Q&A for How to Win an Essay Contest

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How do you win scholarship essay contests?

Daniel Santos
College Admissions & Career Coach
Daniel Santos is a College Admissions & Career Coach and Prepory's co-founder and CEO. Prepory is a leading college admissions consulting firm that has guided over 9,000 students from 35 countries through the US college admissions process. Prepory is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling and a trusted admissions counseling partner to several competitive high schools across Florida. Prior to founding Prepory, Daniel worked at various leading law firms and the United States House of Representatives. Daniel has been featured as a college admissions and career coaching expert across several major publications, including the Wall Street Journal, FORTUNE, and The Harvard Crimson.

Daniel Santos

College Admissions & Career Coach

Expert Answer

Don't write an essay that you think the admissions officer or scholarship committee wants to read—just write what you know! What do you care about? What comes naturally to you? What's more exciting? If you go with that approach, you'll likely have a more unique and differentiated topic than other kids.

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Question

How do I reword a sentence?

Community Answer

Find similar meanings -- in other words, synonyms -- that help contribute to making your sentence sound better.

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Question

How do I start an essay?

Community Answer

An essay should always start with an introduction which functions as a brief outline of your paper's topic and major points. The introduction should conclude with a thesis statement that sums up the purpose or primary argument of your essay.

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Question

What if I don't get enough time?

Community Answer

Try to write fast.

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What is a thesis statement?

Community Answer

A thesis statement usually appears at the end of the introductory paragraph of a paper. It offers a concise summary of the main point of the essay.

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Question

How do I pass this time while waiting to see if I won?

Community Answer

Try catching up on other work, binge watch something on Netflix, hang out with friends, or write another essay!

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Question

What do I do if tomorrow is the contest?

Community Answer

First of all, get as much information of your topic from different sources like the library or internet. Write down the important sentences as short points, read it 2 or 3 times, and try to picture the words in your mind.

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What if I was forced into an essay contest by my teacher?

Community Answer

Do your best and ask your teacher for advice if you need it. He/she just wants what's best for you, so this is probably a good opportunity.

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Question

Is it better to use personal anecdotes or historical examples in an essay? Do personal stories make it too informal?

Community Answer

It depends on the type of essay you're writing. Generally speaking, if it is a research paper, it is best to stick in more historical examples rather than personal anecdotes. However don't let that extinguish your interests in using anecdotes! They genuinely make your essay stand out and using one would definitely require the marker to think twice about your essay!

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Question

How can I prepare an essay in a very short time?

Community Answer

Brainstorm, then write out the essay using the key points and end each paragraph by linking it back to your topic. For example: Therefore cats are better than dogs because they are quieter. You can't be sure that it's the best one because you should have given yourself more time, but it'll get you somewhere because you did attempt it.

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