Common Scholarship Essay Questions

The essay is the most crucial part of your application for a scholarship. People can often find it hard to create an essay from scratch. 

Fear not, the following are some of the most commonly asked essay questions. Try to go through and prepare yourself for the scholarship applications. Brainstorm ideas, do some research or create your own “stock” of scholarship essays.

Future Plans and Goals

Questions related to how you define your own future are used to identify how determined and confident you are concerning your education and academics. The scholarship committee looks for applicants with vision and motivation to deem them worthy of the scholarship being provided.

The following are some questions that might be asked concerning your future plans and goals:

• Where do you see yourself in 5 years down the line?

• Briefly describe your long-term and short-term goals.

• What is the importance of a college education for you?

• What do you consider as the zenith of your career? 

• Current Affairs and Social issues

Problem Solving Ability

These questions test your skills at problem-solving and analyze how up to date you are on the current issues. Several scholarship applications include questions about the problems and issues facing society.

The following are some questions that might be asked concerning current affairs and social issues:

• What do you consider to be the single most important societal problem? Why? How would you deal with it?

• If you had the authority to change your school in a positive way, what specific changes would you make? Why do you consider it a good change?

• Pick a controversial problem on college campuses and suggest a solution.

• What do you see as the greatest threat to the environment today? Suggest a solution.

Area of Specialization

These questions are used to determine how familiar you are with your area of specialization and the reason behind your interest in it. 

The following are some questions that might be asked concerning your academic specialization:

• How will the study of your Major contribute to your immediate or long-range career plans?

• Why do you want to be a _______?

• Explain the importance of your Major in today’s society.

• What do you think the industry of _______ will be like in the next 10 years?

• What are the most important issues your field is facing today?

   

Financial Requirements

Several scholarships are offered with a charitable goal. The urge to provide funds for students who face trouble paying for college. To get a better understanding of your financial standing, the scholarship committee often asks for information regarding your financial standing, just to get a more detailed and personal account of your financial requirements.

The following are some questions that might be asked concerning your financial requirements:

• How would this scholarship financially impact your future education?

• State any special personal or family circumstances affecting your need for financial assistance.

• How have you been financing your college education?

Background and Influences

Who you are is closely tied to where you’ve been and who you’ve known. To learn more about you, some scholarship committees will ask you to write about your background and major influences.

The following are some questions that might be asked concerning your background and influences:

• Choose an experience from your life and explain how it had an impact on your life and your development.

• Who in your life has been your biggest influence and why?

• How has your family background affected the way you see the world?

• How has your education contributed to who you are today?

Not all essay questions are directly related to your education but are used to test your creativity and get a more well-rounded sense of your personality and character.

The following are some questions that might be asked concerning random topics:

• Choose an individual or a group of individuals you admire and explain why.

• Which is your favorite book or movie that has affected you deeply and explain why?

Your dependency status also determines the amount of aid available to you, so it's important to disclose full and accurate information to make sure that you receive financial assistance to help cover tuition, fees, room and board, and other college costs to the fullest. Since independent students are usually perceived as providing their own financial support, they might be able to get a larger aid package or qualify for more grant funding to help pay for their academics as compared to a dependent student whose parents have a higher combined income.