You didn’t think this book was going to end without a conclusion, did you? No way, Jose. There’s far too much information on this site to just stop on a dime, without a little bit of a wrap-up.
There’s a lot of information to digest here, so if your head is swimming, don’t worry. It takes a while for it all to sink in, and it takes practice to master a lot of the items that we’ve covered. You’re not going to wake up tomorrow doing everything perfectly right, so don’t place those expectations on yourself.
However, here’s what you can do: keep improving, little by little, every time you submit a scholarship application. Every time you write an essay, pull out this book and check yourself against the items we’ve presented here. Did you print that essay on high-quality paper, and did you put it in a glossy folder and a full-sized envelope? Those items are easy and quick to master. Did you use a lot of redundant language? Were your transitions good? Were your introductions and closings as creative as you could make them? Those may take a little longer to get down.
But hang in there and keep giving it your best effort, because there’s simply too much money out there for the taking for you to do anything else. College is more expensive than ever, and scholarships you win can change your life. The bigger the scholarship you win, the bigger the change in your life. Don’t believe me? Then check this out:
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If you can pull off a $5,000 scholarship, that’s $5,000 in student loans that you don’t have to take out. And that means 10 years – 10 entire years! – of paying $100 or so per month, every single month. Instead of paying that money to the government in the form of student loan repayment, you could sock away $12,000 or so for your retirement. And assuming a modest 8 percent rate of appreciation, that $12,000 can easily grow to over $120,000 in 30 years! In 40 years, it’ll grow to over $260,000! Now do you believe that one scholarship can change your life forever?
That’s exactly why we take this scholarship stuff as seriously as we do: it’s serious, life-changing business. It’s as simple as that. And I hope you’ll put what you’ve learned here to the best possible use and score yourself a big scholarship and a corresponding life change like the one I’ve described above.
If you’ve got any questions, comments, requests, or anything else you might like to see in site updates or simply something you think we should know, drop us a line at info@straightforwardmedia.com. Until then, we wish you the best of luck in your scholarship hunt. Keep putting that Best Foot Forward!
Yours in Success,
Josh Barsch
Thank you very much for all of this absolutly amazing material! As easy as writting an essay may seem, your website has helped me to completely turn my writting around. Who knew there were so many dumb mistakes students could make?
Thanks so much for your words and advice . I am a mom, widow and in my late fifties . I am thinking about scholarships and grants . As I am working as a para with a very low salary . I have been accepted into a graduate program for teachers . All the bullets of advice will be taken to heart and to my fingers as I work on my essay .
Thanks
J. A. Sweatt
thanks
Brittiany — you’re very welcome! I’m glad to know that the site has had a positive effect on you! You’re right — it’s hard to imagine how many bad (but easily fixable) mistakes that students make. Thanks again, and hope to see you around ofen.
Ja Sweatt — you’re very welcome. Congrats on acceptance into the grad program! Keep up the good work, and believe me, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. 🙂 Come back often and let us know how you’re doing.
Best,
Josh
when I submitted my very first entry,actually,I didn’t have a single clue as to whether I did anything right in there.Well, not really.One thing I did right for sure:I tried to get myself a scholarship.
Now, thanks to your help,I’m going to write my next entries with a little bit more confidence.At the very least,I now have some clues.
Again,thanks!!!
thanks jose, i av realised the many mistakes i make when submitting my scholarship essay. i have applied many but i have never been considered.. you can guess why? Thanks for rescueing me before i drown!!!
thanks again!
Susan
Thanks for the advice.
Tia
Thank you, I finally have some idea as to why my countless essays turn up with nothing. I’m the first in my family to make it to college and its hard to find someone I’m comfortable to ask such questions of and have them know what they are actually talking about. I don’t feel so lost anymore.
You are very kind to offer us this help in applying for scholorships. Today’s economy gives us many challenges to build our character and confidence. I want to wish everyone good luck in this scholorship challenge!
Wow, thanks so much for the tips. Im currently writing an essay for a scholarship and this has helped me so much.
Thanks again.
-Steph
Steph: You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy the site and that you win some money!! — Josh
Thanks so much! Now that I’ve finished one semester, which included English Comp, I now know that I need to double space an essay; yes, I had no idea last summer when I applied for 23 scholarships! Now I have your helpful hints as well to try, try again.
Thanks again,
Alicia
Thank you for all the information that you allowed us to have. It is nice to know that there are other ways to get through college besides student loans. Thank you again.
Thank you for sharing all of that with everyone. I think if people were to take the time to read through it, they will benefit. I am a senior in college and thought it was useful (although, you seemed to have proven that to mean nothing with the education we receive today), but thanks again.
would a table of contents annoy or endear a scholarship judge?
Josh,
Thank you so much for the incredible quality of advice given here! You have invigorated me with a new drive to write quality essays through the seemingly endless number of them! Thanks again.
-Dakota
Thank u for those information. but i need to know the exactly address of that scholarship. i mean i interest to apply and send an essay (as rule of the scholarship). how and where will i send that essay. thank u. God Bless
I have a question with respect to references. I have submitted to fellowships that ask that I explain my research plan. This involves including citations. Though I include the citations, I have opted to leave out the reference list in favor of a comment at the bottom of the paper that says “References available upon request.”
The scholarships I’ve submitted have been online. Even if I wanted to include a reference list, I can’t unless I’m willing to have the references included in my word count. I don’t mind the citations counting toward the word count but including the reference list would leave little room for what I actually want to say. Any suggestions?
Greetings Mr. Barsch:
You can be a jerk. 🙂
Even so: Thank you.
Your honest advice is helping me to better critically analyze my own approaches to essay submissions. In my very humble opinion, perhaps one of the greatest sins of a writer is to blather on without consideration for their audience’s feelings and experiences. as such, it is only prudent that I write to appease even the most crankiest and disheveled of judges.
Sure, judges can be merciful. Yet, I have also learned that unfortunately, a judge’s bad day can ruin even the most carefully-written essays: We do, after all, live in an imperfect world, where the judges are simply human.
Did I mention how your remarks can be quite abrasive, to the extent where you appear a jerk? Fret not, that sort of brutal honesty is much needed in a society very removed from reality.
I wonder if you will recognize my scholarship entry just from the writing style of this post.
-Sue