What Helps:
- Get feedback on drafts from a trusted mentor
- Keep to the word limits
- Be creative and unique in presentation
- Use first person and an authentic voice
- Convey who you are in language, tone, and form
- Communicate your core values
- Address only the question or topic requested
- Proofread, edit, spell and grammar check
What Hurts:
- Slang, jargon, clichés or excessively elaborate prose
- Writing too little or too much
- Submitting the same essay for multiple applications
AI and Scholarship Applications:
We’re aware that there are mixed opinions on the use of AI for scholarship applications. Some sources encourage using AI for idea generation, others for all-out writing of college and/or scholarship essays. You’ll find views closer to our own in the linked articles below. In writing your Norlin essays (and other elements of your scholarship application that we’ll have access to)Ìýwe want to hear fromÌýyou. We want you to speak from your heart and your experience. We want your authentic voice, personality and uniqueness to shine through in your essays. Further, our courses require original, creative thinking and they encourage intentional development of written and verbal communication. There is no other way to develop your authentic voice. We aim to create an environment where you can self-reflect, practice vulnerability and build trust. Please keep all of this—and our other essay writing tips—in mind when you apply for the Norlin Scholarship.
More Tips:
Written by folks at the Boettcher Foundation who developed expertise through working with the Boettcher Scholarship process, Ìý(below the book) are useful for any student applying for any scholarship. Take a look!