Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course will include information and activities relating to the OSAC (Oregon Student Assistance Commission) scholarships process targeting Oregon residents.  

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify and understand purpose for specific scholarship essay prompts.
• Research most appropriate potential scholarship essays.
• Analyze audiences for specific scholarship essays.
• Evaluate essays for organization, structure, clarity, focus, language, and overall quality.
• Write and revise effective essays for competitive scholarships.

Activities will include lecture and discussion, in-class and out-of-class informal writing to practice responding to typical scholarship essay prompts, analysis of sample essays, researching scholarships, drafting original essays in response to actual scholarship essay prompts, working through drafts in peer review groups, and revising essays to create final drafts appropriate for submission in selected scholarship applications.

Students may conference with the instructor outside of class by arrangement.

The instructor will assess the student using in-class and out-of-class writing assignments and group discussion. Assessment methods will include:

• Written and revised short essays demonstrating self-analysis and audience analysis.
• Discussion of audiences for scholarship essays.
• Peer review of essays for effectiveness.
• Utilization of appropriate scholarship submission formats (e.g. formal letter, on-line submission form, etc.).

Additional assessment methods may include presentations, portfolios, and/or journal writing.

General composition concerns such as: audience, purpose, process, style, and mechanics. Self-analysis relevant to competitive scholarships including evaluating academic and life skills, career plans, community involvement, etc. Persuasive writing for targeted academic and financial audiences. Effective delivery of written scholarship application materials.

Students produce final essay drafts for at least two actual scholarship applications, which may vary widely in word count depending upon the scholarship requirements. The course focuses on preparing essays for the PCC Foundation scholarship (three 350-word essays) and the Oregon Student Assistance Commission (OSAC) scholarship applications (four 150-170 word essays), but students have the opportunity to substitute other scholarship applications, with instructor approval.