The future me - 12 essays that bombed

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

The future me
12 essays that bombed

Scholarship organizations will often ask applicants where they see themselves in 10 years (or some other time in the not so distant future). Now we know what you’re thinking—steady job, happily married, living in a nice house, two adorable children and dog named Spike. Stop right there, because this is your worst enemy. This idea is exactly what the 10,000 other applicants are planning to write about.

But wait a minute, this idea is also your best friend. You now have the perfect idea of what not to write about, and this information can prove quite useful when it comes to writing an original essay. Here is an example of an essay where the writer falls for this trap: Ten years from now

Ten years from now, I see myself as a college graduate from a local private university. I will also have a steady job at a company for which I love to work. Hopefully I will be married, and, if I am, I’ll probably have one or two kids. I plan to spend my free time with my family and maybe indulge in a few sporting events.

My job will probably be as an accountant, and I will give it my best. I’ll like my job, because I’ve always liked to work with numbers. The only draw-back will be that an accountant’s salary will not be as much as I would desire to make. So I plan to achieve a state of wealth by investing in the stock market. By doing so, I will enable myself to retire at an early age.

In retirement I will continue to invest intelligently in the stock market so I can pay for my children’s educations. I will travel the world with my family during the summers and donate to various charitable organizations.

My future will be a bright one provided that I get my own education. Ten years from now, the brightness will just be beginning to unveil, and I will be stepping into the happiest phase of my life.

why this essay bombed

While this may be how the applicant truly feels it makes for one boring essay. It reflects the goals that almost every person has of being successful and happy, making the essay ordinary and unoriginal.

How to avoid this mistake

When asked where you see yourself in 10 years, focus on a single desire.

You might write about an unfulfilled dream or a specific contribution that you hope to make. To make the essay more interesting, don’t approach your future in the same way that nearly every other student will view his or her life. Make the essay interesting by including your motivations, challenges, inspirations, rationale and expectations for the future.