You can win or lose a scholarship by your essay or interview. This book shows you how to win. Step-by-step instructions on how to craft a winning essay and ace any interview. Read 30 essays that won $3 million in scholarships. Designed to help high school and college students.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-240) and index.
1. The secret to winning a scholarship -- You are 60 seconds away from the trash bin -- The scholarship strategies you'll learn -- Why we know so much about scholarships -- Not just looking for straight A students -- 2. Where to find great scholarships -- Exploring scholarship goldmines -- Ambassadors wanted -- Work experience & financial aid -- Which scholarship is right for you? -- When & where to find scholarships -- Make learning their mission your mission -- Making the match -- 3. Judges' roundtable : inside the selection process -- Meet the scholarship judges -- What is the purpose of your award? -- Who typically judges the scholarship competition? -- How does your scholarship selection process work? -- What qualities do you look for when selecting the winner? -- What sets the winner apart from the runner-up? -- What advice do you have for future applicants? -- Participating judges & experts -- 4. Essay writing workshop -- Why the essay is critical to winning -- The making of a powerful essay -- Focus on solutions -- Four common features of all winning essays -- Hard to believe but true essay mistakes -- How to find the perfect topic -- Putting words on paper -- Go beyond the superficial -- Use examples & illustrate -- The importance of editors -- Recycle & reuse -- How to write a great introduction or conclusion -- Essays get better with each revision -- Stay motivated -- 5. 30 winning scholarship essays -- The money-wining essays -- Experiences & challenges -- A scholarship support network -- Essays about family -- The intangible benefits of applying -- Essay advice from the winners -- National or international issues -- The importance of getting editors -- Community service & volunteerism -- Career plans or field of study -- Essays about leadership -- Academic accomplishments -- Seeking genuineness -- Essays about athletics -- Artistic talents -- 6. 12 essays that bombed -- Learning from failure -- Where's the point? -- The attempted tearjerker -- Miss America essay -- The life-changing voyage -- Convoluted vocabulary -- Behold! My statistics -- The most influential person in the world -- Creativity overload -- Be true -- The future me -- My life as seen on TV -- Excuses, excuses, excuses -- Complex problem, simple solution -- 7. Judges' roundtable : the scholarship essay -- Meet the scholarship judges -- How important is the essay to winning a scholarship? -- What qualities make an essay powerful? -- What common mistakes do students make on the essay? -- Participating judges & experts -- 8. Winning interview strategies -- Face-to-face with the interview -- Friendly & hostile interviews -- How to ace the interview -- Transform an interrogation into a conversation -- Advice from a Rhodes scholar -- You are not the center of the universe -- The group interview -- Dress & act the part -- What it's like to be an interviewer -- How to make practice into perfect -- The long-distance interview -- The hostile interview -- The disaster interview -- Post-interview -- Make sure you make your point -- 9. Real interview questions & answers -- Giving the right answers -- Achievements & leadership questions -- Tip #1 from a scholarship winner -- Personal questions -- Misinterpreting the judges -- Why you deserve to win questions -- Education & college questions -- Tip #2 from a scholarship winner -- Academic questions -- Tip #3 from a scholarship winner -- Your career & future questions -- Tip #4 from a scholarship winner -- Activity questions -- Opinion questions -- Tip #5 from a scholarship winner -- 10. Judges' roundtable : the interview -- Meet the scholarship judges -- How important is the interview in determining who wins? -- What are some typical questions that you ask? -- What are qualities of a good interview? -- What common mistakes do students make in interviews? -- How should students prepare for interviews? -- Poor ways to begin an interview -- Participating judges & experts -- 11. Final thoughts -- A personal ending -- Special request -- Appendix A. Scholarship directory -- A directory of select awards and scholarships that appear in this book including information on how to apply -- Appendix B. Web resources -- The best resources on the Internet to help with scholarships and financial aid
The secret to winning a scholarship -- Where to find great scholarships -- Judges' roundtable: inside the selection process -- Essay writing workshop -- 30 winning scholarship essays -- 12 essays that bombed -- Judges' roundtable: the scholarship essay -- Winning interview strategies -- Real interview questions & answers -- Judges' roundtable: the interview -- Final thoughts