Comments | applyingtograd: Phrasing Difficult Experiences Properly in Scholarships, etc.

ennifer_jay in applyingtograd

Phrasing Difficult Experiences Properly in Scholarships, etc.

Jul 09, 2012 13:14

Hey grad schoolers,

I have a question that hopefully is allowed here.

I want to apply for scholarships. Some scholarships that I can apply for deal with adversity. In short, how do I phrase difficult experiences in a way that highlights my ability to face adversity without sounding like a pity party?

( depressing details if you want them to better give me advice )

scholarships, scholarship, scholarship statement, statement of intent

Comments 5

lostreality July 14 2012, 01:32:32 UTC

Honestly, most grad programs will not care about this stuff unless it is directly relevant to your program (like if you are going to a program to do counseling for people going through similar stuff). There are tons of 23 year olds who are financially independent- my parents cut me off financially when I was around 20 for various batshittery reasons...

lostreality July 14 2012, 01:33:11 UTC

however if you have to explain a semester of bad grades due to this stuff you can attach a separate statement.

omniavanitas July 14 2012, 03:08:23 UTC

In my opinion, it depends on the prompt. I would not dwell on this in your SOP (unless, as lostreality says, it's actually related to your area of interest). I think the best statements are usually very focused on the academics, not the life story ( ... )

67threnody July 14 2012, 06:11:28 UTC

For the applications that specifically ask about challenges (the scholarship applications), be matter-of-fact about your situation, but don't be so determined to show that you aren't having a pity party that you minimize your experience. You'll want to give a little bit of detail. You don't have to tell them everything--it's not their business *why* you were a ward of the court and people generally understand that something serious happened ( ... )

roseofjuly July 19 2012, 03:53:38 UTC

Don't go into too much detail. You have to balance giving just enough without giving all of the morbid particularities - the point is not to discuss how you got into the situations, but about your strength in facing down the adversity and rising up. Your primary concern is going to be discussion how you overcome the obstacles placed in front of you.