Whether you are applying for a program at Jean Madeline Aveda Institute or at another school, odds are you will need to write an essay when applying for scholarships. Writing a scholarship essay can be intimidating, so we’ve come up with a few pointers to help you when working on yours!

Have your scholarship essay ready to roll? You can find more info on applying for our scholarships here!

Answer the Prompt

This may come as a surprise, but many people don’t even address the prompt of the scholarship essay! A prompt is defined simply as a statement that focuses on a topic or issue, followed by questions meant to inspire a response in essay form. If a prompt asks for something, it’s important to answer. For example, if the scholarship essay asks you to talk about qualifications, don’t forget to talk about them! Answering prompt questions directly will show that you pay attention to detail, and will make you more of a standout candidate.

Check for Errors

Many essays are submitted with a surprising number of errors! When you’re writing something asking someone to give you money, it’s in your best interest to make sure you ask without any errors. Take the time to write a couple drafts, and have one or two people read over your writing. Mistakes are easier to make when you’re the only person who looks at your writing. If your writing is free of errors, you are more likely to be successful with your application!

Sell Your Unique Traits

If the scholarship essay prompt is more open-ended, you will need to come up with ways to sell yourself as the unique and desirable candidate. You will have more freedom to talk about your passions, experiences, and qualifications that make you a unicorn among horses! For example, if you have good experience working with customers, you can use that to talk about how you will be a fantastic stylist!

Follow the Guidelines

If a scholarship essay has specific formatting, length, or medium guidelines, be sure to follow them! For example, many essays have word count limits or ranges. Do not go outside of those ranges! If a particular institution receives many applications for each scholarship they may throw out the ones that don’t follow instructions before they even read them. Other things to watch for are due dates, file formats (word document, pdf, etc.), and spacing.

Reach Out to Us!

Which one of these few major tips helped you the most? If you’re still in the process of writing your scholarship essay, what are you most nervous about? You are welcome to reach out to us with your thoughts on Facebook or you can also explore the Jean Madeline scholarships page for more information on how you can cut the costs of cosmetology school.

Click here to download the Inspiration Scholarship Application.