretation both ways. My take on it would be that the relevant income would be the income of the party that is paying for the CFA exam fees.

Hello, I’m from Uganda and I don’t currently have a passport. Is the passport a requirement to apply for the scholarship?

Yes. Passport is a must for registration.

Hi ! I want to appear for the Level 1 examinations in the Nov 2022 attempt and I intend on applying for the Access Scholarship. The scholarship cycle is closed for now. And the additional cycle would be commencing from 9th May,2022. I just want to confirm that if I apply for the scholarship on or after 9th may then will I be eligible to appear for the Nov 2022 attempt ?

According to the timelines given by CFA Institute for both the scholarship and CFA exam, you SHOULD be able to. But I’m afraid there are no guarantees!

Hi Micheal, I applied for a CFA unfortunately I wasn’t selected . Is it possible to apply again

Hi Joseph. Yes, you can apply again. The window is open now.

See https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/programs/cfa/scholarships/access

Hey, I had applied for scholarship and gotten it for L1 but failed that exam. I had submitted the same essay for 2022 exam but didn’t receive the scholarship. Is it because I didn’t clear?

Hi Anupriya, sorry to hear that. I think it is unlikely to be penalized because of an exam failure. There are so many factors affecting who gets it, e.g. competition, needs-based etc so don’t worry about it and keep trying for next level.

Hi I Need your help regarding CFA can you please help me by texting me on 9769175193. So we can communicate regarding the same. It will be helpful for me

Wooooowwwwww, following the tips in this beautiful article (to the tiniest dot!!!) helped me to bag an Access scholarship on 8th March 2022, …!!!!

Your lady is 22 years, from the Pearl of Africa, (Uganda) in the Eastern part of the Continent…

Thankkssssssssssssssssss….. @300hours team!!!

I first read this article in mid 2021 as a final year Undergraduate student (Finance Major) with alot of anxiety about how I will be able to achieve my dream timeline of starting the CFA Charter journey, (I was 21years at the time) with no full-time job (I was just surviving on random gigs), with savings less than $50, etc…to help offset the exam costs….

Google Search about how to write a winning scholarship personal statement helped to lead me to your website!!! And the rest is history ……

I plan on taking on my Level 1 exam in Nov ’22……and I’m grateful for the game changing resources that you provide all the way through!!

Cheers to 300hours…🎉🎊📚

Yay, *high five* Mercy! Congrats, we are so proud of you! And thank you for letting us know, this made our day 😀 😀 😀

Don’t forget to use our CFA study planner for Level 1! It’s magic 🙂

Hi i want to appear in nov 22 exams so if i apply for scholarship in june22(will open as per site) then can i appear in nov22 exams?

Hi Saurabh, the final registration deadline for Nov22 exams is 9 Aug 2022.

So assuming CFA Institute takes the same 6 weeks time to announce scholarship from the date they close the application (e.g. recent Access scholarship closed on 14 Feb 2022 and results announced by 31 March 2022), the estimated results for June’s access scholarship (closing 13 June 2022) would be announced end of July 2022, this is a very tight window but it gives you a week from that to register for Nov22, assuming it is 6 weeks.

I failed my CFA L2 and I am rounding up my scholarship application. I felt a strong urge to include in the application that I had failed the L2 in November.

Will including this reduce my chances of being successful with the scholarship application?

Looking forward to your quick response.

Hi Victor, I’m sorry to hear that. But L2 is just a step above in terms of difficulty of passing, and you’re not alone. We do not know what factors CFA societies and CFA Institute use in its decision making for scholarship, but I don’t think it should impact your chances of success as it’s normal for people to fail L2, and we don’t think it would prejudice you in a needs-based scholarship application.

Hey! I am currently in the penultimate year of my graduation. Can I still apply for the access scholarship? I plan to take the exam in December 2022, I’ll be in my final year by then

Hi I want to appear for August 2022 attempt .I have applied for CFA access scholarship once if I get the scholarship can I give exam in August 2022 or Am i too late

Hey I have applied for the cfa acess scholarship and didn’t get a reply yet and registration ends on 10th Feb what should I do ?

Hi Ashish, as per our table above, Access scholarship only closes on 14 Feb with results announced by 31 March. So if you register now, your scholarship application would be voided. You would not have time to make it for May 2022 registration given the 8 Feb final registration deadline, but August 2022 registration is possible.

hey Sophie , But I want to take exam in May window only !! so should i wait till 31st march for the scholarship result ?

Hi Ashish, as per my previous message, May 2022 registration has closed on 8 Feb. So you are too late for May 2022 by now. The earliest exam you can register for – after waiting for scholarship results – is Aug 2022.

Hi Sophie I applied for acess scholarship and did not get it and gave the examination on my own in November last year and I didn’t clear it , so I am thinking of applying for acess scholarship again can you help me out with essay and tell me how can I improve it.

If I don’t get the scholarship will I have to pay the full registration fee or the early registration fee as I applied on 11th January 2022 ?

Same Question

Hi Shubham and Estuti, I have double checked this with CFA Institute, and they have confirmed that if you are not selected for a CFA Institute scholarship, you can get the early registration fee/discount on your next exam registration (valid for ~ 1 year).

What if I don’t get cfa scholarship and can’t pay early fees ?

Will subscribing to any third party provider impact my chances of getting the scholarship while its in process? Just a random thought.

Hey, I plan to appear for the August 2022 L1 Examinations. I want to apply for the women’s scholarship as well. Am I too late for the same?

Sorry for my late reply Parina! If you did apply for Women’s scholarship which closed on 28 Jan, you should hear back by 18 Feb 2022 and be still in time to register for L1 Aug22.

If not, the next Women’s scholarship application cycle opens 1–28 March 2022, with a decision around mid April. If awarded, you can still make the Aug22 registration since Aug 2022’s final registration deadline is 3 May .

For some reason I couldn’t able to mention any references in the scholarship application but was able to write an excellent essay So will I still be considered for the scholarship without mentioning the references

Hey where do we put the name of our references, you know it? I connected with my lecturers at university and they feel free to help on this.

Yeah I also have the same issue. I think this year they have removed the reference section completely from the form. They are just asking for the essay. Can anyone confirm this?

Hi Suryans, yes, it seems that in 2022’s Access Scholarship application, CFA Institute have just removed the need for providing any references going forward. You’ll be fine! Good luck 🙂

Currently I can apply for both women as well as access scholarship. I heard that women scholarship are on first come first serve basis. 11 days have already passed. Also I am a full time student. So should I apply for access or women? Can I apply for both? If yes, which to apply first? Looking forward to hear from you. Thanks! Purva

Hi Purva, you can apply for both if preferred, no worries about that. You can even apply for Student scholarship too if you’re from an affiliated university . Order of application doesn’t matter as long as you send them in early before the deadlines.

can you apply for women and access scholarship at the same time ? because the womens scholarchip page says”the Women’s Scholarship is available to women around the world who are interested in earning the CFA charter and who do not qualify for other CFA Institute scholarships” can you confirm if you can apply for both

Yes you can Henri. If you get one, the other application will not be reviewed.

hi Sophie if I apply for the access scholarship in jan2023, if awarded the scholarship will I be able to register for may2023 as the deadline is 31jan2023.if I hear back after the 31st can I still register for may late ?

Hi I am planning on applying for the September access scholarship window this mean I will get the scholarship answer after October but I want to write cfa level 1 in nov 2023. Can this work or will the deadline to register for nov 2023 have passed

Hello , i have one questions , i already registered for CFA L1 May 2022 exam , can i apply for access scholarship for CFA L2 before my exam of CFA L1 ?

No you can’t your scholarship will be rejected

Hi Punit, current registered candidates are not eligible to apply unfortunately. So you would have to wait until May exams are over, then apply in the next application window.

Hi I plan to take level 2 exam in Nov 2022 ; may i apply for this round of access scholarship (jan 2022) since CFAI said if it is awarded; it can be used for the current years’ exams (2022) ;nov? Thanks for helping

Yes I believe so Boyka. Note that Access Scholarship applications are closing soon, so make sure you get that sent in. Good luck!

Hi, I want to apply for Access Scholarship for Aug 2022 level 2 examination. I’m 23 and the sole earning individual in my nuclear family. My father has retired and my mother is a homemaker. Will I be in a disadvantageous position if I disclose that I’m earning as the CFA Institute might think that I’m capable of paying the fee? Also are there any income proofs that we are required to submit or any other documents required in the application process?

I don’t think there’s any income proof needed. I believe you should include as much context as necessary – yes, you’re earning, but you also have to support your parents, which should be taken into consideration.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

Hello, I wanted to give CFA level 1 on Aug2022/ Nov 2022 for which I would be applying for a scholarship that is going to start from 10th Jan 2022. At present, I have a pending application to register for the exam in Aug 2022. So, I wanted to ask will it amount to the disqualification of the scholarship application or I will still be eligible for availing of the scholarship.

I’m not sure by what you mean by ‘pending application’. If you’re registered for a CFA exam, you can’t apply for a CFA scholarship, but if you’ve not completed registration, you should be eligible for a scholarship. Hope that helps!

What is the word limit for essay for women scholarship

It can vary from year to year, but generally ‘essays’ are a short personal statement rather than a lengthy essay. Some CFA scholarships this year have 100-500 word limits for their statement-based answers. Hope that helps!

Hi, I just applied for the Student Scholarship to take the August 22 exam, but I forgot to consider the time to receive an answer. As the deadline for a reply is until July, if I understood correctly, I may not have much time to study. Did I make a mistake choosing August over November or do they tend to respond sooner?

Student scholarship applications, I believe, depend on the affiliated university so I wouldn’t be able to advise too much about that.

However if your reply is coming in July there is no way you’d be able to prepare in time for August – ideally you want 5-6 months to prepare, 3-4 months minimum. Hope that helps.

I have received Access Scholarship and currently registered For L1 May 2022. Am I eligible to apply for Access Scholarship for L2?

Yes, you can reapply for subsequent levels, or even when retaking the same level.

Hi, I’m writing the Women’s Scholarship essay at the moment and I happened to come across some comments mentioning that one has a higher chance of getting the scholarship if one applies ASAP once the application window opens. If this is true, then I’m considering to apply for the next window (Jan 2022), but also I’m worried that I’ll miss the early bird deadline which caused me to pay 1000USD in case I don’t receive the scholarship. What should I do?

Scholarship applicants will be offered the early-bird pricing regardless of the outcome of your scholarship application.

Hi, Are you sure ab this. I applied for the Women scholarship and how can I claim the early-bird registration fee in case I am not accepted for the scholarship?

do you know what happenned to the access scholarship? they put program media scholarship instead when i sign in to my account

CFA Institute have taken the Access Scholarship off for now. They keep saying it’s “coming back soon” but so far we’ve been waiting for about 7 months and counting…

Is there any update on the access scholarship, for Nov2022 exam?

Unfortunately no – still no word and Access scholarship is still not open to new applicants. ☹️

Hii. I had apply for women scholarship..When can I expect a reply from them.And also will I be getting any update if they reject my application?

CFA Institute has been changing the rules quite quickly on this, but we believe that you should get a response within max 12 weeks of applying. You will be notified whether you have been successful in your application, regardless of whether you were awarded the scholarship or not.

I have completed my graduation by opting for BBA (general) and got certification in the investment foundation course offered by CFA Institute. what is the chance that I will get the scholarship, or if it is less then what should I do to get the scholarship?

There is no insight on how many scholarships are awarded nor award criteria. It’s entirely at the discretion of CFA Institute, so your guess is as good as ours.

Hello, i want to apply to the acces scolarship this fall, and im planning to take the exam in May-22. As i read, the outcome will be on 1st December; assuming that i don´t get the scolarship, will i be able to register to the May-22 exam or it will be too late?

Thanks a lot!

We don’t really have an actual schedule confirmed for the Access Scholarship – this has been delayed several times so I’m not actually certain that the Access Scholarship will be open for applications on time as planned.

If I were you I would set a deadline for myself to wait for applications to open, and if that deadline is missed, you should think about registering without a scholarship anyway, if it’s possible.

Hey! I just failed my level 1 exams , but however I’m trying to give it in Feb 2022 . I want to apply for the women’s scholarship that is available for us but while writing an scholarship letter should we have to mention about the failing of level 1 exams in the letter? Also what kind of documents should we have to submit?

same question

I don’t think you have to speak about not passing the exams – in any case they likely have records of it anyway. I don’t think there’s any documentation necessary for the Women’s Scholarship.

Hi. I want to give the November 2022 attempt for CFA Level I. I was trying to apply for the women’s scholarship, however, the page isn’t opening and is showing some error. Please advice on what I sould do. Thank you.

It seems to be working for me now. It’s also the last day of applications for this quarterly cycle, so make sure you get your application in ASAP!

Hi, If my women scholarship gets declined, can I apply for scholarship again in future?

Yes, you can apply the same for the next cycle.

Yes, of course!

I have given level 2 exam in Aug-Sep, the results of which will be declared by the end of October. I want to give level 3 in the May window so, should I apply before my results are declared or after it?

I have the same question. Would appreciate if you could help

You can only apply for L3 after you’ve passed L2.

Hi, I am currently CFA Level 1 candidate and will be appearing for exam in November’ 2021. Am I eligible to apply for scholarship for Level 2 examination?

Same question!

You should be fine. The scholarship is awarded and valid for your next exam registration, regardless of whether it’s L2 (if you pass) or L1 (if you don’t).

Hello, can I apply for scholarship and register in my second year of under graduation so that I can give my CFA Level 1 in my third year?

Hello, as it has been mentioned a couple of times that while waiting for scholarship results, if we are denied of scholarship, we get early bird registration offer for the next available exam. So, does this mean if I want to register for November but am denied scholarship and the early bird period has expired, i will get early bird for Feb exam only and not November (which is my preference)?

You will get the early registration fee offer for the next available exam when you receive your scholarship application result. So if the standard registration for November is still open, you should be able to register for November with the early-registration fee.

Good evening and thanks for the insight.

I am new to CFA and just planning to start. I however want to apply for women scholarship in September before anything. I don’t have any cfa account yet. Do I need to create an account before applying for the scholarship or i can just go ahead and apply for the scholarship 1st before anything? Kindly guide me through. Thanks.

I believe you’ll need to create a CFA Institute account to apply for the Women’s Scholarship anyway. You’ll use the same account to register for the exam.

Read this article after my registration.. Can I cancel it and apply for the scholarship?

You should be able to cancel your registration without penalty if you’re cancelling within 14 days of registration. Make sure that the scholarship you’re eyeing is accepting applications though – for example the Access Scholarship is still not open for applications.

Has the cfa scholarship for feb 2022 been awarded yet and can we still get discount after the early registration passes

CFA scholarships are awarded independently of the exam windows – there isn’t a CFA scholarship ‘for’ Feb 2022. Scholarship applicants do get offered the early registration discount even after the deadline has passed if they’ve been waiting for scholarship results.

Hello, I’m looking to give my CFA level 1 exam in 2022. Can you please clarify whether the access scholarship for the 2022 exam has been announced. And if not what could be the possible dates for the scholarship?

The Access scholarship is unfortunately still closed, and no date announced for when applications will be opened.

Any idea when they will open? And if scholarships are announced this late, will I be able to give May 2022 attempt with scholarship?

Hi. I wanted to know that if I get the access scholarship, results of which are announced in December, then can I register for the February exam next year(assuming that I have prepared) or will I have to go for the May examination

The CFA Access Scholarship is currently closed to applications so it’s not confirmed that you’ll be able to apply and get results by December.

Hi, I had applied for the Women’s Scholarship on April 19th, 2021 for the November Level 1 Exam. I have not heard back from them yet, I am getting very anxious as I expected to hear from them by now. The November registration is closing by 20th July, I thought it was gonna end by 16th first. I wish to appear for the exam in this year. Will I have to pay the standard fees now? I read that they usually do reply within 3 months and its almost 3 months now. What should I do? 🙁 🙁

CFA Institute has indicated that scholarship results take about 12 weeks as they review applications quarterly, which in your case is around 20th July. 12 weeks is also a guide rather than a hard deadline, so it might come a little earlier, or take a little longer.

Scholarship applicants will be offered the early-bird registration fee for the next available exam so they won’t miss out due to waiting for scholarship results. But since normal registration for Nov’21 closes 20th July I would prepare to have to miss Nov’21 in all honesty.

If you wish, you can follow up with them at [email protected] or any other contact details given to you during the scholarship application process.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes!

Hi Zee, I got a reply from CFAI that my scholarship was declined 🙁 They have said that I can apply for the next exam and pay the early bird fee. But I do not see it being reflected in my account. What do I do next?

You should see the early-bird rate reflected when you book your exam window. But if you don’t, send an email to [email protected] and copy in [email protected] describing your issue and saying you need your early-bird offer reset.

I want to register for Feb 2022 level 1, so does it makes any sense to wait for access scholarship? As the results of the scholarship would be declared in December, and till then the registration for Feb 2022 would have ended, if I’m not wrong.

So should I register or wait for access scholarship for Feb 2022 exam?

Currently there is no indication on when the Access scholarship will be open to applications. CFA Institute have previously indicated mid-April, but obviously we’re way past that now. Whether you should register or wait depends on how badly you want the scholarship.

I have been awarded cfa level 1 scholarship but now when I am registering and during check out the scholarship fees is not being reflected there ,what should I do now ,the last date is 30th June

You’ll need to get in touch with CFA Institute for this. Sometimes candidates’ scholarship can disappear if the checkout process is not done in one go. There is a discussion thread here: https://300hours.com/f/cfa/general/t/cfa-registration-issue/

Could you please let us know how you drafted in that application for scholarship like What points you have mentioned It would be of great help if u can mention

Thanks in advance Anjan

I applied for the women’s scholarship back in April. I’m still waiting on a response. Any idea when I could expect to hear?

CFA Institute have said that candidates can expect to hear back within 12 weeks, so it could be up to July for your case.

When will the scholorship window will open for 2022 attempts?

We just don’t know. CFA Institute have indicated that it should have opened in April/May, but clearly that hasn’t happened yet, and they were unable to follow up with a concrete date. So “whenever they’re ready” seems to be the best answer we have at the moment.

I am a late riser in the CFA club. However, I have made my decision to write the exam in Nov 2021. Looks like I am late for the women’s scholarship and I have to wait till September to apply for it.This automatically implies that If I am to write the Nov Exam, I have to pay the full fees of $1000. Am I correct in gathering that information from the website? I would appreciate any response on this.. Thank you!

CFA Institute has previously informed us that the Women’s Scholarship is supposed to be awarded on a rolling basis going forward, so we’re not sure why they’ve closed it until September.

You’ll miss the registration deadline for Nov 2021 if you wish to to apply for the Women’s scholarship in September, so it’ll have to be one or the other.

Exactly my thoughts. That leaves in terrible lurch. Is this a first time incident of them closing the scholarship window early. Any chance I can get the scholarship for Nov by reaching out to them?

You could always try, but I doubt it.

Think about which is more important to you – applying for a scholarship or proceeding with the exams sooner.

Well, I am still contemplating the idea to take the test in Feb 2022. However, the scholarship opens only in September and that gives me another question. If the early bird registration ends in August. Then how will the scholarship be effective for me, if I chose to write L1 in Feb 2022. If I choose the early bird option, I have to register for the exam. And If I choose the scholarship then I wait to register the exam and bear the late fee. Am I thinking tooo much?

Definitely not over-thinking it, it’s a fair and often-asked question. CFA Institute have confirmed to us that unsuccessful scholarship applicants will be offered the early-bird rate for the next exam, so you won’t miss out. If you get the scholarship obviously it wouldn’t matter 😊

Hello , Have a good day ! I want to apply for women’s scholarship for the 2022 exams. However I apply and wait for the revert from CFA institute even after the “early bird registration” which results in i have to pay extra after deadline. If I unable to get the scholarship what will be the amount i have to pay after deadline.? Is there any reduction in amount for those who are waiting for the scholarship? Though I cannot afford the late registration fee , I can expect a reply form CFA ASAP.

You won’t miss out on the early-bird registration fee as a scholarship applicant. Quoting CFA Institute:

Applicants that are not awarded a scholarship are offered the early exam registration fee for the next exam registration.

Hi Tan, It means i do not have to pay late registration fee for coming exam in 2022 ( I am studying for CFA level 1 May 202 exam).

It means if you apply for the Women’s Scholarship but are not awarded it, you will be able to register for the next exam with the early exam registration fee, even though it’s passed.

Thank you so much for clarifying doubts.

No problem at all!

I have the same question. If I apply for women’s scholarship in September for cfa level-1 may 2022 exam and I’m not able to get it will I be able to pay the early bird registration fees for may 2022 even if the deadline passes?

Yes, you will be eligible for the early-bird rate.

Hi, I am working for an employer for the past 10 years after completing my Post Graduation in Engineering . Will I be eligible for Access Scholarship or any other Scholarship. Thanks in advance.

I think pretty much anyone is eligible to apply for the Access Scholarship, but applications are not open yet. I don’t think you’re eligible for any other CFA scholarship.

hi , i want to know that if I register for access scholarship for 2022after informing that the cfa institute will giving the information for the access scholarship, After applying for the scholarship can i really get the scholarship, for that I have financial issues so I can’t afford the fees and I have very much interested and I have knowledge of investment and finance field. can u please tell me about this?

I won’t be able to tell you what are your chances of getting the scholarship. If you’re interested in finance and determined to get the scholarship, read our guide carefully, follow all the advice there and apply when the Access Scholarship is open for applications. Good luck!

please reply to my comment done on 9th May 2021

My name is Dinesh and I am CA final student from india. Is it I am eligible to student scholarship? Is it The Institute of Chartered Accountant’s of India is affiliated university as per CFA Institute

Student scholarship eligibility and deadlines depend on the specific affiliated university. I could not find The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India on the list of affiliated universities on CFA Institute’s website .

Thank you so much for this useful information. I was having a doubt , can a 12th passout apply for access scholarship and if we receive access scholarship, is it a one time application (valid or applied to all the 3 levels) or should we have to apply it again for L2 and again for L3?

I’m not sure what you mean by ’12th passout’. Each application applies to only one level of the CFA exam – you can reapply again for subsequent levels.

I’m looking at the Access Scholarship to open for November 21. However, the early bird registration for November 21 closes on 5th of May.

I understand that even if we don’t get the Scholarship, we would get to apply the exams with the discounted fees. However based on 2020’s scholarship, the awards are given in December..so, I’m not sure how that would work out.

The Access Scholarship schedule was originally configured to suit the old CFA exam schedule (twice a year in December and June) so yes, the Access Scholarship schedule doesn’t quite fit the new CFA exam schedule. CFA Institute are aware of this and are working to eventually move the Access Scholarship to a rolling schedule, like all other CFA scholarships. CFA Institute have not actually announced details for the latest Access scholarship, so your concerns on scheduling might be addressed once they disclose full info on how the latest Access scholarship is going to work.

So I guess it’s a risk not applying for the early bird dateline for 5th May, cause the info from CFAI is still not out and it’s anyone’s guess.

I mean, I technically have the ability to pay for it, but it’s not quite the same as really being able to afford it.

Guess I’ll have 1 more day to decide. Thanks Zee!

“I mean, I technically have the ability to pay for it, but it’s not quite the same as really being able to afford it.” That’s the best description of the CFA scholarship applicant I’ve seen yet! You’re welcome – good luck! If you have any further questions, just post in our support forum .

When do access and student scholarship applications start for the 2022 attempt?

There are no fixed deadlines for role-based or Women’s CFA Program scholarship applications, including student scholarships. Applications are considered on a rolling basis, with awards made throughout the year.

There is less clear info on Access scholarships. There is an effort to eventually move this to a rolling schedule as well, but for now it’s still on an annual basis. Access scholarship applications should open any time now, but it might be delayed due to the many changes over the past year (and changes that are still going on!).

Hey, I want to apply for the student scholarship. In the list of affiliated universities my university is listed but my program isn’t. Will I still be able to apply for the student scholarship and be considered for the same?

I’m pretty sure your program doesn’t need to be listed to be able to apply. There are additional requirements depending on your university that you should check out though – see here .

Thank you Zee that clears my doubt.

You’re welcome!

I have applied for the women’s scholarship and planning to take the nov 2021exam. If I don’t hear back from them before the early bird deadline and I didn’t get the scholarship should I pay the extra fee in standard deadline or the same fee as in early bird deadline?

We’ve received quite a few questions about this – we have reached out to CFA Institute and will update everyone when we hear back on this. Stay tuned!

Hi Vamshik, I finally got a confirmation from CFA Institute on this:

Hope this clarifies.

Hi Alexander,

Had a doubt. I have applied for women’s scholarship for Nov 21 exam. Waiting for the reply. If in case the scholarship gets rejected, and this rejected reply if I get after the date of early registration which is May 4 2021, then will I be eligible for early bird registration or I will have to pay the entire 1000$ fees ?

Hi Riya, I’ve just got confirmation from CFA Institute that applicants that are not awarded a scholarship are offered the early exam registration fee for the next exam registration.

Hello. I had applied for access scholarship last year. But i did received an early exam registration fee waiver only. The last date to redeem this offer was given as 30 june 21. But now when i wanna register for nov 21 level 1 exam it is not reflecting at the time of checkout and i am asked to pay in full $1150. Can you please guide me in this. Thank you.

Hi Aakansha, last year’s scholarship awards have been extended to include all 2021 exams. You must register for an exam by the testing window’s registration deadline.

I suspect there is a system issue in your case and you’ve to contact CFA Institute directly to sort this technical issue, as you’re not the first to report this! You should be allowed to register for L1 Nov21 with reduced fees from your scholarship award.

Hi, I’m planning to take L1 Nov21. But I want to apply for Women scholarship before that. Considering the early registration deadline falls on 4th May’21, should I take the L1 Feb’22 attempt or should I just go ahead with the registration asap to avoid paying $300 for the late registration. Also, while applying for the women scholarship, there’s an option to attach supporting documents. Could you please guide what kind of documents can these be so that I can obtain them if possible to support my application?

I’m also having similar questions.

Hi Sophie, one last question what is the word limit for the essay?

Hi Ridhi, for Women’s scholarship application it is max 3500 characters. As Access scholarship is not open yet, I would assume it is similar length. Good luck!

Hi I applied for women scholarship 1 week back.but I have time only till 4th May to register for cfa Level 2 august 2021exam,its the final registration date.since I won’t be able to receive the scholarship with in the above time period. I want to register for my cfa without scholarship. What would happen if I register for my cfa exam as applied for scholarship?

Hi Sowmya, if you register for L2 Aug21, your scholarship application would thus not be considered.

Hi Alexender,

I applied for the women scholarship in Feb, when can I expect to get a reply? I am planning to appear for the exam in Nov 21 and early registration is open till 4th May.

Hi Sumedha, it can take up to 3 months to hear back for Women’s scholarship. That said, you can still register for Nov21 exams if awarded with the reduced fee. Nov21 exam’s registration closes on 10 Aug 2021 .

I got access scholarship with a deadline of 30 june 2021. Today I was trying to enroll for level 1 July exam but could not find any option to choose the scholarship or to reduce the fee to 250$ on the dashboard. Please help. Thanks for your time in advance.

Hi Lakshay, it is worth calling CFA Institute directly as it may be a technical issue on their end. Given that L1 Jul21 registration is closing on 20th April, timing may be tight and you may have left this too late.

It may be worth considering L1 Aug21 registration, as it is just 1 month later with more study time. You can still get the scholarship applied as long as you register for an exam before your 30 June 2021 deadline.

Thanks for your reply. The scholarship is not even reflecting in the August exams and CFA institute is not picking calls or replying to emails. I am waiting from many days for their reply.

Hey! Hope you are doing well 🙂 I just got my result two days back for level 1 and i am so happy that I passed!!! Now, I want to apply for scholarship for level 2 I have a few questions, please help me answer it 🙂 Q1- If I apply for scholarship now, when will I get to know about the result? Q2- If I get selected for scholarship and in the mean time the ‘early bird registration’ gets closed, still I will get the scholarship and the amount will be reduced to $350?? Q3- Can I apply for women and regular scholarship both at the same time?

Thank you in advance! God bless you 😀

Ah I’ve answered your questions here in the forum .

Hi. I appeared for CFA L1 in Feb 21 but I did not pass it. However, I paid the entire fees for it. Now if I want to appear for L1 again in Feb 2022, can I apply for the Access Scholarship or will I have to pay the entire fee again? And if I can apply for the Access Scholarship, when can I do it?

Hi AD, sorry to hear that.

Yes you can apply for scholarship this year for L1 Feb22 retake. Access scholarship this year is supposed to open mid April, that is CFA Institute’s guidance, but clearly they are late on this. But it should be soon.

Hi Alexandar,

I would like to know exam registration fee reduction for CFA access scholarship/ women scholarship entitle for 3 level exam or need to apply for every level?

I’m looking forward for your reply.

Hi Kath – the scholarships apply to individual levels, so you’ll need to apply at every level.

Hello! Hope you are doing great

I have taken my cfa level 1 exam on 17th feb 2021 and the results are awaited, they will be announced in April. I want to apply for women scholarship for level 2, given the fact that level 1 results are not yet out, can I still apply for level 2 scholarship?

Hi Ridhi, you can’t apply for Women’s scholarship yet until your results are out around mid April.

Perhaps you could work on your scholarship application meantime and have it saved whilst awaiting your results.

Hey kindly help me if possible.. I want to take Nov 2021 L1 attempt. I want to apply for women’s scholarship.. is it okay to apply for the scholarship today? will my scholarship get approved? because the last date of early registration is May 4 2021.

Hi Urvashi, Women’s scholarship are assessed on a rolling basis and takes 3 months to hear back from application submission. So if you apply today, you will be late for L1 Nov21 early registration deadline, however, you could still make final registration deadline (10 Aug) if you’re happy to squeeze that in.

Hello, I’m planning on appearing for November 2021 or February 2022 exam. If I apply for the access scholarship in March, which of the above exams can I apply for? Thank you.

Hi Hrishike, Access scholarship is only opening around mid April this year. We don’t know if the rules are changing for Access scholarships, so unable to comment on that at this stage.

For example, pre 2021, Access Scholarships have traditionally open for application in March until September, with results being announced 1st week of December. Obviously with that timeline, Feb22 exam is more realistic.

That said, we expect CFA Institute to update their Access Scholarship deadlines and assessment cycle given the new exam cycles. For example, IF Access Scholarships became like the others and are open on a rolling basis, where you hear back within 3 months, you would then be able to apply for Nov21.

Long story short, we need this year’s Access Scholarship to open to understand if there are any new changes, before we know the answer to your question 🙂

Thank you for the information. What will be the deadline for early registration for February 2022 attempt?

2022 exam details haven’t been published as yet. However, if I were to infer from Feb21 dates, it would be mid Aug for early reg deadline for L1 Feb22 🙂 Stay in touch with us by signing up to our mailing list (at the top of each page), and/or check back on our CFA exam dates page for more info.

Hi, I was awarded the access scholarship last November 2020. I am really confused about the expiration date that was mentioned. The expiration date given is June 30, 2021. It means that I should register before an exam registration closes right, it doesn’t mean that I have to take the exam before June 30, 2021? I mean for instance, for November 2021 exam, the registration closes on August 10, 2021, it means that I can still use the scholarship for it, right? Since the registration for November closes on August, I can still register using the scholarship before June 30? Thank you in advance for answering my question. 🙂

Hi Ey, yes it means you need to REGISTER before the deadline of the scholarship expiry 30 June 2021, NOT take the exam before the scholarship’s expiry.

Hello, Can I now apply for a Scholarship for CFA L1 for November 2021

Hi Rishi, not for Access scholarship as applications only open in March and candidates normally apply 1 year in advance of the target exam.

But for other role-based ones which are open on a rolling basis it could potentially work, but deadlines are tight as early registration deadline for Nov 21 exam is 4 May 2021.

Hi Add and Rishi

Sorry for putting the question here but I could not find where I can put the questions.

I have 2 questions that need your help,

1. I am going take the exam for Level 1 in Nov 2021. It means there is no scholarship which I can apply at the moment ? right? even I enroll Women scholarship ( as the last date to Register for Nov exam is 4 May.) So, I need to pay registration fee and the fee for level 1 ? Am I understanding right? if not could you please correct me and give me a idea?

2. Assuming I pay registration fee and level 1 and pass Level 1, when can I apply for scholarship for Level II ?

Thank you so much

Hi, Is the $25 rescheduling fees applicable for both rescheduling within the exam month (say shifting between 24th-30th August 2021 for Level) and rescheduling within the exam cycles (say shifting from August 2021 to November 2021 for Level 1) ?

Hi there, I applied for Women scholarship on the 9th of January. Just wondering when do you think they tell me the result for my scholarship? Do you think I get back from them soon and would be able to register for May 2021 level 1 exam?

Best Regards,

Bahareh Edalat

Hi, If I appear for Level 1 in August 2021, will I be able to appear for Level 2 in February 2022?

Yes Kardam, if you pass L1 Aug21 you can go for L2 Feb22. See our CFA Journey Planner for more details.

Hi Sophie and Rishi

1) for L1 Nov21, yes it is too late as scholarship applications should happen 1 year BEFORE the exam year you would like to apply for, typically. 2) you can apply for L2 scholarships after you have received your L1 results, but BEFORE you register for L2 exams.

hi I have registered for CFA’s women scholarship program in Nov 29, but I have not received the result yet. Do you think I have any chance to get the scholarship for 2020? because there wasn’t any deadline for women scholarship.

Hi Life, CFA Women’s scholarship is on a rolling basis as you said, and are assessed on a quarterly basis.

So you should hear back on the results within ~12 weeks. Successful role-based or Women’s scholarship applicants have up to 12 months in which to use their Award. I presume you meant 2021, and therefore you should be able to use it for 2021, if awarded.

Hope this helps!

I’m appearing for CFA L1 in Aug’21 which means results would be out by end of Sept’21. By the time results are out for CFA L1, window for Access scholarship would be closed.

How do i apply for Scholarship for CFA L2 before results are out for L1 and before scholarship deadline which is Sept’21.

Hi Neha, If you’re taking CFA L1 in Aug21, the exam window is end of August. So since results are out within 60 days from that, you would only know your results by end of October, not September.

But yes, the Access Scholarship window would be closed by then, based on the current annual cycle. You won’t be able to apply for L2 Access Scholarship without L1’s results in time. We have reached out to CFA Institute previously on this issue, and they have said “We hope to enable a move to a rolling application basis for Access scholarships over time.”

So unfortunately there is no clear time commitment when CFAI would update their Access scholarship cycle, but we expect this should be updated soon.

On the other hand, you could consider Women’s scholarship since there are no fixed deadlines for role-based or Women’s CFA Program scholarship applications. Applications are considered on a rolling basis, with Awards made throughout the year. Women’s scholarship applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis and so candidates can expect to hear the outcome of their application within approximately 12 weeks.

This may be a good alternative/backup if Access scholarship cycle hasn’t changed then.

Hi. I am so much confused pls help me. On October 11 I had received an email for access scholarship decision that I have been selected for scholarship but from that date to up till now the status on my cfa account has not been changed from submitted to awarded. What to do now. Do I suppose to get the scholarship or not. Please tell

Hi Raveena, congrats on the scholarship! It is best to follow up directly with CFA Institute BEFORE you go for any exam registration, as it cannot be deferred to future levels. Registering now without any scholarship details voids the scholarship award. CFA Institute is probably just swamped and it is best to double check your status with them directly via email.

I have emailed them so many times but get no response yet. I am also trying on call but they are not answering. Should I wait till January?

Is there any way by which one can use access scollrship benefit for level 2 February 2022 examination…? Because i don’t see any. Also if i didn’t apply for the same and paid the full fees. Will i be eligible to get a level 3 scollrship further?

Hi Cube, there is a deadline (depending on type of scholarship, e.g. for Access it is around 7 months from award) to register for the CFA exams. So 2020’s scholarship awards are for 2021 exam registrations only usually. I don’t quite understand your second question: do you mean if you paid full fees for L2, will you be eligible to get a L3 scholarship if you apply in the future? If so, yes you can apply for L3 (after you have passed L2), regardless whether you have received a scholarship previously. Does this answer your question?

I have missed the chance to apply for scholarship this year and I’m planning to give level 1 exam in aug. Will I be able to apply for scholarship for level 2 after the exam ??

Hi Kishan, as long as you apply before the deadline it should be fine (and before registering for L2). But we expect CFA Institute to update their scholarship deadlines/timetables hopefully soon to reflect the new CBT exam cycles. So we have to wait and see for now.

If I apply for the level 1 scholarship in March 2021 then will i be able to apply for December 2021 examination if a get the scholarship?

Hi Jainam, from 2021, there are no longer any Dec exams. Check this post ( https://www.300hours.com/articles/all-the-dates-you-need-for-your-next-cfa-exam ) for the new computer-based exam schedules. At the moment, all of the scholarships are on a rolling basis and probably takes 3-4 months on average for results, except Access scholarship, which currently (as confirmed by CFA institute) is on an annual basis. They recognise that this would probably change to a rolling basis as well to accommodate the new exam cycle, but have not confirmed or made any announcements on this.

What are the usual questions or things I need to be prepared for with regards to the the access scholarship interview?

Hi Jieun, as far as I’m aware, there are no in-person interviews for the access scholarships. Just an online application.

I have been scheduled for one this coming weekend, it’s expected to run for 15 minutes

Hi Jieun, thanks for letting me know – interviews are quite rare, but it’s a good thing! Which CFA society are you registered to? 15 minutes isn’t long, so here’s a few tips: as it is access-based, make sure you’re familiar with your financial situation numbers that you’ve submitted, also your CV and career goals. Definitely be prepared to answer ‘why do you want to pursue the CFA charter’ and how this can help with your current job or target career. Good luck, let me know how it goes!

Hi All, I applied for access scholarship this year and I submitted my application on 24th of june 2020. I understand that we get our results by 1st of December. However, I’m a tad worried because all my friends that applied after I submitted have gotten feedback whereas i am yet to receive any. Do i need to send them a mail to enquire about my status or wait till 1st of December. Thanks

Hi Isaac, if you’re worried, feel free to send them an email to chase up. You should hear back by 1st Dec latest as you said. Good luck!

Same here. Same here. I am waiting too. Hopefully, they still get back to us.

Hi, have you heard from them?

Hie sophie. As you replied above in comments for adithya’s question about getting access scholarship on dec 1 if applied before sept 15 (the deadline for feb 21) . And If scholarship granted to me, will there be separate availability of location for people who earned schoarship on December 1 for feb 2021 exam or do we have to struggle instead in getting exam location.

Hi Vikrant, I’m not aware of a separate booking system for scholarship recipients unfortunately. So yes, if you do get awarded an Access scholarship on 1st Dec 2020, you can book for Feb21 provided there are slots available.

Can I apply scholarship for December 2021 attempt??

Hi Archi, there’s no longer a Dec 2021 exam now, given the transition to computer-based testing. Check out this article for 2021 exam cycles by level ( https://www.300hours.com/articles/cfa-journey-planner-registration-options ). That said, you can apply for role-based scholarships now as they are on a rolling basis. The annual Access scholarship applications just closed on 15 September 2020 (for 2021 exams), so you will need to wait until it reopens again. Given the change in exam cycle schedules, it is likely it would be on a rolling basis next year, but we are awaiting CFA Institute’s confirmation on this point.

Hey. Now that the last date for Feb 2021 registrations has been shifted to Dec 7 and Access results are announced on December 1, is there a chance that if awarded, I can use the Access scholarship for Feb 2021 exam dates? Need to know this as I will have to plan my studies accordingly.

Hi Adithya, that may be possible now, assuming you applied for Access Scholarship before 15 Sep 2020. So if awarded on 1st Dec 2020, you should be able to apply that scholarship to a Feb21 L1 exam cycle, which wasn’t possible previously under the old final registration deadline.

hi, I am looking to give December 2021 Level I CFA exam, so do i need to apply for woman scholarship now. At the time of granting scholarship, do CFA give us some kind of timeline in which one need to sit for the exam. thanks for your response.

Hi Sarika, with computer-based exams next year, there would no longer be a December L1 exam cycle, but 4 exam cycles: Feb21, May21, Aug21 or Nov21 for Level 1 exams. You can certainly apply for Women’s scholarship now as it is on a rolling basis with limited numbers awarded per exam cycle. Yes, if awarded, CFA Institute does provide you with a defined window of time (seven months) in which you must enroll for a CFA Program exam before the expiration date listed in the scholarship award email expires. It probably makes sense to apply now, as it takes a few months to award it, which ties in nicely with an end of year L1 2021 exam for you.

Thanks Sophie! Just to clarify, I take the December level 1 exam, wait for results and if I pass, apply for the women scholarship for level 2 (2021). But isn’t the scholarship on first-come first-serve basis? Does women scholarship have any deadline? Thanks again 🙂

Hi Ridhi, yes I think you can apply for scholarship after your results have been announced. For women’s scholarship, it is on a rolling basis throughout the year so no deadline, just apply when you’re eligible and not registered as a candidate. My understanding is that it is on a first-come-first-basis, I don’t know whether that has changed given the new CBT exam schedules next year, but I presume it still would be as they probably allocate a certain number of such scholarships for each exam cycle.

Hi! I have already registered for level 1, which means I cant apply for scholarship now. My level 1 exam is in December 2020. I want to apply for level 2 scholarship. What is the deadline for scholarship for 2021 exams? I have been searching but can’t find. Thanks in advance!

Hi Ridhi, yes you’re right as your situation is similar to the previous commenter above. The deadline for 2021 exams has unfortunately just passed for Access Scholarship (15 Sep). The other Role-based scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis and applications have opened since 1st September, so if you’re eligible for any of those, make sure you prepare your applications now, but only submit it after the exams results are announced. Else your best bet is to wait for 2021’s Access Scholarship to open for 2022 exams. That said, as mentioned above, Access Scholarship’s rigid annual timeline may no longer make sense when we move to computer-based exams which are held 2-4x a year, so hopefully CFA Institute may move Access Scholarship on a rolling basis soon, or else it is quite tricky to plan on when to take an exam! Sorry it wasn’t a clearcut answer – we will certainly update our readers if the deadline/timing changes on Access Scholarship.

I already registered level 1 Dec 2020 exam, does it mean I am not eligible for the scholarship? If so, can I now apply the scholarship for level 2 instead?

Hi Iceberg, yes as you’re a L1 registered candidate, you’re not eligible to apply for a scholarship as you’ve demonstrated the ability to pay via your registration. That said, you’re also a year late for 2020 exam’s scholarships, as this year’s scholarship deadlines are for 2021 exams. I just double checked with CFA Institute and unfortunately it seems that rules have changed (although not made clear) that you can no longer apply for a scholarship (even if for a different level) if you’re currently enrolled in an exam. This seems to create a disadvantage for current Dec candidates given the Access scholarship’s deadlines. The current rigid, annual timeline for Access Scholarship doesn’t seem to work if exams are held 2-4x a year going forward for each level, so I’m hoping that CFA Institute would eventually change Access Scholarship rules to be rolling just like the other Role-based scholarship for the registration timing and requirement to be un-registered when applying to make sense.

Thank you for the information Sophie. Do you know if CFA Institute will soon change the Access Scholarship deadlines? I weren’t able to register for the Access Scholarship this year to take the Level II in 2021 because I’m already registered for the Level I December, 2020. It’s kind of unfair, I will have to wait until 2022 to take the Level II exam then, since the next Access Scholarship will probably be awarded in December, 2021.

Hi Eduardo, CFA Institute hopes to change the Access Scholarship cycle to be on a rolling basis in the future. But currently it is still on an annual basis.

If someone had registered for the now postponed June 2020 exams by paying the full fees and they have not yet selected an upcoming exam date for 2021, can they still apply for the Access scholarship?

Hi Gbilly, I’m afraid not, as the person is currently registered for an exam (although the date was postponed and yet to be selected), so as per the Access Scholarship rules, currently registered candidates are not eligible. Because by registering, they have already demonstrated the ability to pay the examination fees and hence do not qualify for the scholarship.

Hi, I have a questiom, if my unmarried sibling has a car and a house under his name, should I include it in the income and asset portion? I just want to make sure so I hope you can help me.

Hi Jae, I’m confused as to whether it is your CFA scholarship application or your brother’s? Scholarship applicants should include income and assets under their name in the Access Scholarship application.

Yes it is my application. Thank you for that. I was just confused as I am not married yet, so I included for instance my family’s income and asset – e.g. my parents’ house where I currently live since the application said “Household” Income and Asset and I belong to that household including my parents and siblings.

Hi! About the “Income and Asset” portion that is “quite detailed” as you mentioned. Do I have to attach a personal financial statement to support what range of amount I choose? My local society does not require any additional document as per CFA Institute website. So, I just wonder if it should be automatically attached? Thank you!

Hi Angel, if your local society doesn’t require it, then it is optional. But feel free to attach it as additional documentation if you’ve the option to – it can’t hurt your chances. Good luck!

Thanks for Sharing Its Very Informative For Me

Putting the CFA society I belong to on my CFA access scholarship is very compulsory because it was starred. So I chose CFA society of Nigeria. And then I made up my mind to join the CFA society of Nigeria, but before I can successfully be a candidate member of the CFA society of Nigeria, I must be registered for an upcoming CFA exam. But this condition conflicts with one of the requirements of the CFA access scholarship, which is applicant for the CFA access scholarship must not be registered for the upcoming CFA exam until they get a feedback from the CFA access scholarship team. I am very confused

Hi Michael, sounds like it’s best you reach out to CFA Institute and your society to ask about this.

HI. I would like to know for the two referees you provided, were they later contacted by CFA?

That’s a very good question. I’m not sure if they did – it’s been a while ago! They might have had a quick call just to check details etc, but not an extensive phone interview.

Thank you very much for the response. I have a quick question. While registering for the CFA access scholarship, I was asked “which of the CFA society do I belong to”. I am not a member of any CFA society as at the time of registration, but I chose the CFA society in my country; CFA society of Nigeria. Immediately I made preparations and plans to join the CFA society of Nigeria, in which I got necessary information as to how to be a member of the CFA society of Nigeria. I am supposed to be joining the CFA society of Nigeria as a candidate member. One of the requirements for joining the CFA society of Nigeria is to already be registered for an upcoming CFA exam. I can’t register for any CFA exam until I get a response from the CFA access scholarship team. Any registration I make now before I get a response from the scholarship team will imply I am capable of registering for the exam without any financial constraint or need for scholarship, which will therefore automatically cancel me out or make not qualified for the access scholarship. I am a bit confused here. I am not suppose to register for the CFA exam until after the CFA access scholarship team gets back to Me. But While applying for the CFA access scholarship, I was told my access scholarship application will be reviewed by the CFA society I belong to. To be a member of the CFA society of Nigeria (candidate member), I must be registered for an upcoming CFA exam. I am very much confused here and need your help on what steps to take, so I don’t get affected in any way. Thank you.

Hi Michael – now that’s a conundrum! Is putting your CFA Society in the application optional? Can you submit the application without putting a CFA Society in at this stage? I would imagine this issue affects all scholarship candidates. If your application is submitted and can’t be changed, I suggest contacting both CFA Institute ([email protected]) and your CFA society about this to see what they say.

Can i apply for both Access scholarship and women’s scholarship?

Hi Disha, yes you can apply for both scholarships. But a candidate may only receive one CFA Institute scholarship per exam, in which case the most recently awarded scholarship will be applied.

Hiya! Is the women’s scholarship really given on a first come first serve basis? Where does this information come from?

Hi Devin – the women’s scholarship has a set number of scholarships, and the application window closes when all scholarships have been awarded. So it is advantageous to apply as early as possible – hence ‘first-come-first-served’. Hope that makes sense!

If you apply for the scholarship how long will take to hear about the outcome

Historically, about 2-3 months.

1st December for the applied year.

If you’ve applied for the CFA access scholarship but didn’t get it, would CFA Institute refund the difference in higher fees due to trying to meet different scholarship deadlines?

I’m assuming you mean that because the scholarship requires you NOT to register until you hear back from them, you might miss the early registration deadlines? If that is the case, in the past, CFA Institute will allow you to pay the ‘cheaper’ fee. However I’ve not been able to find any official reference to this any more, so they may have changed this. Best to contact them directly ( https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/utility/contact-us ).

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The Best College Essay Length: How Long Should It Be?

College Essays

Figuring out your college essay can be one of the most difficult parts of applying to college. Even once you've read the prompt and picked a topic, you might wonder: if you write too much or too little, will you blow your chance of admission? How long should a college essay be?

Whether you're a terse writer or a loquacious one, we can advise you on college essay length. In this guide, we'll cover what the standard college essay length is, how much word limits matter, and what to do if you aren't sure how long a specific essay should be.

How Long Is a College Essay? First, Check the Word Limit

You might be used to turning in your writing assignments on a page-limit basis (for example, a 10-page paper). While some colleges provide page limits for their college essays, most use a word limit instead. This makes sure there's a standard length for all the essays that a college receives, regardless of formatting or font.

In the simplest terms, your college essay should be pretty close to, but not exceeding, the word limit in length. Think within 50 words as the lower bound, with the word limit as the upper bound. So for a 500-word limit essay, try to get somewhere between 450-500 words. If they give you a range, stay within that range.

College essay prompts usually provide the word limit right in the prompt or in the instructions.

For example, the University of Illinois says :

"You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program , and if you've selected a second choice . Each response should be approximately 150 words."

As exemplified by the University of Illinois, the shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 150 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 650 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 150 and 650 words. Admissions officers have to read a lot of them, after all!

Weigh your words carefully, because they are limited!

How Flexible Is the Word Limit?

But how flexible is the word limit? What if your poignant anecdote is just 10 words too long—or 100 too short?

Can I Go Over the Word Limit?

If you are attaching a document and you need one or two extra words, you can probably get away with exceeding the word limit by such a small amount. Some colleges will actually tell you that exceeding the word limit by 1-2 words is fine. However, I advise against exceeding the word limit unless it's explicitly allowed for a few reasons:

First, you might not be able to. If you have to copy-paste it into a text box, your essay might get cut off and you'll have to trim it down anyway.

If you exceed the word limit in a noticeable way, the admissions counselor may just stop reading your essay past that point. This is not good for you.

Following directions is actually a very important part of the college application process. You need to follow directions to get your letters of recommendation, upload your essays, send supplemental materials, get your test scores sent, and so on and so forth. So it's just a good general rule to follow whatever instructions you've been given by the institution. Better safe than sorry!

Can I Go Under the Word Limit?

If you can truly get your point across well beneath the word limit, it's probably fine. Brevity is not necessarily a bad thing in writing just so long as you are clear, cogent, and communicate what you want to.

However, most college essays have pretty tight word limits anyways. So if you're writing 300 words for an essay with a 500-word limit, ask yourself: is there anything more you could say to elaborate on or support your points? Consult with a parent, friend, or teacher on where you could elaborate with more detail or expand your points.

Also, if the college gives you a word range, you absolutely need to at least hit the bottom end of the range. So if you get a range from the institution, like 400-500 words, you need to write at least 400 words. If you write less, it will come across like you have nothing to say, which is not an impression you want to give.

What If There Is No Word Limit?

Some colleges don't give you a word limit for one or more of your essay prompts. This can be a little stressful, but the prompts generally fall into a few categories:

Writing Sample

Some colleges don't provide a hard-and-fast word limit because they want a writing sample from one of your classes. In this case, a word limit would be very limiting to you in terms of which assignments you could select from.

For an example of this kind of prompt, check out essay Option B at Amherst :

"Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should NOT submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay."

While there is usually no word limit per se, colleges sometimes provide a general page guideline for writing samples. In the FAQ for Option B , Amherst clarifies, "There is no hard-and-fast rule for official page limit. Typically, we anticipate a paper of 4-5 pages will provide adequate length to demonstrate your analytical abilities. Somewhat longer papers can also be submitted, but in most cases should not exceed 8-10 pages."

So even though there's no word limit, they'd like somewhere in the 4-10 pages range. High school students are not usually writing papers that are longer than 10 pages anyways, so that isn't very limiting.

Implicit Length Guideline

Sometimes, while there's no word (or even page) limit, there's still an implicit length guideline. What do I mean by this?

See, for example, this Western Washington University prompt :

“Describe one or more activities you have been involved in that have been particularly meaningful. What does your involvement say about the communities, identities or causes that are important to you?”

While there’s no page or word limit listed here, further down on page the ‘essay tips’ section explains that “ most essay responses are about 500 words, ” though “this is only a recommendation, not a firm limit.” This gives you an idea of what’s reasonable. A little longer or shorter than 500 words would be appropriate here. That’s what I mean by an “implicit” word limit—there is a reasonable length you could go to within the boundaries of the prompt.

But what's the proper coffee-to-paragraph ratio?

Treasure Hunt

There is also the classic "treasure hunt" prompt. No, it's not a prompt about a treasure hunt. It's a prompt where there are no length guidelines given, but if you hunt around on the rest of the website you can find length guidelines.

For example, the University of Chicago provides seven "Extended Essay" prompts . You must write an essay in response to one prompt of your choosing, but nowhere on the page is there any guidance about word count or page limit.

However, many colleges provide additional details about their expectations for application materials, including essays, on FAQ pages, which is true of the University of Chicago. On the school’s admissions Frequently Asked Questions page , they provide the following length guidelines for the supplemental essays: 

“We suggest that you note any word limits for Coalition or Common Application essays; however, there are no strict word limits on the UChicago Supplement essays. For the extended essay (where you choose one of several prompts), we suggest that you aim for around 650 words. While we won't, as a rule, stop reading after 650 words, we're only human and cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention indefinitely. For the “Why UChicago?” essay, we suggest about 250-500 words. The ideas in your writing matter more than the exact number of words you use!”

So there you go! You want to be (loosely) in the realm of 650 for the extended essay, and 250-500 words for the “Why UChicago?” essay.

Help! There Really Is No Guidance on Length

If you really can't find any length guidelines anywhere on the admissions website and you're at a loss, I advise calling the admissions office. They may not be able to give you an exact number (in fact, they probably won't), but they will probably at least be able to tell you how long most of the essays they see are. (And keep you from writing a panicked, 20-page dissertation about your relationship with your dog).

In general, 500 words or so is pretty safe for a college essay. It's a fairly standard word limit length, in fact. (And if you're wondering, that's about a page and a half double-spaced.) 500 words is long enough to develop a basic idea while still getting a point across quickly—important when admissions counselors have thousands of essays to read!

"See? It says 500 words right there in tiny font!"

The Final Word: How Long Should a College Essay Be?

The best college essay length is usually pretty straightforward: you want to be right under or at the provided word limit. If you go substantially past the word limit, you risk having your essay cut off by an online application form or having the admissions officer just not finish it. And if you're too far under the word limit, you may not be elaborating enough.

What if there is no word limit? Then how long should a college essay be? In general, around 500 words is a pretty safe approximate word amount for a college essay—it's one of the most common word limits, after all!

Here's guidance for special cases and hunting down word limits:

If it's a writing sample of your graded academic work, the length either doesn't matter or there should be some loose page guidelines.

There also may be implicit length guidelines. For example, if a prompt says to write three paragraphs, you'll know that writing six sentences is definitely too short, and two single-spaced pages is definitely too long.

You might not be able to find length guidelines in the prompt, but you could still hunt them up elsewhere on the website. Try checking FAQs or googling your chosen school name with "admissions essay word limit."

If there really is no word limit, you can call the school to try to get some guidance.

With this advice, you can be sure you've got the right college essay length on lockdown!

Hey, writing about yourself can even be fun!

What's Next?

Need to ask a teacher or friend for help with your essay? See our do's and dont's to getting college essay advice .

If you're lacking in essay inspiration, see our guide to brainstorming college essay ideas . And here's our guide to starting out your essay perfectly!

Looking for college essay examples? See 11 places to find college essay examples and 145 essay examples with analysis !

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Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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Writing a CFA ® Scholarship Essay: Securing Your Exam ‘Discount Coupon’

One concern for any individual applying for scholarships is writing an essay that is compelling and ultimately makes the case. While the process can be intimidating, it is essential to recognize that the essay is critical to the scholarship application. The quality of your essay can significantly affect your chances of being selected for the scholarship. Apart from letting you showcase your relevant skills and abilities, your essay also functions as a launchpad to reduced fees and additional stipends. So, you know it is a critical component of your scholarship application, thus the importance of crafting a well-written and thoughtful essay that sets you apart from other applicants. 

But don’t worry; we have some tips to help you write a CFA scholarship essay that leaves a strong impression and helps to secure the funding you need to achieve your goals.

Start with a Strong Introduction

Your introduction is the first thing the scholarship committee will see, so making a solid first impression is essential. Start with a hook that grabs readers and makes them want to keep reading. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting statistic, or a brief personal story highlighting your passion for finance. Your introduction should also include a quick overview of your background, including any relevant education, work experience, and achievements in finance.

Outline Your Goals and Career Path

In the body of your essay, it’s essential to outline your goals and career path clearly. This will help the scholarship committee understand why you seek financial support and what you hope to accomplish with your CFA charter. Start by discussing your short-term and long-term career goals. Be specific and use concrete examples to demonstrate your passion for finance and commitment to pursuing a career. Next, discuss your career path and show how obtaining a CFA designation will help you achieve your goals. Mention any relevant internships, volunteer experience, or job responsibilities that have helped you develop your skills and experience in finance.

Demonstrate Your Commitment to Professional Development

The scholarship committee wants to see that you’re committed to professional development and growth. Demonstrate this by discussing relevant training, continuing education courses, or financial certifications you’ve earned. In addition, talk about your involvement in professional organizations, such as the CFA Institute or the Financial Analysts Society. This will show that you’re invested in staying up-to-date on industry trends and developments and committed to contributing to the finance community.

Showcase Your Skills and Qualifications

In the body of your essay, showcasing your skills and qualifications is vital. This will help the scholarship committee see why you’re a good fit for the scholarship and deserve financial support.

Some skills and qualifications you should highlight include:

• Financial analysis and modeling
• Investment research and analysis
• Financial reporting and accounting
• Risk management and portfolio optimization
• Financial market knowledge and expertise

Use real-world examples to show how you’ve used these skills in the past, either at work or in school. This will help bring your qualifications to life and make them more compelling to the scholarship committee.

Conclude with a Strong Call to Action

In your conclusion, summarize the key points from your essay and reiterate why you’re the best candidate for the scholarship. End with a solid call to action, encouraging the scholarship committee to consider your application and supporting your pursuit of a CFA charter. Your conclusion should also include a statement of gratitude, thanking the scholarship committee for considering your application and for the opportunity to further your education and career in finance.

Proofread and Edit Your Essay

The final tip for writing a successful scholarship essay is to take the time to proofread and edit it for errors and clarity. You should proofread the essay at least once and possibly multiple times, depending on the time available. Be sure to review the essay’s content, flow, grammar, and spelling.

As a helpful tip, reading the essay aloud can help identify many grammar and spelling errors.  

Also, have someone else, such as a family member, teacher, or friend, review the essay after producing a second draft. Sometimes, we are just too close to our own work. Having someone else review the essay can provide an external perspective and helpful feedback.

Take a Deep Breath and Stay Positive

Once you’ve sent in your scholarship application, the best way to stay calm while you wait is to keep a positive attitude. Then accept whatever the outcome is. In case you don’t make the cut, there are many other CFA exam scholarships that you can keep an eye out for. Just take a deep breath and trust the process.

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• Applying For Scholarships

Why I Deserve This Scholarship Essay Examples 2023

Jennifer Finetti Aug 3, 2022

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One of the most popular scholarship essay questions is “Why do you deserve this scholarship?” Answering such a question can be difficult because you don’t want to sound too needy or greedy. Your essay must stand out from the competition while still being humble and appreciative. Check out these essay writing tips, along with a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship.

Tips for writing a “Why do you deserve this scholarship?” essay

Your essay will be unique to your experiences, but there are some general guidelines you should follow. Here are tips for writing a “why I’m deserving scholarship” essay:

• Explain how the scholarship money would contribute to your long-term goals. You’re asking the scholarship committee to invest in your future. They want to ensure their investment goes to a worthy cause. Explain how your education will play a role in your career and overall goals after graduation.
• Focus on the purpose of the scholarship. While writing your essay, keep in mind what the scholarship is for and where it comes from. Tailor your response to the scholarship so it resonates with the review committee.
• Don’t be afraid to promote yourself. This may be your only chance to tell the committee about your achievements. Showing your past success will instill confidence about your future success.
• Use a thesis statement, just like you would with any other essay. You should refer back to the thesis throughout the essay and tie it into the conclusion. If you have trouble creating the thesis at the beginning, write the rest of the essay first. Read through, see what stands out the most, and then write an intro with a cohesive thesis.
• When explaining obstacles in your life, focus on how you overcame them. Show that you’re a problem solver, able to persevere through any situation. You can mention difficulties from your past, but turn the attention to what you did as a result of them.
• Avoid generalizations. Generic statements like “I deserve this because I am a hard worker” aren’t enough. Every applicant is a hard worker, has ‘good grades,’ etc. What makes you different, special and memorable? That should be the topic of your scholarship essay.
• Support your statements with examples. Instead of saying, “I’m a hard worker,” say, “I upheld two jobs while I was in high school to support my family, and I still maintained a 3.75 GPA.” This is no longer a generalization. It is an achievement specific to your life and upbringing.
• Use positive language. Phrases like ‘well-prepared,’ ‘qualified candidate’ and ‘specialized training’ showcase achievements in a positive light. Even in a negative situation, show the positive way you got through it.
• Avoid words like ‘very’ and ‘really.’ You can typically find a one-word substitute that sounds more professional. Very hard turns into difficult. Very good becomes exceptional. Here is an excellent guide for modifiers that replace very .
• Take a one-day break before you edit. Once you have a solid draft written, do not jump straight into editing. Wait a day before looking over your essay. This will let you read the essay with fresh eyes so you can catch inconsistencies, grammar mistakes, and more.

Example 1: Why I deserve this scholarship essay (100 words)

With a 100 word scholarship essay, you need to jump into the thesis as quickly as possible. There is not enough space for a lengthy introduction. Use concise language, and showcase your biggest achievements/goals. You should have enough sentences to break into two small paragraphs, though one may only be two to three sentences.

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I believe I deserve this scholarship because I am an innovative problem solver. As the student council president, I helped re-organize my school library to better accommodate students’ needs. I worked with staff to categorize books to better reflect current school subjects.  I will use the same leadership mindset to obtain my business degree with a focus on project management. My goal is to work in construction management to increase efficiency in low-income housing development. With this scholarship and the need-based grants I will receive, I can complete my education and continue to solve problems within my community.

Word Count: 98

Example 2: Why I deserve this scholarship essay (250 words)

A 250-word scholarship essay usually consists of 4-5 paragraphs. The introduction can have a short lead-in, but it should arrive at the thesis quickly. The body paragraphs should support the assertion made in the first paragraph (the reason you deserve the scholarship). The conclusion should summarize the essay collectively, and it may include a statement of appreciation.

One of the most debated topics in America is how to provide affordable healthcare to the masses. I believe the answer lies in accessible healthcare providers. Nurse practitioners often go unappreciated and unrecognized for their versatility and value in the medical profession. With this scholarship, I could continue my training to become a nurse practitioner and provide attainable medical services to underserved communities. Growing up in a small Montana farming town, the closest hospital was 45 minutes away. The only local family doctor charged whatever he wanted because he was the sole provider. My parents relied on home remedies to treat any ailment my brother and I developed. This is when my passion for medicine first took form. Minimal medical care was not a concern until my father went to the hospital for severe stomach problems. These were the result of Crohn’s disease, a condition that can be managed with treatment. Because my father had not been to the doctor in years, the flare up was highly aggressive. It took months to get it under control and get him on preventative medication. I decided to go to college to help people like my father. As a nurse practitioner I can practice medicine without charging a fortune for my services. I plan to serve in rural communities where hospitals and doctors are limited or non-existent. I am grateful to be considered for this scholarship opportunity, and should I be selected, I will use it to advance my medical education.

Word Count: 248

Example 3: Why I deserve this scholarship essay (500 words)

With a 500-word scholarship essay, you have room to tell your story and create an experience for the reader. Use several introductory sentences to lead into your thesis and set the tone for the essay. The body paragraph should flow in a logical manner, most often chronologically. Then the conclusion should re-emphasize the thesis and leave the scholarship committee with something to remember.

Winston Churchill once said, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” And while I never define my obstacles as ‘failures,’ I mark my success by my repeated perseverance through adversity. I have faced several challenges over the years, from dyslexia to homelessness; yet I continued to earn exemplary grades and graduate at the top of my class. I deserve this scholarship because I have the strength and determination to achieve my goals, no matter what hurdles I have to overcome. I was not born a gifted student. Testing and assignments were always difficult for me, whether I studied or not. In second grade, my parents had me tested for learning disabilities. The psychologist said that I had a hyperactivity disorder and prescribed medication to suppress my energy. After two years abiding by that treatment, I was re-evaluated and diagnosed with dyslexia. This helped me get the treatment I needed, and I finally made progress in school. Shortly after I learned how to study with dyslexia, my father lost his job. He was the sole breadwinner for the household, and I was soon on the street with my mother and two younger siblings. I got a job in newspaper delivery, one of the few fields that will hire a 12-year-old. My father found odd jobs to bring money to the family, and together we were eventually able to pay for a two-bedroom apartment to live in. I was valedictorian that school year, and I maintained a perfect attendance record. Like my father, I knew I had to do whatever was necessary to succeed and thrive. In high school, I developed an interest for psychology. I noticed patterns in behaviors, both in myself and in the people around me. I asked my child therapist, the one who officially diagnosed me with dyslexia, if I could work at his clinic over the summers. He allowed me to intern at his counseling center my junior and senior year, and I gained valuable insight into the business side of psychology. I am now entering the second year of my psychology degree. I plan to complete my bachelor’s degree and earn a Doctorate of Neuropsychology in the years that follow. My focus is on psychological testing, specifically for children with autism or learning disabilities. I spent years struggling in school because of a preventable misdiagnosis.  I want to ensure that other children do not face the same struggles in their future. Why do I deserve this scholarship? Because I have the passion and determination to become a trusted member of the psychological community. With my education, I can help children get the treatment they need at an early age, giving the best chance at finding their own success. You’re not just helping me get through college. You’re improving the quality of life for countless families to come. I appreciate your consideration, and I look forward to building a lasting relationship with your organization.

Word Count: 492

You Should Also Read…

How to Write a Scholarship Motivation Letter

Why Are You Applying to This Scholarship Essay (with Example)

How to Write a Scholarship Essay Introduction (With Example)

How to End a Scholarship Essay

How to Write a Great 250-Word Essay

How to Write a Great 500 Word Essay

5 People Who Should Review Your Scholarship Essays

• Scholarship Essay

Jennifer Finetti

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable - this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl. Jennifer has coached students from around the world, as well as in-person with local students in her own community. Her areas of focus include career exploration, major selection, college search and selection, college application assistance, financial aid and scholarship consultation, essay review and feedback, and more. She works with students who are at the top of their class, as well as those who are struggling. She firmly believes that all students, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed if they stay focused and work hard in school. Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

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essay word count

i have a scholarship essay with a max limit of 1200 words. im worried because i finished my draft and i’m at 659 :( how much words should i am for?

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