national merit essay
yes, my essay. it's total b.s. not bad, per se, but it's all fluff. with embellishment. and a little bit of bold-faced lying. but only a little. I'm only posting this because of computer and network troubles, and I need to print it tonight. read it or don't. you may as well not. you won't get anything out of it.
In your own words, describe your personal characteristics, accomplishments, primary interests, plans, and goals. What sets you apart? Your essay of about 500 words should be typed on this form or computer printed and affixed with nonglare tape.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is well known and respected for rewarding high-performing high school seniors around the country, helping deserving students to attend the colleges and universities they wish to. But what is merit, anyway? Thanks to Merriam-Webster, I know: merit, a noun, is a feature or quality that deserves praise; or worthiness. Now, I doubt that anyone would question that the students who have won your scholarships are meritorious, but is it possible that there are those who are unjustly overlooked, simply for not fulfilling the classic social standards of merit? Who decides what those standards are? Individual merit can be judged only with individual measures, and one’s worthiness, even for such an honor as your scholarships, can’t always be completely quantified in such a way as to be reflected in GPAs or standardized test scores (though, in my opinion, test scores are a FAR more accurate gauge). No, a true understanding of a person is needed to be able to make such a judgment, which I hope can be reached by reading an application essay of only 500 words.
I do believe I am worthy of the honor that a national merit scholarship brings. My academic performance may not be on par with that of all of my peers, but I have excelled in other categories. My test scores, standardized and otherwise, have consistently been well above-average, and my scores on the SAT (740 math, 740 verbal) and the ACT (composite 35) are nothing less than exceptional. But even these do not indicate why I think I deserve fair consideration as a finalist. To learn that, just ask any of my teachers over the years what they think of me. They’ve often found me frustrating, complicated, and somewhat annoying, what with my constant challenging their instruction. But they’ll almost universally agree that, while I have not always shown it, great talent exists within me. Talent which, well, merits consideration for your merit scholarships.
Specifically, I deserve such consideration because of what such a scholarship would mean for me. I certainly desire higher education, and I can handle the difficult course load that would accompany enrolling at a prominent learning institution. A national merit scholarship, or just the honor of being a finalist for one, would aid me greatly in being accepted to and paying for such a school. A career goal of mine is to become a civil engineer, working for a firm like Merrick or DCA Engineering. Such national practices do not hire people without impeccable credentials and degrees from colleges well-renowned for their engineering schools. To that end, I would like to attend to attend Purdue University, or perhaps Miami (OH) University. These are selective institutions, but I am confident that if I am a National Merit scholar, I would be admitted and have the opportunity to learn from some of the best professors in the nation, preparing for a fulfilling career improving my community.
In your own words, describe your personal characteristics, accomplishments, primary interests, plans, and goals. What sets you apart? Your essay of about 500 words should be typed on this form or computer printed and affixed with nonglare tape.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is well known and respected for rewarding high-performing high school seniors around the country, helping deserving students to attend the colleges and universities they wish to. But what is merit, anyway? Thanks to Merriam-Webster, I know: merit, a noun, is a feature or quality that deserves praise; or worthiness. Now, I doubt that anyone would question that the students who have won your scholarships are meritorious, but is it possible that there are those who are unjustly overlooked, simply for not fulfilling the classic social standards of merit? Who decides what those standards are? Individual merit can be judged only with individual measures, and one’s worthiness, even for such an honor as your scholarships, can’t always be completely quantified in such a way as to be reflected in GPAs or standardized test scores (though, in my opinion, test scores are a FAR more accurate gauge). No, a true understanding of a person is needed to be able to make such a judgment, which I hope can be reached by reading an application essay of only 500 words.
I do believe I am worthy of the honor that a national merit scholarship brings. My academic performance may not be on par with that of all of my peers, but I have excelled in other categories. My test scores, standardized and otherwise, have consistently been well above-average, and my scores on the SAT (740 math, 740 verbal) and the ACT (composite 35) are nothing less than exceptional. But even these do not indicate why I think I deserve fair consideration as a finalist. To learn that, just ask any of my teachers over the years what they think of me. They’ve often found me frustrating, complicated, and somewhat annoying, what with my constant challenging their instruction. But they’ll almost universally agree that, while I have not always shown it, great talent exists within me. Talent which, well, merits consideration for your merit scholarships.
Specifically, I deserve such consideration because of what such a scholarship would mean for me. I certainly desire higher education, and I can handle the difficult course load that would accompany enrolling at a prominent learning institution. A national merit scholarship, or just the honor of being a finalist for one, would aid me greatly in being accepted to and paying for such a school. A career goal of mine is to become a civil engineer, working for a firm like Merrick or DCA Engineering. Such national practices do not hire people without impeccable credentials and degrees from colleges well-renowned for their engineering schools. To that end, I would like to attend to attend Purdue University, or perhaps Miami (OH) University. These are selective institutions, but I am confident that if I am a National Merit scholar, I would be admitted and have the opportunity to learn from some of the best professors in the nation, preparing for a fulfilling career improving my community.