获得奖学金的竞争可能会很激烈，一篇写得好的论文可以让申请人在竞争中脱颖而出. 虽然每个奖学金申请都有自己独特的要求, understanding the basics can help with the process.
GETTING STARTED
开始收集关于你自己的资料，制作一份档案或简历.
- Things to include:
- 平均成绩，成绩，所选课程(了解学习领域)
- 学校和社区活动(高中和大学)
- Honors or awards (high school or college)
- Hobbies or interests
- 工作或志愿者经历——特殊或不寻常的学习经历
- Talk with someone about what you've done. 很多时候，你认为不重要的东西在申请中可能是有价值的.
- Continue to examine and refine your personal goals. You may be asked to write essays on these topics:
- What are your educational and career goals?
- Where do you see yourself five years from now?
- Why should you receive this scholarship?
- What makes you stand out amongst the rest?
- Read a GOOD newspaper; broaden your global knowledge. (你可能会被问到世界上正在发生什么，或者对当前事件发表你的看法.)
- 联系三个人(一般是教员)作为推荐人. 最好的推荐信通常来自最近教过你的老师, and better yet, have had you for more than one class. 看看他们是否愿意为你写推荐信. 确保给他们至少两周的时间(越长越好)来准备推荐信，并确保让他们知道截止日期.
- References: This part of your application carries a lot of weight; do not take it lightly!
- 选择能给你好的推荐信的人. 问问他们在给你写一封积极的推荐信时有什么困难.
- 如果你必须选择，选择那些了解你的推荐人，而不是那些有声望的人.
- 选择能及时收到推荐信的推荐人.
- 给他们足够的信息来写一封好的推荐信, a copy of the scholarship application, your resume, etc.
MANAGING AND ORGANIZING THE INFORMATION
- 1. Analyze the Organization
- Begin by researching the organization offering the scholarship; learn about its values and purpose in offering the award.
- 阅读该组织的使命宣言，了解其核心价值，并了解决策者的背景. 收集这些事实将有助于确定你自己的性格或经历中应该在你的文章中强调的要点.
- 在奖学金资助机构发布的网站或印刷材料上查找背景信息.
- 通过电子邮件或电话联系该组织，以获得完成该过程所需的任何其他信息.
- Understand Your Purpose for Writing
- 多读几遍文章提示，确保对关键要素有清晰的理解.
- Follow the guidelines for the topic, deadlines, 以及论文的格式以便向奖学金委员会提供他们期望的信息.
- Create Goals for the Writing
- Clarify the goals of the scholarship essay.
- For example, 回应一篇文章的目标可能是展示与奖学金获得者的个人特征相似的个人特征.
Example:
The Bill Buck Memorial Scholarship asks for a one-page, 关于申请人的职业和个人目标以及他或她的残疾如何影响他或她的生活的双倍行距的文章. Therefore, 了解比尔的严重小儿麻痹症和他所有的成就将有助于把文章的重点放在残疾如何没有阻止申请人回馈社会上.
GETTINGDOWN TO WRITING
- Begin the Writing Process
- 首先写下文章问题，突出关键词和说明.
- 将提示分解为几个部分，寻找每个提示中所需的特定元素和所需的信息.
- 确定这篇文章应该基于研究还是自我分析.
- 确定主题的目的和观众(读者/评委)正在寻找什么.
FINISHING TOUCHES
- Get Feedback from Others
- 获得一个学生或同行读者的反应，以及一个高于该级别的读者(老师)的反应, parent, boss, or professor).
- Best of all; try to find a reader who is most like the readers who will judge your essay.
- 试着让他们参与讨论文章的优点和缺点.
- Proof Read
- 大声朗读你的文章，找出错别字，更重要的是，听到文章的语气和流程.
- 试着在同事和/或上级在场的情况下阅读, and have that person read it back aloud to you.
- Remember that the reader of your essay will read, as the essay looks on the page, not the way you imagine it sounding in your head.
- 请注意，其中一位评委可能会大声朗读个别的句子或句子，以说服其他评委，你的文章应该赢(或不赢)。.
- 确保你最差的三四个句子仍然是可读的.
- Just as important, 确保你最好的三到四句话是令人难忘的，并且具有获奖的质量.
- Step Away
- 在文章“完成”后，把它放在一边至少24小时," do not even think about it, 然后以全新的思维和视角回到文章中.
- To make the most of that time, 把这篇文章交给其他人，这样他们就可以提出一些修改建议，供你考虑.
The evaluation of character is based on more than just grades; the approach to challenges and evidence of a strong work ethic are also important factors. GPA may be some indicator of potential, 但发挥这种潜力的能力才是申请者与众不同的特点.
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