How to write a winning scholarship essay - Gen Tanabe, Kelly Tanabe 2018

Opinion questions
Real interview questions & answers

Q: what is the most important issue to you?

a: I have been personally affected by underage drinking.

A friend of mine was killed in an accident caused by a drunk driver. The accident was devastating not only to her family but also to our entire school. Since that happened, I began volunteering for a group that provides rides for people who have been drinking. Even though the people I drive home are in terrible shape and I ask myself how they could let themselves go so far, I treat them well knowing that at least they had the sense to get a ride home instead of driving themselves. This issue is important to me because I know that my friend’s death could have been prevented.

a: It’s important to me that children are exposed to the arts. In our school district, funding was cut for the music program at the elementary schools. I volunteered after school to teach students how to play the flute and had 10 students I taught regularly. I believe that the arts encourage students to think creatively, to recognize that there are different ways of communicating and to appreciate the beauty of music. I was exposed to music when I was a child and I think it’s important that I help pass on that experience to other children.

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When you are identifying a problem, try to also suggest some solutions.

It is even more significant if you have tried to be a part of the solution.

Of course, be careful not to sound like a Miss America contestant.

Don’t proclaim that you are going to single-handedly end the world’s problems. Be realistic about your role in affecting the issue.

Q: Is there anything else you want to add?

a: We spoke about the activities that I’m involved in, but there’s an important one that I forgot to mention. I’ve been volunteering at the local art museum as a docent.

Q: what activities are you involved in?

For an award for student-athletes:

a: The main activities that I’m involved in are soccer, the academic decathlon and student government. I am the captain of the soccer team, which has won the county championship for the past three years. I plan to continue to play that sport in college. I’m also the co-captain of the academic decathlon team. For the first time in our school’s history we’ve made it to the state level competition. While it was a team effort, my co-captain and I recruited a teacher to coach us and organized extra study sessions that I think made the difference. My participation in student government includes serving as the vice president of our school. During my tenure I have directed our school’s international festival, canned food drive and election process.

For an award for writing:

a: My most important activity is writing for my school’s literary magazine. One piece that I wrote received an award in a writing contest. After traveling to Italy, I decided to write a creative piece about how my life would have been different had my great-grandparents not immigrated to America.

I explained what kind of relationship I would have had with my family, my education and my vocation. In my piece, I incorporated memories that my grandparents had of their home country.

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Don’t give a laundry list of activities. Instead of telling all 12 clubs that you are a member of, select a handful in which you’ve made significant contributions. This will be more meaningful to the selection committee and will better capture their attention. Be sure to also highlight activities that match the goal of the awards. If you are applying for a writing

award, speak about your writing experience. If you are applying for an award in medicine, speak about your medical-related experience, studies or volunteer work. Make the activities relevant to the selection committee.

Q: How have you contributed to your community?

a: One of the ways that I have contributed to my community is volunteering over 200 hours at our local library for the children’s reading program. Three times a week I go to the library after school to read stories to the children and lead them in arts and crafts activities related to the books. I do this because I think it’s important to get kids excited about reading and to expose them to new ideas. The artwork gets them to interact with the material and to be creative. I know that the volunteer work that I’m doing is making a difference because parents tell me that their children have learned to enjoy reading more because of my efforts.

a: I have contributed to my community by being a voice for teenagers. Last year there was a series of articles about how teens felt like they were second-class consumers. When we go to a store, we are frequently followed around so that we don’t shoplift or we are treated poorly because of our age.

I thought that this kind of treatment was unnecessary and wanted to send a message to the stores that were the main culprits. I organized a protest in front of four of these stores, getting teens to carry picket signs. We got media coverage, and there was another article to follow up on the changes the stores made. We were able to get the owners of all four of the stores to sign pledges to treat teens fairly.

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Show the judges how significant your contribution has been by describing the effects. How many people were affected? In what way? Have you been honored for your contributions? Contributing to your community can go beyond volunteering. Remember that there are other ways to play a role in your community such as being an advocate for a cause.

Your efforts do not have to be part of a formal organization or club.