What makes you unique scholarship

Our cafeteria was recognized by the food services director who wanted to take this idea and implement it system-wide. Since then, five additional high schools have followed suit.

You want to think of an answer that emphasizes you know how to learn from past experience. You should also indicate that you are not stuck in the past. While you acknowledge you have messed up, also point out ways that you have gotten better. Example: In my sophomore year of high school, my brother and I switched schools. My brother has always been the outgoing one and never had trouble making friends, so I failed to recognize that he was actually going through a hard transition. Now, I make it a point to be more sensitive to the feelings of my friends and family, and to try to check in more regularly.

I actually now have a weekly scheduled hangout with my brother where we go on a random adventure and talk about life. Last week, we went geocaching! This question aims to determine whether you have a sincere love of learning.

You do not have to give specific examples of how you have thrived in the class. However, you should be able to explain what you like about that subject. In this role, I organize and supervise the organization of all meetings and events that we attend to raise awareness about social justice topics such as refugees or endangered species.

This experience has taught me how to effectively manage a team and meet multiple deadlines in an organized manner. Do you have enough leadership experience to get accepted to your top school?

Calculate your chances for free now. This question is asking you to really show your personality. They want to get a sense of who you are so they can determine if you would be a good fit for the scholarship.

They also just want to know more about you — after all, this is your chance to answer any questions that might have been missed in another section of the application!

The main character, Isla, is sold into slavery, and at first she hopes that someone from her past will come rescue her. But in the end, she actually winds up saving a bunch of other girls when she creates an escape plan for them. I like this book because I would also like to work to end human trafficking. This is another question where you want to show your personality more than just listing off random facts about yourself.

You should choose a subject that relates to the scholarship or one you are passionate about. Your answer demonstrates your interest in learning and in taking your education further. Example: My favorite subject is history because I find it interesting to study how people interacted with one another throughout the course of time. Each answer shapes how we see our world today, so I know that my studies in this subject will help me shape my views on society as well.

I hope to one day become a lawyer, and I know that studying history will give me the perspective, research experience, and writing skills needed to succeed. Your answer should be specific, yet not too narrow. Example: My dream job is to work in the media industry as a producer or editor. This career would allow me to use my creativity while still being able to positively influence others.

This question is similar to asking you about your favorite book, but a bit more advanced. They want you to show them how the coursework has shaped your interests and shown you new perspectives on certain topics. Example: In my senior year of high school, I took a course on Media and Society. I specifically recall the final essay assignment where we had to compare two different media elements.

Analyzing the portrayal of women in video game advertisements was my topic for this project. At first, I was really nervous about the topic; would I offend some friends within my gaming circle? The expectation of this question is to see which qualities you admire, and potentially who has shaped your interests or helped you become who you are today. This could be a public figure, teacher, mentor, family member, friend—really anyone.

Your answer should demonstrate your values and should align with the values of the scholarship. She was able to pursue what she wanted despite harsh criticism, which helps me feel more empowered to follow my own dreams. This is a question to determine how goal-oriented you are. It is also an opportunity to show the scholarship committee that you are ready for college and beyond. Example: I love economics. I love studying how the economy works and would like to work in banking, specifically in international sales at J.

P Morgan. This career attracts me because it is fast-paced but also has great growth opportunities within the company. I also plan to actively work towards achieving my MBA as soon as I graduate. This question is meant to see how you respond when faced with a challenge.

It is important not to simply say that failure means giving up, as this will show that you lack initiative and drive. The best way to answer this question is using personal experience and demonstrating what you learned from it. Example: I define failure as a missed opportunity. When I first began to play rugby my Freshman year of high school, I quickly realized that our team was not very strong. At times, it felt like we were bound to lose every game. But rather than letting this bring me down, I saw the season as a chance for me to try my hardest and become an impact player on the field.

As the years went by, I continued to improve and our team grew closer together. Our losses began to transform into opportunities for growth, and by senior year, I was nominated captain. I had done everything in my power to make sure my teammates succeeded — even though it meant that on the scoreboard we would inevitably lose more than we won.

This question is meant to determine how you deal with difficult situations. Most students respond that they like to focus on what is happening in the present moment, but this answer will show that you do not have a strategy for coping with stressors.

A better way to answer this would be by mentioning a specific skill or habit that you have developed over time.

Example: I am a very organized person, and when I have a lot of work to do, I break it down into manageable tasks. Seeing everything that needs to be done in one sitting can be overwhelming for me, but if I give myself smaller goals to meet each day then that becomes more manageable.

In addition, when I feel overwhelmed or stressed about work, I like to take a few minutes and go for a walk. This helps me think through everything more clearly, and I feel much more relaxed afterwards. Nothing shows your resilience and determination more than a story of you turning around a tough situation. Think of something that was difficult for you, but also allowed you to grow as an individual. You can even mention how this experience would help you handle adversity you might face in the future.

Example: I will tell you about a time when I was misunderstood by my peers. In November of , everything began to look up for me. I received a work permit and a social security card all thanks to the DACA program. I was finally able to get my license, get a job, and most importantly attend college. I plan to continue my success in the classroom and do everything to the best of my ability as I know that under my current circumstances it can all be ripped away from me at any moment.

Growing up with my situation has taught me to not take advantage of a single opportunity. There has been continued support around me past and current and I know there are people out there rooting for my success.

I will strive to be the first generation in my family to graduate from an American University and I will set a stepping stone for my future family so they will not have to struggle as I did. My citizenship is not a setback, it is a mere obstacle that I will always learn to work around if it means giving my future children a better life, just like my mother did for me. Have you studied abroad? Visited a foreign country on a family trip? Had a thought-provoking discussion with a teacher, religious leader, or friend?

Think about an experience or a moment that challenged — or even changed — one of your beliefs or ideas. Explain what your original understanding of the idea was, when that idea was challenged, and how you felt about it afterward.

Scholarship providers are interested in seeing reflection and growth, so expanding on every detail, including where you were, who you were with, and what you were feeling, can help tell your story in your essay.

There were only a few minutes to go and our eyes were glued to screen. On the edge of our seats, clutching whoever happened to be next to us, we watched as the referee blew his whistle and the German players took their free kick. We all jumped up and screamed, a mixture of German and English, of excitement and relief, of pride and anticipation.

We stood, enraptured, for the last several minutes of the game as Germany kept its lead over Sweden. They accepted us into their homes and their daily lives, their traditions and their celebrations. The acceptance I felt in Germany extended beyond that living room. I came to the country on a three week exchange with ten other students from my school. We each stayed with host families and attended the Wildermuth Gymnasium, which was surprisingly accommodating to a gaggle of loud American teenagers.

The teachers were friendly and welcoming, the students treated us like ordinary peers, and even the people I interacted with in public were understanding. It was intimidating to be in a country with limited knowledge of the language and the customs, even though everyone was welcoming. They recognized that we were outsiders, that the place we came from had flaws, and they accepted us anyway.

For example, I work at a canoe livery and we receive a lot of visitors with limited English. If people had done this to me in Germany, my time there would have been much less enjoyable; in fact, I would have been offended. I take my time to make sure they understand, that they can have a good time, and that they feel accepted. Go into as much detail as you feel comfortable to answer this scholarship essay prompt. Share a story about your family culture, how you were raised, moments that shaped you into being who you are today.

If sports is your thing, for example, share how playing sports at a young age taught you about teamwork, working with a coach, discipline and structure. As an Expressive Arts specialist, I use puppet play and the arts with three to five-year-olds to teach sharing, identifying and working with feelings, making friends, mindfulness, and asking for what you need in peaceful ways.

Additionally, I perform developmentally appropriate puppet shows in classrooms about fairness, valuing difference including differences in gender expression and skin tone , and peaceful conflict resolution.

By teaching diversity, equity, and inclusion through puppetry, I feel that I am making a difference. In this work, I have noticed an unexplained phenomenon. Educational puppetry is particularly effective in helping children with ASD develop social and communication skills. One girl with ASD in my school refused to follow the daily routine until a parrot puppet helped guide her through the transitions.

Through puppet play, a boy with impulse control challenges learned to manage his feelings and stop hitting other children. One boy with Autism showed remarkable progress with puppet play. Now in Kindergarten, his ability to communicate and make friends makes his academic success possible. Teachers value this work; it reinforces the social and emotional teaching they practice daily. You need to share this work beyond our preschool. I aim to accomplish this by creating and implementing evidence-based strategies that use puppets as intervention tools.

With an answer like this one, you're able to alleviate concerns the interviewer might have with your lack of experience in the field. It's critical, however, that you provide specific examples of how your prior experience has provided you with certain transferrable skills. For instance, you might say, "My prior experience in customer service provided me with technical skills and an extensive knowledge base for how our product works.

As a marketer, I will be able to use this knowledge to ensure we're meeting our customers needs with every campaign we launch. Similar to the answer above, this answer is a good one if you're attempting to switch industries. If you think your prior experience could deter interviewers from seeing you as exceptionally qualified, this is an optimal chance to prove them wrong. Consider how your background has allowed you to gain unique skills that others, who followed a more linear career trajectory, might not have.

For instance, if you previously worked at a small startup and now you want to transfer to a large corporation, it's important you mention how those skills will make you successful in this new role. This answer shows your interviewer that you're not afraid to take risks. Of course, you'll only want to say this if you have a positive example to reinforce the importance of failure in the workplace.

You don't want to sound like you make mistakes all the time, but you'll stand out if you mention how you turned a failure into a success. For instance, you might say, "I'm not afraid of failure. In my last role, we tried to streamline our SEO process and, along the way, found we'd accidentally decreased traffic to our site.

However, this initial failure allowed me to see the errors in our previous procedure. With this answer, you're showing you're capable of remaining flexible and open-minded when something doesn't work right away, and you know how to take failures and use them as learning opportunities -- a critical skill for any work environment. If you're stuck on deciding how to demonstrate your unique qualifications, start by thinking about how other people approach problems at your company, and how you differ.

For instance, most people are either logical and use analytics to solve problems, or emotional and use creativity. It's rare to find someone who is both. If you truly believe you combine these two aspects, it's an impressive ability you should highlight. Remember, when your interviewee asks "what makes you unique", she's really wondering "how will you help our company? To avoid sounding like you're bragging, consider a personality trait or skill set that helped your last company achieve results.

If the results are quantitative, make sure you have the specific numbers to support your claim. However, it's also appropriate to share qualitative results, such as, "my organizational skills led my manager to trusting me with a major project within the first two months in my role. Originally published Dec 4, AM, updated March 17 Logo - Full Color. Contact Sales. Overview of all products.