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Best Personal Essay Writing Scholarships in 2024

Showing 71 scholarships that match your search.

For this year's competition, please write a personal essay (400-600 words) about why you are not religious and its benefits. Be sure to explain why you reject religion. The David Hudak Essay Competition is open to freethinking students of color ages 17-21, who are either high school seniors graduating in spring or who are currently enrolled in a college or university in North America.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Freedom From Religion Foundation

Deadline: March 15, 2025

Additional awards: Multiple awards of varying amounts will be given

Recipients: 1

Top award: $3,500

Apply now →

For this year's competition, please write a persuasive, personal essay (300-350 words) about why you reject religion and think others would be better off doing so too. The William J. Schulz Essay Competition is open to all North American high school seniors graduating this spring and attending college or university in the fall.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Freedom From Religion Foundation

Deadline: March 15, 2025

Additional awards: Multiple awards of varying amounts will be given

Recipients: 1

Top award: $3,500

Apply now →

Sub Pop Records is offering a grand total of $18,000 in college scholarship money to three eligible high school seniors. To apply, you must submit an essay, one page or less, using any combination of the following questions as a guide (or write something completely your own, be inspired and creative!). Please list the school you are graduating from and the school you plan to attend in the fall at the top of your essay along with your contact information.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Sub Pop Records

Deadline: March 19, 2025

Recipients: 3

Top award: $6,000

Apply now →

Each year, the Gordon Hay Scholarship Committee will select up to two exceptional students to receive a one-time award in the amount of up to $10,000. The award is designed for special learning opportunities related to the recipient’s career interest in a non-performance area of theater. Examples include but are not limited to professional conferences, seminars, workshops, participation in an unpaid internship program, professional performances, or technology needs.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Blumenthal Performing Arts

Deadline: March 25, 2025

Recipients: 2

Top award: $10,000

Apply now →

The Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) annually sponsors the Bodie McDowell Scholarship program to support tomorrow’s communicators. Ideal candidates are talented communicators with outdoor interests who can demonstrate a record of accomplishment in and commitment to the fields of outdoor communications.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Outdoor Writers Association of America

Deadline: March 30, 2025

Recipients: 3

Top award: $5,000

Apply now →

Awarded to a student pursuing a career in television journalism. Funded by a grant from CBS News in honor of longtime correspondent Mike Wallace. Students must complete the online application, including a personal essay and samples of their work.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences

Deadline: March 31, 2025

Recipients: 1

Top award: $10,000

Apply now →

The Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) has established the John Madson Fellowship as part of its commitment to improve the professional skills of outdoor communicators. Each year, the OWAA awards scholarships to selected individuals seeking to enhance their journalistic abilities. Applicants must include an explanation of their need and proposal for continuing education, an itemized budget of miscellaneous expenses, and include a sample of their work.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Outdoor Writers Association of America

Deadline: March 31, 2025

Recipients: 1

Top award: $3,000

Apply now →

Your story will inspire the future. Tell us about an African-American role model who inspired you and you could earn a college scholarship in celebration of Black History Month and those who have inspired the next generation to make history.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Regions

Deadline: March 31, 2025

Recipients: 1

Top award: $8,000

Apply now →

For more than three decades, the CBCF in partnership with CBC Spouses has awarded scholarships to talented and deserving students. Each year, we award more than 300 scholarships to students that demonstrate leadership ability through exemplary community service and academic talent. Our programs support current or upcoming college students across a variety of disciplines.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

Deadline: March 31, 2025

Additional awards: Multiple awards of varying amounts will be given

Recipients: 1

Top award: $2,000

Apply now →

Project Sleep’s Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship is a national scholarship program to support students with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. Students must complete an application form that includes a response to the esssay question: "If you could go back in time and speak to yourself on the day you were diagnosed, what would you say? Write a letter to yourself on that day."

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Project Sleep

Deadline: April 01, 2025

Recipients: 30

Top award: $1,000

Apply now →

The Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship may be awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, biological or physical sciences, or “science fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study. Applicants must submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several scientific topics. Winners are announced on July 7th each year.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: The Heinlein Society

Deadline: April 01, 2025

Recipients: 1

Top award: $4,000

Apply now →

The Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship may be awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, biological or physical sciences, or “science fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study. Applicants must submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several scientific topics. Winners are announced on July 7th each year.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: The Heinlein Society

Deadline: April 01, 2025

Recipients: 1

Top award: $4,000

Apply now →

The Marguerite Young Endowment Fund was established at The Pittsburgh Foundation to provide scholarships for students who plan to study theology. Candidates must be attending a Protestant seminary as a master of Divinity candidate, preparing for full-time ministry and/or be a seminary intern at a Protestant Church. Application must includes proof of this, as well as a personal essay.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: The Pittsburgh Foundation

Deadline: April 01, 2025

Additional awards: Multiple awards of varying amounts will be given

Recipients: 10

Top award: $1,500

Apply now →

Sigma Tau Delta offers the Junior Scholarship in honor of E. Nelson James, long-time Executive Secretary for the Society. Applications should demonstrate both academic achievement and campus, community, or chapter service; applicants should explain the relevance of their program of study to fostering the discipline of English, including literature, language, writing, and literacy.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Sigma Tau Delta

Deadline: April 07, 2025

Additional awards: 2-3 runner-up awards of $1,500 each

Recipients: 2

Top award: $3,000

Apply now →

Sigma Tau Delta offers the Senior Scholarship in honor of Elva Bell McLin, past Southern Regent and Historian for the Society. Applications should demonstrate both academic achievement and campus, community, or chapter service; applicants should explain the relevance of their program of study to fostering the discipline of English, including literature, language, writing, and literacy.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Sigma Tau Delta

Deadline: April 07, 2025

Additional awards: 2-3 runner-up awards of $2,000 each

Recipients: 2

Top award: $4,000

Apply now →

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