Application Essay

Many prestigious scholarship applications, such as the Truman, Udall, and Goldwater, ask the applicant to address a series of shorter responses ranging from 400 to 2000 characters. The following questions are taken from the respective scholarship applications.

Truman: Describe a particularly satisfying public service activity. 1700 character limit.

Udall: Describe your most significant public service, community, or campus activities associated with your interests in the environment or tribal public policy. 2200 character limit with spaces.

Goldwater: Describe an activity or experience that has been important in clarifying or strengthening your motivation for a career in science, mathematics, or engineering.

Address the prompt, answering all of its implied questions

Offer specific, detailed examples to illustrate each of the points made in your essay, using numbers and sources when necessary.

Show yourself in action

Your answers should not be your résumé in prose.

Clean up any points that remain vague, general, or incompletely illustrated

Eliminate unnecessary words and intensifiers like “unique" "entire" "overwhelming" "completely," “actually,” "absolutely" "definitely.” The plain sentence that results usually has more power and punch.

Be aware of the character limit

Be certain sure that your essay stays within the word and character limits.