Advice from parents:
In answering this question for an application:
What are your personal and academic goals and how would this scholarship help you achieve your goals?
How will achieving these goals prepare you for new opportunities?
in addition to writing about why I would select a specified major and what I’d potentially want to do after graduating, what else could I conclude? I have about 300 words and need at least 500.
Did you write separately about your personal and academic goals…or did you make it all about college major. Think about that first.
We don’t know your interests and what you have done or will continue to do. We don’t know who is offering this scholarship.
Could you explain an example of how there could be separate personal and academic goals?
Here is how to think about that. What would be your personal goals as a PERSON leaving out anything about college or academics.
But what if a goal is to earn a degree?
Are you saying your ONLY goal in life is to get a college degree? I hope that isn’t true.
I think it’s best to mention the goal after obtaining the degree. Also what you want to contribute to society
I agree with the above. It sounds like you covered your major, now talk about your career and life goals, how you want to be a productive member of society and how.
Is this a school based scholarship, or an external one?
I suggest thinking about your values (and how you developed them) and consider including that in your essay. We think of values as personal but they are also connected to our academic and professional goals.
Edit
I mentioned a few values in my first paragraph. Achievement and education connect to education.
Say something else such as loyalty. How would this have anything to do with the prompt?
I suggest digging a little deeper. This website might be a good place to start.
I recommend you take a look at college essay guy’s site to help you frame what you are writing about.
Yes, I want to say more about this but I do not know the precise employment I would have after I would complete a degree so how do I expand upon this?
As example, say someone wants to be a K-12 teacher or a nurse. Obviously nurses contribut to the health and well-being of individuals. Teachers help educate children and can contribute to their personal growth.
Say just that…I am not sure of my career goals but want to make a difference by doing X or X. It’s important for me to X and X. Weaving in your values will be helpful, I don’t think ‘loyalty’ is on the right track.
Of course if you need to specify a career for this scholarship (again if we knew the school or sponsoring org it might help posters give better advice), then you would write about that.
What would your personal goals be if you didn’t even get a job? Think about yourself as a PERSON…not as a college student or employee.
Have you covered the basics of the scholarship before moving onto larger goals? Will it make it affordable for to go away to college? Will this scholarship give you the chance to become more involved in a group on campus or take on a research or volunteer activity due to not having to work? Does it make it possible to add an exploratory class? Does the scholarship offer potential mentoring or traveling?
I mentioned above in one of my posts in this thread that I value achievement and education and that taking courses and completing a degree program would help fulfill these values.
No, the scholarship does not include a specific mentor or research experience.
It would make tuition a little more affordable but it is not a full-tuition scholarship.
If I sign up for something, I follow through with it so commitment is one of my values. Would this fit in anywhere?