I once fell into the Mississippi River.

A balloon sent me to the ER.

Armed with a plastic rosary and a cheap, heavy-duty poncho from Walmart, I laughed at the face of death.

Scholarship essays are all about making yourself stand out. Committees receive thousands of applications. What makes you different? Why should they give you the money? Your essay is your only opportunity to tell them about yourself. Have fun with your essay. Make the committee feel your emotions.

So how do you write a wonderful scholarship essay? First, brainstorm. Make a list of all the possible responses you could use with the prompt. Maybe fun family vacations or a dramatic fail. Maybe write about your interests. Like I said, this is a chance for the committee to find out what makes you, well, you. Elaborate on each point. But, don’t just create a fantastic story; have a purpose the end. Sum up the story with a lesson you learned. Or, if you are trying to show a characteristic about yourself, choose a moment that demonstrates the quality.

Second, write a rough draft. Chances are it will probably be awful. That’s okay. Have some of the English teachers, Mrs. Strecker (who is your Lord and savior during this period in your life), or even friends look over the essay and correct it. Have them see if the essay sounds like you and if it makes you stand out. Then, write the final piece.

Talk to Mrs. Strecker about all your interests, including your possible career choice. She knows tons of scholarship applications and will be happy to assist you. Mark each of the deadlines in a calendar (the one on your iPad works great). Try to find ones that you can incorporate your activities in as a supplement to the application. Create the best application with the best essay component you possibly can.