Revising and Polishing  

Proofread. Many times. Over time.

• Draft the entire app, wait a couple of days, and go back and look at it again with fresh eyes, reading for an overall impression. 
• Then read again and again over time for all the better ideas and examples that may pop into your head the more you think about your answers. Prepare the application EARLY to give you time to harness your subconscious, your creativity, and your own analytical skills.
• Have others give you feedback, from advisors and mentors to friends and family to the scholarship coordinator.
• Expect to do a number of revisions if you hope to be competitive on a national level.

Make sure your writing is technically flawless.

• No typos, no misspellings, no incorrect punctuation. It’s generally expected that you will seek advice on this if needed. Don't hesitate to get feedback from the Writing Center if you need it.
• Read aloud (slowly and carefully) to catch missing words and awkward, convoluted sentences. Restructure awkward sentences or sentences where you are not sure of proper punctuation.
• Then read for clarity and a logical progression of ideas.

Keep it tight!

• Make sure you have written economically. Examine every paragraph and every sentence for their necessity.  Examine every sentence for words you can leave out while still retaining the meaning and impact—often restructuring a long sentence can help you accomplish this.
• This doesn’t mean that you can’t use detail and images and anecdotes and examples and specifics. But keep it tight. Write fully and with passion and conviction, then pare it down to the gold.

Here's a great quote for writers (variously attributed to Cicero, Mark Twain, and others, so who knows?). Believe! It's very true...