How to Tailor Your Essay for Different Scholarships
One Story, Many Audiences
If you’ve applied for multiple scholarships, you’ve probably wondered — do I really have to write a new essay every time? It’s a fair question. After all, your background, goals, and values don’t change with each application.
But here’s the thing: every scholarship is different, and so is what they’re looking for. Submitting the same generic essay over and over? It’s like wearing a suit to a swimming competition. You might look good, but you’re not in the right gear.
Tailoring your essay doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel. It means customising your scholarship essays to reflect each provider’s mission, tone, and criteria, so your application feels like a perfect match.
In this guide, you’ll learn why personalisation matters, what to look for in each scholarship, and exactly how to adapt essays to suit different opportunities, without rewriting everything from scratch. You’ll also get examples, practical tips, and a repeatable process to make this easier and more effective.
Why Customising Scholarship Essays Gives You the Edge
The Personal Fit Test
Most scholarship providers want more than just grades. They’re often investing in someone who aligns with their vision. Tailored essays:
- Show you’ve done your research
- Reflect your awareness of their values
- Make your story resonate more powerfully
Think of it like a job interview — yes, your qualifications matter, but so does showing that you’re a great fit for the team.
Real-World Perspective
According to UCAS and the British Council, tailored personal statements and essays consistently perform better because they demonstrate intention, self-awareness, and effort — all qualities that reviewers value.
The Core of Every Scholarship Essay: Your Personal Narrative
What Should Stay Consistent?
- Your background and story
- Key achievements and experiences
- Your values and aspirations
These are the core threads of your narrative. But how do you frame them? That’s where the personalisation happens.
What Should Change?
- Emphasis on specific values (e.g. leadership vs. innovation)
- Tone and language (formal vs. conversational)
- Your connection to the provider’s mission
- Examples chosen to match the theme
Goal: Make the reader feel like you’re speaking directly to them.
How to Adapt Essays for Different Scholarships
Read the Prompt — Then Read It Again
It sounds simple, but many applicants gloss over the essay prompt or question. This is your first clue to what matters most.
Ask:
- What is the core theme? (e.g. financial need, academic potential, community impact)
- Are there multiple parts to answer?
- Is there a required structure or word count?
Rephrase the prompt in your own words to clarify it.
Research the Scholarship Provider
Understanding the organisation behind the award is crucial. Visit their website and look for:
- Their mission statement or vision
- Who they’ve funded in the past
- Their work or impact areas
- The tone of their communications (formal, corporate, youth-led, activist, etc.)
Example:
If applying to the Black Heart Foundation, which funds students from underrepresented backgrounds, show awareness of social challenges and a drive to overcome barriers.
If it’s a STEM innovation grant, emphasise problem-solving, future impact, and curiosity.
Identify What to Emphasise
Once you understand the prompt and provider, highlight the most relevant parts of your story.
You might emphasise:
- Leadership experiences
- Academic excellence
- Volunteer work
- Financial hardship
- Cultural identity
- Career goals
Same story, different focus:
If you volunteered at a local community centre, that could highlight:
- Empathy and service for a human rights scholarship
- Youth mentorship for an education-focused award
- Initiative and teamwork for a leadership grant
Customise the Opening and Closing Paragraphs
The beginning and end are where personalisation has the biggest impact.
Opening Tips:
- Mention the scholarship name or organisation
- Hook them with a relevant anecdote or quote
- Set up the theme that aligns with their mission
Closing Tips:
- Explain how the scholarship will help you meet their goals as well as yours.
- Reinforce your gratitude and shared values
- Include a forward-looking statement
Generic close: “This scholarship will help me succeed in university.”
Customised close: “Receiving the Beacon Trust Leadership Award would not only ease my financial challenges, but also allow me to continue mentoring underrepresented students — something I know your foundation deeply values.”
Use Keywords and Themes from the Provider
Don’t force it, but reflect their language where appropriate. If they mention:
- “Community resilience” → use examples of community work
- “Innovation in science” → highlight creative STEM projects
- “Equity in education” → discuss your role in promoting inclusion
Think of it like SEO — echoing their language shows alignment, without sounding unnatural.
Review and Adjust Tone
Every traditional and niche scholarship has its own voice. Some may be academic and formal, while others are youth-led or conversational.
Match your tone to theirs:
- Formal/academic: Use a professional tone, clear structure, and no contractions
- Youth-oriented/non-profit: Be more conversational, heartfelt, and expressive
- Industry/tech-based: Use clear, analytical thinking and real-world application
Real-life example: “I aspire to become a biomedical engineer specialising in prosthetic innovation” might suit a science-focused fund. “I want to build affordable, life-changing tech for people like my uncle, who lost his limb and dignity in the same accident” might work better for a human-centred foundation.
Create a Reusable Essay Bank (with Care)
While full recycling isn’t ideal, there’s no need to start from scratch every time. Build a “bank” of:
- Personal stories
- Paragraphs focused on different themes (leadership, hardship, ambition, impact)
- Opening and closing templates
- Commonly asked questions and answers
Then mix, match, and revise to fit each scholarship.
Tool: Use Notion or Google Docs folders to organise content by theme for faster access.
Quick Customisation Checklist Before You Submit
Use this last-minute checklist to make sure your essay is adapted properly:
- Have I answered this prompt completely?
- Have I mentioned or referenced the provider and their values?
- Is my tone a good match?
- Have I included the most relevant examples from my life?
- Have I clearly stated how the scholarship helps my goals and how I align with theirs?
Real-Life Example: Daniel’s Essay Transformation
Daniel, an aspiring software engineer, was applying to two scholarships — one from a tech startup fund, the other from a local business council.
His base essay was solid: it talked about his passion for coding, his mobile app for helping dyslexic students, and his dream to make accessible tech.
Here’s what he changed:
- Startup fund essay: He focused on innovation, scaling the app, and his goal to launch a tech venture.
- Business council essay: He focused on local impact, supporting students in his town, and returning as a mentor.
Both essays were 80% the same. But that 20% customisation made all the difference — and he won both awards.
Conclusion: Customisation Is Connection
Tailoring your essay isn’t about bending your story — it’s about amplifying the parts that matter most to each audience.
By investing a little extra time to research, reframe, and reword, you’re showing respect for the scholarship provider — and giving your application the edge it needs.
You don’t have to write 10 different essays. You just have to write one story — well told, in many ways.
Ready to Get Started?
- Pick one essay you’ve already written.Choose a new scholarship and adapt the opening and closing to match.
- Start your essay bank. Sort stories by theme so you can reuse strategically.
- Need help refining your essay for a specific award? Drop a comment below and I’ll share quick tips tailored to your scholarship!
Because when your scholarship essay speaks their language, your voice gets heard.
