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I'm so terrified and stressed. Terry Scholarship Application

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by MtnFr3sh, Jan 23, 2016.

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  1. MtnFr3sh

    MtnFr3sh
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    For those of you that do not know, the Terry Scholarship is a program through some (if not most) major universities in the state of Texas. I'm applying. It is essentially a full ride scholarship for demonstrating adversity, leadership, and academic excellence.

    I am terrified to submit this thing. If I don't get it, there is a real chance that I might not be able to finish school once I start.

    I've already been accepted to the University of North Texas and plan to go there.

    I have to write two essays. One demonstrating a significant event in my life, and one demonstrating leadership.

    I can say that I feel confident in my leadership essay because it's not the traditional 'blah blah national honor society blah blah student council blah blah' even though I do mention being part of the national honor society.

    I don't want to share my essays until I've submitted them...

    There is no word limit. But they prefer 400 words or less.

    I'm worried about my significant event essay because I had to pick one. Just one. out of many that I could focus on and keep it down to just a little over their preferred word limit. I picked my parent's divorce when I was 2.

    It's not just the essays I'm scared of. I'm not a perfect student. I'm on the border of top 15% of my class, I made a D in college economics, which by dual credit standards I passed but can't continue any dual credit at all. So I had to get dropped into regular English 4, not Honors. Why? Because they don't have Honors English 4 because we all sprung for Dual Credit.

    My SAT and ACT scores are average at best. I think I made a 22 maybe a 24 overall on the ACT.

    This scares the living hell out of me because I don't know what to do. If I don't get it I'll have to spring for student debt and hope to god I won'd default on loans later in life. I want to be a psychologist or a counselor for adolescents.

    I really just feel like I need reassurance or comforting or something so I don't have another nervous breakdown like I've been having lately because of similar things.
     
    #1 MtnFr3sh, Jan 23, 2016
  2. Cort

    Cort
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    MtnFr3sh –

    I’m familiar with that particular scholarship. I never applied for it, but I’ve always heard a lot about it.

    As I’m sure you know, they look at three things: (1) financial need, (2) academic performance, and (3) leadership and character potential.

    You don’t need to be dirt poor, a genius, and an up and coming president to get this thing. Very few people who get it are outstanding in all three of those areas. Your goal should be to stand out very well in at least two of those areas.

    Based on what you’ve shared, your weakest area is probably going to be the academic one. Your grades and test scores are what they are. There’s no point in spending any energy worrying about them because you can’t change them at this point. Instead, I would double down on the other two areas.

    The good news is that they aren’t looking for academic drones. They want interesting, well-rounded people.

    The whole reason they ask for essays is to give students who have less than stellar academic scores to stand out. They don’t expect everyone to be straight-A students because not everyone fits well into the standardized teaching and grading model.

    The Terry Foundation itself makes this clear: “…the selection as a Terry Scholar is not simply based on financial need, test scores, or grade point average. Instead, Terry Scholars are chosen because they exhibit well-rounded personality, grounded in a desire to success, and a demonstrated history of community leadership.”

    My advice would be to blow them away with those two essays.

    Most of the essays they get are going to be talking about the same topics, using the same structure, using the same buzz words, etc. Yours needs to standout.

    How do you stand out in only 400 words? You take more risk than everyone else is.

    Shock them with your first sentence. Say something provocative. Something that instantly grabs their attention and has them wanting more. Try opening with a question, or a bold statement, or a challenge aimed directly at the person reading the essay. Something that pops out.

    Once you have their attention, just be brutally authentic. Share with the reader your deepest fears, your highest hopes, your wildest emotions – give them a true peak into your heard. Don’t try to tell them what you think they want to hear; they can see right through that. Just let them see inside you.

    Like your opening sentence, close it down with something memorable – something that will stick with them. Something that will haunt them for the rest of the day.

    Last tip: Relax! Even if you don’t get it, there are other ways to make college work financially. When one door closes, another one opens.
     
    #2 Cort, Jan 24, 2016
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