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

Who typically judges the scholarship competition?
Judges’ Roundtable: inside the selection process

When applying for scholarships, it’s important to keep in mind who the judges are. If you know that the judges will be local leaders, you may focus on how you have contributed to the community. If you can, ask who will be on the selection committee. This may help you select which essay subject and interview topics of conversation are the most appropriate.

Georgina Salguero

Hispanic Heritage Awards Foundation

“Within the 12 cities of our regional competition we try to get local leaders to be the judges. For example, we work with the head of the chamber of commerce, people at various universities, clergy, civic leaders and other leaders within the community. We feel that these people know best how to evaluate the students in their communities.”

Tracey Wong Briggs

All-USA Academic Teams

“For the high school competition, the judges include representatives from the National Education Association and National Association of Secondary School Principals. For the college competition, the judges include representatives from the American Council on Education, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and a former winner.”

Laura DiFiore

FreSch! Free Scholarship Search

“I try to get a diverse group of people. Recent judges have included an Episcopalian minister, nurse, former librarian, substitute teacher, accountant, retired homemaker, computer programmer and high school junior.”

Jacqui Love Marshall

Knight Ridder Minority Scholars Program

“We form our judging committee with two or three people at the corporate office level, sometimes a person from our local newspaper ( The San Jose Mercury News or a Monterey newspaper) and then I usually ask someone from the community or local industry. Each year I aim to create a diverse committee.”

Russ Hobbs

Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship Program “We have a six-member judging panel. Three are former Ambassadorial Scholars. The other three are Rotarians who have a love of the scholarship program.”