8 Mistakes to avoid when writing a scholarship motivation letter

Your scholarship motivation letter is one of the most essential documents you will submit as part of your scholarship application.

The goal of your scholarship motivation letter is primarily to convince the scholarship body that you are the most preferred candidate for the scholarship opportunity by showcasing and

highlighting your professional work experience and leadership. Through your scholarship motivation letter, you share your experience, your goals and

what makes you best fit and also why you are choosing the scholarship amongst the others that you may have come across.

From the details above you can see that there may be the tendency of over sharing or under sharing of information which may present your motivation letter not in the most professional way.

Also, how you put these information together matters. In this post we have put together the 8 common mistakes scholarship applicants usually make when writing their motivation letter and how they can avoid them.

1. Being too generic or vague

This can happen when you use one motivation letter for multiple scholarship applications. This usually shows a lack of research and

personalization of the motivation letter which should be tailored to the scholarship requirements.

It is usually not easy to write multiple motivation letters for different scholarships but the end goal of winning a scholarship should motivate you to do so.

To make it easy, you can write one central motivation letter that you can tweak to fit each scholarship you want to apply for. All you have to do is edit the core details that are related to the intended scholarship.

2. Focusing only on your needs

Stating your financial need in your motivation letter is just one of the important details you should highlight.

There are also several important details to capture so do not focus solely on why you need a scholarship. It is also important to talk about your impact, potential and share your capabilities.

This creates a balance. You do not want to come off as being needy but also resourceful and ambitious. You want to also present a clear vision for your future by highlighting future goals and how the scholarship will help you achieve them.

3. Writing in a disorderly manner

Before you start writing your scholarship motivation letter, you should write down a clear format that the writing will follow.

Following a clear format to write your motivation letter does not only make it orderly it also makes it easier to read and comprehend which further presents you as a well detailed and organized applicant.

First, write your introduction. Then you move to the body. This is where the real writing happens. You can organize it into two parts, depending on the details the scholarship body has requested for and also the number of words or characters given.

The first part could be on your academic achievements and excellence, goals and motivation then the second part of the body of your motivation letter can be on how the scholarship will help you reach these goals and why you think you are best fit. Then you can add a concluding part.

4. Not expressing your motivation clearly

Something inspired you to further your education through scholarship. That thing is your motivation. It could be you want to be able to help more people professionally, or you just want to expand your knowledge, etc.

There are several reasons why you would want to further your education and thIs should be expressed clearly in your motivation letter. You don’t have to say everything, but be sincere enough to make it real and relatable no matter how peculiar it is to you.

5. Ignoring the scholarship’s criteria

Win International scholarships with this guide. Click here to get your copy

Before you begin writing, carefully review the scholarship’s criteria to understand what is expected. This will help you tailor your letter to show how you meet those requirements, which will increase your chance of winning the scholarship.

6. Using generic and overused statements

One common mistake a lot of applicants make when writing their scholarship motivation letter is the overuse of phrases like “I have always wanted to help people” or “I am passionate about learning.” While these statements may be true, they are often too general and overused, which can make your motivation letter come across as insincere or lacking originality and uniqueness.

Instead of relying on these common phrases, take some time to reflect on your own personal experiences and use your real life examples that genuinely show your motivation, dedication, and passion. This way, your letter will not only stand out but will also feel more personal and authentic to the scholarship body.

7. Ignoring grammatical errors

Like we have mentioned previously, your scholarship motivation letter is a reflection of your personality and professionalism. Submitting a motivation letter that contains typos or grammar errors will give an impression of carelessness and poor attention to detail.

It also suggests weak communication skills, which may reduce your chances of winning the scholarship. Before you submit your letter, make sure to proofread it multiple times, and if possible, ask someone else to review it for clarity and correctness.

8. Being too humble or arrogant

Your scholarship motivation letter is meant to showcase your strengths and achievements in a way that aligns with the scholarship’s goals. However, some applicants make the mistake of either downplaying their accomplishments out of modesty or exaggerating them in a way that appears boastful.

Both extremes can negatively affect the impression you make on the scholarship body. What you should do instead is strike a confident and balanced tone and present your achievements honestly and clearly, while connecting them to your academic goals and the impact you hope to make.