Just give me the money

Why does it have to be so hard every step of the way?

When I started applying for a University in the US I foolishly thought that getting all those documents together (motivational application, recommendations from teachers, certified originals of gradesheets) would be the hard part. That once I was accepted, it would be all champagne and strawberries from there.

Well. It’s not.

Right now I’m writing applications for scholarships and it is downright hard. Asking complete strangers for money is not easy. Especially when you really want the money. What can you say that will make them give you the money? What magical phrase will unlock their treasures?

I don’t deserve their money. I don’t even really need it. My parents will front me the cash I need. In the end it’s just a question of how much money I’ll end up owing them.
So how do you craft an application that represents you as someone who is worthy of strangers’ money?

I’m on complete rewrite number 4 right now, and have the angle of being honest. The application contains no BS about ‘enriching my academic profile’ or ‘bringing competitive advantage back to Denmark’. Instead I simply state that I think I will grow as a person as a consequence of going to the states for 5 months. And that this personal growth is the reason for why I’m going.

It’s the truth. And I do believe that honesty is the best policy.

Whether it will result in me getting any cash is another question.

I will let you know. I mean, this could even turn out to be a study of whether or not honesty in an application really is the best policy or not.