• The NJUHSD Scholarship Program partnered with Going Merry to host our local scholarships and offer you national ones.   
• Going Merry Link:

 

Student Writing Responses

These writing responses are to be copied and pasted into each scholarship application. Each scholarship application has four questions, which are the four written responses.  

 

Student Statement (500 words or less)

Consider your audience. The real question is, why should our organization give you
scholarship money? Tell us a story about yourself to share who you really are. Brag! Remember, the readers have your transcripts, your letters of recommendations, etc.

What don’t we already know about you? It can be anything beyond or related to school, most
often beyond the classroom that you have done: student leadership, sports, clubs, theater,
band, 4H, church, volunteer or work experience.

The key is to take this activity and make it into a story about YOU. Is there an event or a time
when you learned a life lesson, changed your mind about something, or even overcame a
challenge that SHOWS YOUR CHARACTER?

Some students have faced hardship in life. A hardship story can be compelling if students can

show how they faced those obstacles, such as by linking the challenges to a career goal. Or tell how
they found the strength to succeed as a student despite the hardship.

 

Tell about something you did in your school career that was meaningful. Community
service is great here. You can write about something you did over time or focus on one specific
event. Be sure to tell how this event impacted you.

 

Purpose: To explain why you need financial assistance for your education.

Readers will have your financial information already. So, this part focuses on your family’s
situation. What kind of work do your parents do? How many people are in your family? Are there
other people going to college? Are there hardships such as illness or disability? What college
are you planning to attend? What is the cost of that school? How does your family plan to pay?
Remember, this is confidential. And you are asking for money.

 

Where do you hope to see yourself in 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years? What excites you most about life after high school? Is there anything you're nervous about for life beyond high school?

• 5-Year Vision:
• Education/Career Path: Describe your immediate goals, such as pursuing higher education, starting a career, or gaining specific experiences.
• Personal Growth: Mention any personal milestones you aim to achieve, like becoming more independent or developing new skills.
• 10-Year Vision:
• Career Advancement: Discuss where you hope to be professionally, such as having advanced in your field, starting your own business, or having gained significant experience.
• Life Milestones: Include other important life goals, like relationships, family, or personal achievements.
• 20-Year Vision:
• Long-Term Goals: Outline where you see yourself in the long run—settling into your career, contributing to your community, or achieving lifelong dreams.
• Legacy: Consider what kind of impact you want to have on the world or how you envision your contributions being remembered.
• Excitements & Nerves:
• Excitements: Share what you’re looking forward to, like newfound freedom, new experiences, or pursuing your passions.
• Nervousness: Acknowledge any concerns or uncertainties, such as the challenges of adult responsibilities or navigating a new environment.

Tone & Tips:

• Tone: Be optimistic but realistic. Show excitement for the future while being honest about the challenges you anticipate.
• Brevity: Stick to the word limit by focusing on the most important aspects of each time frame.
• Reflection: Use this opportunity to reflect on your aspirations and how they align with your values and interests.

This approach will help you cover the required areas while staying within the word limit.

Helpful Tools

District Application Activities Record 

 

Counselor Letter of Rec Request.pdf

 

• Create an account using your personal email address, not your school email address, and make it appropriate.
• Complete your Student Responses (all four are required; see the above).
• Identify two individuals who can write you a letter of recommendation.  
• Complete any additional information needed. Some scholarship applications require additional pages, essays, art submissions, etc., as required for those scholarships that ask for them, and upload them to your Go Merry account. Please upload these documents to your Go Merry profile in your "Documents" folder—label the file with the scholarship name.  

 

 

 

 

  

• Remember to upload the additional documents required to your Going Merry account and attach it to the scholarship application.  There is not an option to turn it in later or to anyone else.  Turn it in with your application on Going Merry.