How to Write Your Essay for the Koloseike Scholarship

Brainstorming Across the Four Buckets

Organize your thoughts by exploring the following four material buckets:

• Background: Reflect on your personal history. What experiences have shaped your values and aspirations? Consider family influences, community involvement, or pivotal moments in your life.
• Achievements: Identify key accomplishments that demonstrate your capabilities. Use specific metrics or outcomes to quantify your impact, such as leadership roles, academic achievements, or community service projects.
• The Gap: Acknowledge what you currently lack and how further study at Loyola will bridge that gap. Be honest about your academic or professional needs and articulate your vision for growth.
• Personality: Infuse your essay with personal anecdotes and reflections that reveal your character. What drives you? What values are important to you? Specific details will make your narrative more relatable.

Creating an Outline

Once you have gathered your materials, create a structured outline. Start with an engaging introduction that sets the scene or presents a defining moment. Follow with sections that delve into each of the four buckets, ensuring each paragraph focuses on a single idea. Conclude with a reflection on how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals.

Drafting Voice and Style

When drafting your essay, maintain an active voice. Use concrete language to describe your experiences and avoid vague statements. Instead of saying, “I am passionate about helping others,” illustrate this with a specific example of a time you made a difference. Ensure your writing is clear and concise, steering clear of clichés and overly complex phrasing.

Revision & “So What?”

After completing your draft, take a step back and review your work. Ask yourself, “So what?” for each major point. What insight or growth does your experience reveal? Make sure your essay conveys not just what you have done, but what you have learned and how you intend to apply that knowledge in the future.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Be mindful of these common mistakes:

• Avoid generic statements that do not provide insight into your unique experiences.
• Do not rely on clichés or vague expressions of passion without backing them up with evidence.
• Steer clear of passive voice and bureaucratic language; instead, focus on active constructions that highlight your agency.
• Ensure all facts are accurate and verifiable; do not fabricate details about your experiences or achievements.