Your scholarship essay is the most critical part of your application. Amidst a sea of similar GPAs and extracurricular activities, your essay is what will tell your story. It shares what sets you apart from others and why you deserve their scholarship to further your education.
How you tell your story is just as important as the story you tell, and here’s how you can master your essay’s point of view to make the biggest impact.
Choosing the Right Point of View
It’s estimated that only 11 percent of college students will receive a scholarship. Help yourself stand out by mastering the point of review and creating a solid application.
Typically, you will choose between three POVs for your college essay: first person, second person, and third person. We’ll discuss each in more detail below and how your scholarship essay can benefit from them.
First Person
First-person POV is one of the most common forms of writing in college essays. It uses the pronouns I, my, our, and we. You are telling the story from your personal perspective, so you are limited to how it impacted you, how it made you feel, or what you personally experienced.
When writing a personal essay, the first person is often the best POV to use. It helps your story feel more authentic. You experienced the situation and are sharing its mark on your life and why you are where you are. It also helps you feel connected to the story. You can share exactly what happened, when it happened, and what it meant to you.
First-person is often the safest route if you need help starting your scholarship essay.
Second Person
The second person is the use of the pronouns you, your, and yours. This POV may be appropriate in some college essays, especially if you want the application put in another person’s mind. Many college scholarship essays will mix the first-person and second-person POVs for emphasis.
For example, you can say something like, “Imagine one day you are a completely average 16-year-old, and the next day, you are in a hospital bed fighting for your life. That’s what happened to me.” This scenario can help the reader picture themselves in the situation while shifting to focus on its impact on you. It creates empathy that can resonate throughout your application.
Second-person can be appropriate when used sparingly but don’t use it too frequently. It can make your essay sound too informal and off-putting some reviewers.
Third Person
Third person is the use of pronouns like he, him, his or she, her, and hers. This point of view is common in novel writing, where the writer is trying to convey a bigger picture. However, it is not frequently used in college scholarship application essays.
This is because it creates distance between you and the experience. It almost feels like it didn’t happen to you, which can remove the personal impact from the narrative. You can use this point of view in your writing. For example, you could write about an experience from an object or a place. Your home sees everyone move in and out of it, but one day, your sister doesn’t come home, and how everyone changes based on the home’s POV.
The third person can be tricky to master in a scholarship application essay, so approach it cautiously. You may alienate the reviewer when you are simply trying to be different.
How to Choose the Right Point of View
If you aren’t sure which POV suits your application, consider the following tips.
Check the Prompt
When in doubt, check the essay prompt. If it’s asking about your personal experience, you should likely use the first person. You may be able to use a small amount of second person to set the scene, but your POV should be primarily first. Essays that don’t follow the instructions are often discarded without review.
Consider the Story You’re Telling
What story are you trying to tell? If you want the reviewer to feel how something personally impacted you, the first-person POV is often the most effective. It is direct, and you can share your personal feelings and experiences. You can convey your passion without worrying about it feeling inauthentic.
Align Your Story with the Provider
Scholarship providers often want to support their goals, so ensure you align your essay with their mission and vision. This can help you choose your point of view and your scholarship approach. If the essay is about how animals changed your life, consider writing from the POV of the dog if you can pull it off. This is one scenario where a third person could be the best route.
Conclusion
Maintain a consistent point of view throughout your scholarship application. In select cases, you may be able to use both first- and second-person POVs; however, use them sparingly. The POV you use can impact how your reviewer connects with your essay, so choose wisely.
