How To wRITe a wI nn Ing sc HolaR sHI p essay You can win or lose a scholarship with your essay. Learn how to write an essay that wins. Step-by-step instructions on how to craft a winning scholarship essay and ace the interview. Get valuable advice from actual scholarship judges and winners. This book is a ‘must have’ for high school and college students who want to learn how to win scholarships. Gen and Kelly Tanabe Harvard graduates and award-winning authors of Get Into Any College ■ Get Free Cash for College 1001 Ways to Pay for College Special contributions by Gregory James Yee Includ Ing 30 essays THa T won ove R $3 m IllI o n In sc HolaR sHI ps Critical Acclaim for “How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay” By Gen and Kelly Tanabe “This how-to book is full of good advice for college-bound students. Thirty essays with brief introductory notes give teens concrete ex- amples of what works. Twelve essays that ‘bombed’ are also analyzed, pointing out pitfalls to avoid. Examples of interview questions and answers are also included. An excellent guide for all students who are hoping to continue their education.” —School Library Journal “A wealth of tips, tricks, techniques, advice and useful strategies...ab- solute ‘must-read’ for anyone interested in competing for scholarship funds.” —Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review “Sound advice for the college bound and useful for counselors as well as for libraries.” —Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT Praise for Other Books by Gen and Kelly Tanabe Authors of Get into Any College , Get Free Cash for College and Accepted! 50 Successful College Admission Essays “Upbeat, well-organized and engaging, this comprehensive tool is an exceptional investment for the college-bound.” —Publishers Weekly “Upbeat tone and clear, practical advice.” — Book News “What’s even better than all the top-notch tips is that the book is writ- ten in a cool, conversational way.” — College Bound Magazine “Invaluable information ranging from the elimination of admission myths to successfully tapping into scholarship funds.” —Leonard Banks, The Journal Press “A present for anxious parents.” — Mary Kaye Ritz, The Honolulu Advertiser “When you consider the costs of a four-year college or university education nowadays, think about forking out (the price) for this little gem written and produced by two who know.” —Don Denevi, Palo Alto Daily News “The Tanabes literally wrote the book on the topic.” — Bull & Bear Financial Report “Filled with student-tested strategies.” —Pam Costa, Santa Clara Vision “The first book to feature the strategies and stories of real students.” — New Jersey Spectator Leader iv How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay How to w rite a w inning scholarship essay By Gen and Kelly Tanabe Published by SuperCollege, LLC 3286 Oak Court Belmont, CA 94002 650-618-2221 www.supercollege.com Copyright © 2009 by SuperCollege, LLC. Previous editions: Copyright © 2006, 2002 under the title: Money-Winning Schol- arship Essays and Interviews All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of SuperCollege. This book is protected under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. credi ts : Cover design by TLC Graphics, www.TLCGraphics.com. Design: Monica Thomas. All essays in this book are used with the permission of their authors. Trademarks : All brand names, product names and services used in this book are trade- marks, registered trademarks or tradenames of their respective holders. SuperCollege is not associated with any college, university, product or vendor. disclaimers : The authors and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter. Some narra- tives and names have been modified for illustrative purposes. SuperCollege and the authors make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of the book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. There are no warranties which extend beyond the descriptions contained in this paragraph. The accuracy and completeness of the information provided herein and the opinions stated herein are not guaranteed or warranted to produce any particular results. SuperCollege and the authors specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book. ISBN13: 978-1-932662-37-5 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tanabe, Gen S. How to write a winning scholarship essay / by Gen and Kelly Tanabe. p. cm. ISBN 978-1-932662-37-5 (alk. paper) 1. Scholarships. 2. College applications--United States. 3. Universities and colleges--United States--Admission. 4. Exposition (Rhetoric) I. Tanabe, Kelly Y. II. Title. LB2338.T363 2009 808’.066378--dc22 2009026470