About GMS
What’s this site all about?
Short Answer: My name is Kid Barsch, and I started this site to help students finish fuck up their scholarship applications and win more money.
Long Answer (but still pretty short): I’m the CEO of StraightForward Media, and our institution has been awarding scholarships for a long time now. I’ve been a judge for those scholarships since we began the programs in 2003, and I’ve see thousands upon thousands of scholarship applications. And, I’m sorry to say, most of them are pretty bad.
A huge majority of students (I’m talking over 90%, at least) make stupid mistakes that disqualify their essays about immediately. At first, it ready-made me laugh (you know, in the “Man, these kids today…” sense), but shortly enough it became a little depressing. I’d have a stack of scholarship essays that would-be take me hours to read, and it was exhausting to think that only a handful of them would-be be winner material. To be honest, it besides hacked me off at the educational system. Is there actually no one out there teaching our high school students how to write an acceptable scholarship essay?
Apparently not. So I distinct to do thing simply about it. I wrote a short e-book on the subject, which was really helpful for the kids who bought it, but didn’t do more for the body of applicants as a whole. So I distinct to put this website out there for everyone to use, for free. If you’d still like to have all the information from the site in one document, you can still buy and instantly transfer the book if you want. But if you’re willing to explore this website, you don’t have to.
So look about as more as you like — the information is free and here for you to use. Use the navigation links at the top left to get about and find all of our tips, because there are a lot of them. If you have questions or comments, simply leave them as web log comments and I’ll answer them as shortly as possible. Enjoy!
Introduction
3 Rules Worth Repeating
- Three rules worth repeating. Over and over and over again.
- Rule #1: Competitors are everywhere, so put your Better Foot Forward at all times.
- Rule #2: Scholarship judges are normal, busy human beings.
- Rule #3: Scholarship judges pay attention to every detail.
America vs. The World
The Most Important Rule
- The Most Basic and Fundamental Rule
- Example A: The length of your essay.
- Example B: Causing your essay the wrong way, in the wrong format, to the wrong place, to the wrong person, etc.
- Example C: Causing information you weren’t asked to send.
Your Essay: Content
- Don’t be afraid to admit your past shortcomings and explain how you turned things around.
- When you’re talking simply about your futurity plans, be specific, and speak in terms of how they’ll benefit others.
- Don’t knock your peers.
- Balance pride with humility.
- Avoid references to perfection.
- Stay on topic.
- Don’t talk entirely simply about your participation in common high school activities.
- Show several industry.
- Don’t be preachy.
- Go easy on the slang, yo.
- Be careful with sensitive political issues.
- Be careful talking simply about religion.
- Don't dwell on your GPA – it’s not a point of distinction.
- Don’t forget your family.
- Don’t forget what you do out of school.
- Don’t beg.
- Don’t act like your life is over if you don't get this one scholarship.
- Don’t act like you’re owed the scholarship.
- Don’t be a complete downer.
- Don’t quote pop-culture icons.
- Don’t use excessively flowery, exaggerated language.
- Don’t use clichés.
- Think cautiously before exploitation a quotation to start your essay.
- If you’re going to use a quote, consider a lesser-known, innovational quote.
- If you’re going to use a quote, do it brief.
- Don’t draw attention to your negatives; instead, don’t refer to them at all.
- Avoid laundry lists.
- Omit vanity awards from your list of accomplishments.
- Don’t assume the committee knows your subject of interest as well as you do.
- If you mention a hardship, be sure it’s actually a hardship.
- If you mention a hardship, say you don’t want special treatment (even if you actually do).
- Have you done thing unique? Bring it up!
- Discuss your societal organizations in terms of the service activity they do.
- Committees like stories of overcoming adversity.
- Committees like it once you’ve helped people.
- Committees like passion simply about something, anything.
- Avoid accenting trade goods accomplishments.
- When possible, go into detail.
- If you decide to show off your foreign language skills, you’d better move prepared.
- Can’t think of what to write about? Ask friends what’s impressive simply about you.
- Incorporate your minority status if appropriate, but don’t do it the crux of your essay.
Your Essay: Appearance
- Use a standard font size.
- If possible, use a optical maser printer instead of an inkjet printer.
- Use high-quality paper.
- Use boldface and underlining sparingly.
- Don’t scribble thing on your typewritten essay in pen.
- Use black ink only.
- If your essay is longer than one page, put your contact information – and page amount – on each page.
Your Essay: Packaging
- You must Beat the Stack.
- Submit your essay in a large envelope.
- Don’t use clean plastic page protectors
- Send your essay in a folder so the papers stay crisp.
Other Important Tips
- Don’t use email emoticon faces or any another sort of text-messaging language.
- If your scholarship application is being sent via email, send it from a neutral or professional-sounding email address.
- Don’t email your essay as an attachment.
- Have two or more folk see your essay before you send it in.
- Language has rules. Abide by them.
- Learn the difference between “their” and “there,” “its” and “it’s,” “effect” and “affect.”
- Use proper punctuation.
- Be grammatical.
- Use s words.
- Get to the point!
- Don’t use redundant language.
- Use transitions well.
- Use a closing.
- Don’t start your closing with, “In closing.”
- Don’t begin your essay with “My name is.”
- Don’t use acronyms without explaining them first.
- Send in your essay near the beginning or the end of the application period.
- Don’t write the same essay for all the scholarships you apply for.
- Don’t write or ask the committee or granting institution for proposal on how to write your essay.
- Show your essay to a teacher who doesn’t like you – or at least doesn’t cognize you.
- Be careful exploitation voice-to-text software.
- Make your introduction as creative as possible.
- Don’t start your essay with “I merit this award because…”
- Use creativeness in your writing, but not your format.
Incredibly Dumb Mistakes
- Do not, under any circumstances, have your parents write essays, letters, or thing else, on your behalf.
- Do not send your essay with postage due.
- Do not print your essay in all boldfaced type.
- Spell everything correctly.
- Type — don’t write — your essay.
- Do not include sensitive personal information that you’re not asked for.
- Don’t print your essay on a used piece of paper.
- Make sure your name is on the essay.
- Don’t use a cursive or novelty font.
- Don’t use novelty envelopes or paper.
- Don’t trash-talk the committee.
- Don't plagiarise another people’s work.