Mastering the BYU Scholarship Essay: A Comprehensive Guide
Applying for scholarships at Brigham Young University (BYU) requires more than just good grades. A compelling scholarship essay is crucial for distinguishing yourself from other applicants. BYU uses a holistic review process, where growth in the four Aims of a BYU education-Intellectually Enlarging, Spiritually Strengthening, Character Building, and Lifelong Learning and Service-is highly valued. This article provides a detailed guide on crafting an impactful BYU scholarship essay, incorporating insights on essay structure, content, and unique aspects of the BYU application process.
Understanding the BYU Application Essays
Your admissions essays help BYU see who you are, what you value, and how you’re living the BYU Aims. Since BYU uses a holistic review, strong grades alone aren’t enough-you also need to show growth in each of the four Aims.
Key Elements of a Successful BYU Scholarship Essay
1. Deciphering the Prompt
Carefully read and understand the essay prompt. Ensure your essay aligns with it, addressing all its parts and staying on topic.
2. Authenticity and Personal Voice
Share genuine personal experiences and thoughts that reflect who you are. Avoid repeating information from your application or exaggerating accomplishments. Be honest and open, allowing your unique voice to shine through.
3. Highlighting Your Strengths
Showcase your achievements, skills, and qualities that make you a deserving candidate. Discuss the impact you’ve had on others and the organization, if you've demonstrated leadership in a club or project.
Read also: How to Write a Scholarship Essay
4. Scholarship Benefits and Future Goals
Explain how the scholarship will help you achieve your educational and career goals. Be specific and link the scholarship to your future plans, emphasizing how it will support your academic and personal growth.
5. Storytelling and Engagement
Engage your reader with an attention-grabbing anecdote, situation, or experience that showcases your qualities or achievements. Employ vivid descriptions and a narrative structure to make your essay memorable.
6. Connecting with BYU's Values
Highlight why you’re drawn to BYU, mentioning values or principles that resonate with you. Demonstrate how studying at BYU will support your development and contribute to your future success.
7. Polishing Your Essay
Ensure your essay is well-organized, concise, and free of grammatical errors. Have someone you trust review it for feedback.
BYU’s Supplemental Essays: A Detailed Breakdown
BYU requires six supplemental essays from all applicants. Here's a breakdown of each prompt with a suggested approach:
Read also: Writing a Winning Robertson Essay
Prompt 1: Passion and Intellectual Curiosity
Describe a topic, idea, or experience that you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. What have you done to learn more or engage further in the topic, idea or experience? What resources do you use to learn more?
This prompt assesses your love for learning and genuine academic interests. BYU seeks individuals who desire to learn and seek answers beyond what is required.
Approach:* Choose a specific topic that differentiates your essay. Instead of writing about a generic academic subject, select a concept or theory that resonates with you the most.
- Explain how you have advanced your understanding of the topic independently and what resources have been helpful. Mention library books, online forums, or communities you've joined.
- Incorporate a future-facing component, aligning with BYU’s aim of Lifelong Learning and Service. Discuss how you plan to continue exploring this topic or sharing your passion with others.
Example:Instead of broadly discussing music, focus on a specific musical experience. "I can easily remember when I stopped hearing music and truly began listening to it. Mrs. Petersen, our music teacher, was playing a recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for my fourth grade class. I closed my eyes and there I was-in springtime, with birds overhead, and soon enough, winter, braced against a biting wind of sound." The student can then discuss music theory studies or personal musical development.
Prompt 2: Community Service and Addressing Needs
Have you become aware of significant needs in your family, school, and/or community? Please explain how you have worked toward meeting those needs.
This prompt explores your participation in community service and your ability to identify and address needs.
Approach:
- Reflect on times you’ve addressed needs for others, from babysitting siblings to volunteering at a local shelter.
- Choose a topic not apparent from the rest of your application. If you select an organization already listed, focus on a specific instance rather than generalizing your role.
- Provide specific details about your actions and the impact you made.
Example:
Weak: “As a Girl Scout, I have participated in multiple community service projects in my community. I have baked cookies for the elderly, written letters to soldiers overseas, and helped make blankets for my local animal shelter.”
Read also: Ace Your Vanderbilt Scholarship Application
Strong: “At lunch, some kids played soccer. Others texted or played iPhone games. I made blankets. For my Girl Scout Gold Award, I decided to target a community near and dear to my heart: the animal shelter. As a weekly volunteer, I saw how many of the dogs had nothing in their concrete kennels and I vowed to change that. I created a school-wide fundraiser to raise money for supplies and spent my Saturday mornings shopping in our downtown textile district."
Prompt 3: Overcoming Adversity
Briefly describe a time that your efforts have fallen short, a goal was not accomplished, or an aspiration was not achieved. What steps did you take to recover from this defeat? What resources did you use? How and why are you different today?
This prompt assesses how you deal with adversity and learn from failures.
Approach:
- Choose a unique topic, avoiding overused examples like poor grades or losing a sports game.
- Establish the context of the defeat and your initial reaction.
- Describe the specific steps you took to recover and the resources you utilized.
- Explain how the experience changed you and what you learned from it.
Example:
An essay about being rejected from a pre-medical program might discuss how it made the author question their desire to be a doctor and how they reframed their approach to their career aspirations.
Prompt 4: Contribution to the BYU Community
Tell us your story. What will you contribute to our university community? Be specific.
This prompt asks what sets you apart and what unique contributions you will bring to BYU.
Approach:
- Mention something not discussed elsewhere in your application.
- Think about your various identities and how they intersect.
- Avoid clichés and generalities.
- Ensure your essay is unique and could not have been written by anyone else.
Prompt 5: Spiritual Strengthening at BYU
A BYU education will be spiritually strengthening. BYU students have a unique opportunity to seek learning by study and by faith. Describe the reasons you want to learn in an environment like this.
This prompt explores your desire to learn in an environment that integrates faith and academics.
Approach:
- Reflect on what appeals to you about BYU’s values and learning environment, regardless of your religious background.
- Discuss what faith or devotion means to you and how shared values strengthen a community.
- Provide specific examples of how you envision engaging with BYU's spiritual environment.
Prompt 6: Extracurricular Activities
Thoughtfully consider the extracurricular activities you have been involved in and select two to write about. Why did you choose to participate in this activity?
These prompts allow you to elaborate on your extracurricular activities and their significance.
Approach:
- Expand upon your application by providing more than a simple description of your activities.
- Explain why you chose to participate in each activity and what you gained from the experience.
Example:
"Donate Life is a club dedicated to raising awareness about organ donation and transplants. I have participated in this club for four years, first as an active member and then as a board member, and eventually, President. When I was thirteen, my cousin was able to receive a heart transplant from someone who had recently passed in a car accident. Seeing her recovery inspired me to make this opportunity available for more people. In this club, I hold weekly lunch seminars during which students can learn more about how they can contribute to the movement. This past summer, we were able to get over 5,000 signatures pledging to sign up for organ donation in the event of the person’s passing."
Additional Tips for Writing a Standout Essay
1. Start Early
Begin writing early to allow time for reflection, revision, and feedback.
2. Brainstorm Ideas
Hold a brainstorming session and jot down any ideas that come to mind. You might uncover ideas you hadn’t considered before.
3. Seek Feedback
Utilize resources like the BYU Research & Writing Center (RWC) for help with brainstorming, organizing, and polishing your essays. Schedule a one-time appointment with an Enrollment Services counselor for feedback on your essays.
4. Be Vulnerable
Be willing to share your struggles and how you overcame them. BYU values vulnerability, grit, and heart.
5. Plan for Multiple Drafts
Work on your essays over an extended period, allowing for multiple revisions. Some students spend over a month refining their essays.
6. Understand the BYU Aims
Focus on the BYU Aims of education (Intellectually Enlarging, Spiritually Strengthening, Character Building, and Lifelong Learning and Service) in your essays.
7. Leadership and Initiative
BYU values leadership, so highlight any leadership roles you’ve held, such as starting a club, leading a community project, or starting your own business.
8. Avoid Redundancy
Ensure your essays cover different aspects of your background and experiences, avoiding repetition of information.
9. Be Specific
Use specific, descriptive details to make your essay unique and memorable.
10. Show, Don't Tell
Use anecdotes and stories to illustrate your qualities and values, rather than simply listing them.
BYU Marriott School Application Essays
Each degree offered at BYU Marriott requires a different application essay. The Marriott School looks beyond GPA and academic accomplishments, seeking students with passion, a strong work ethic, and a desire to learn.
General Tips for Marriott Essays
- Explain positive outcomes; when telling stories about adversity, focus on what you learned or how you overcame those obstacles.
- Remember that even entry-level or “unrelated” experience can be relevant to business.
- Analyze your experiences and apply business frameworks, principles, and terminology.
Housing Tips
On-Campus Housing
Submit your housing application at least a week before the early deadline to improve your chances of securing on-campus housing.
Off-Campus Housing
First-year students are typically required to live in BYU-approved housing, either on-campus or in approved off-campus apartments.
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