Help!!! Brainstorming Essay ideas!!

Paying for College
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<p>Hi... I'm trying to write this one-page (12 font single spaced...) essay for a scholarship from my mom's company/organization.. Among the several topics to choose from, I think I will pick "My Life Goal (or My Dreams)". (Do you agree that topics like "Most admired person/leader" and "Most memorable life experience/ life challange" sound harder? -- my mom suggested that I as merely a 20-year-old probably don't have enough memorable life experience/challenge to make a good or wise enough essay on that.)</p>

<p>Well, anyways, that said, say I've picked the topic "My Life Goal (or My Dreams)". Now, my biggest problem is how to approach this essay. I have a basic idea of my goals in life-- in terms of career, people, and things... But my problem is how should I lay out this essay to make it interesting... (scholarship essay is just like any college admissions essay, isn't it?)</p>

<p>Cos I think the easiest way would be to just say that (my goals), and what I do inside/outside school (e.g. research, jobs, community service) to lead myself closer to those goals, and how they fit in to my moral values (e.g. help ppl, or what is a happy/ goal-achieved life) etc. But is there a way to break from this likely very dull way of writing? Especially, how can I have a catching introduction?</p>

<p>I thought about using a story telling method in the beginning, perhaps incorporating an imaginative scene in the future of that life I want to lead; Or maybe somewhere in the paper -not necessarily in the introduction- an incident or interest I had from childhood that helped me shape these goals or interests or dreams that I have now (e.g. interests in science, or med school/ help ppl etc.). So, this- to write through a past/future scene, is all I could come up with, any other ideas? ... cos I don't think that the yet sound too interesting an introduction or way to lay out the paper, does it? (Please try not to name a book, cos I don't have enough time to get it for this time... it's due pretty soon... so any ideas... I'd really appreciate it!)</p>

<p>p.s. also, the requirement of font 12, single spaced, 1-page essay, is it like the standard, or is it leaning towards the shorter end? Would you say... how many story development paragraphs (excluding intro/conclusion) would be a general guideline for this sort of paper?</p>

<p>p.p.s. To what extent, if at all, should I emphasize how the scholarship may help me achieve these goals? (Basically all I can think of is how it can fund me towards Medschool. (i'm going to be a junior next year, premed/physics major... part of why I haven't written an essay in a while... ;-p ^^""" hope to hear some advice from you guys soon...Thanks!)</p>

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<p>By the way, could I also take the "My Dreams" and stretch it to an actual dream that I have? and talk about some of my moral values through that? (though.. this may be even more challenging.. I'm still trying to come up with a dream that actually mean something..) (and this is a scholarship essay... would I be better off sticking to "my life goal", something more concrete and closer to reality) be a better choice? (Plus, if they said "Dreams", as in plural form, they probably don't want a narrative about "a dream" that I had? (or dreams.. that I had?)</p>

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<p>The best thing that you could do is to either buy one of the several excellent books that give advice on writing college essays or use a search engine to find web articles with good advice.</p>

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<p>I will actually do try to stop by a bookstore today, cos I found none in my school library... but please if anyone have any ideas on this or any answers to my questions (particularly other approach to the layout and whether the twist on the dream thing would work), could you please take a little moment to answer it?
It will help me out a LOT. Thank you soo much!</p>

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<p>I have been on many scholarship committees, including a national one. When writing scholarship essays that ask the kind of question that you describe, it's best to write in an interesting, but truthful way. Fine to describe your career aspirations and to do it in a dream sequence. While doing this, however, also make sure that you highlight what exactly you're doing now to make that dream come true.</p>

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<p>So, I decided to write something that I think i'd rather/I'd actually be excited writing about... and that means now I've chosen the question titled "my most memorable life experience (or life challenge)", (you don't agree with my mom that kids my age has yet enough memorable life experience to make a deep meaningul essay, do you?)</p>

<p>Anyways, my question is... so, I think i'll write about my whole studying abroad experience, especially about my first- ever roommate in my first year here in the US. I had a very good time living with her and i think I may have learnt a few important things too. But then, from the notes I wrote out when I brainstormed for this topic, I found NOwhere in it that it mentioned my academic achievements, extracurriculars, and like other priorities setting for my career aspirations, mostly just little lessons that I've learnt.... is that okay? (i.e. would my resume suffice in terms of letting the committee know about those achievements? or should I try to find somewhere to squeeze them into my essay too?)</p>

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<p>What they're interested in when it comes to essays is exactly what you plan to write about. The other info can be found in the rest of your application.</p>

<p>I suggest again that you read some on-line articles or books on college essay writing since the questions you're asking are answered well in such guides.</p>

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<p>Thanks!
I tried to look in the local bookstore and my college bookstore yesterday and they had nothing about these kind of essay writing... and the medical school application guides I found in my school library didnt really touch up much on this topic, and even seemingly suggest that I need to involve academic stuff on the essay to explain why I want to be a doctor. But i guess in this case it's different, since it's for a scholarship...
I just need to make sure scholarship committees are also looking for the same things as college admissions committees when it comes to these essays.
Thanks again!</p>

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<p>fastweb.com has lots of great advice. it's free, and it's worth it to sign up so you can get advice and scholarship info.</p>

<p>Also use the College Confidential archives because the subject of college (and scholarship) essays has been covered here well before. Try using the search function here.</p>

<p>Typically the US News, Times and Newsweek college guides that can be found on magazine racks have good info about writing college and scholarship essays, too.</p>

<p>You also can get books on the subject through on-line book dealers. Often you can get the books cheap used. Try, too, your guidance counselor's office which may have a stack of helpful guides.</p>

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<p>Benjamin Kaplan's guide on winning scholarships is excellent. He is a recent Harvard grad who had funded his Harvard education by winning outside merit aid. I think that he also has a regular advice column on fastweb.com, too.</p>