∴ How I won a full ride scholarship

Hey Leader of Today,

If you’re part of this community, you’re probably someone that applies to different opportunities each week. Scholarships, Grants, Fellowships, Awards, etc.

As a Leader of Today, I have applied to 100’s of these opportunities and in the early days, I got a lot of no’s.

But after iterating and getting lots of feedback, I slowly started seeing some results.

Diana Award, Global Teen Leader… and eventually a full ride scholarship to UBC.

Today, I am sharing and breaking down the essay that got me the scholarship worth 250,000.

Hoping you can use some of these best practices in your applications.

p.s: trying out this new format, once you’re done reading please let me know if you want more of it.

read time: 5 mins

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In addition to these, here’s the full list of 25+ Youth Leadership Opportunities.

The Winning Application Format

The prompt for the essay was “What is important to You? And why? (250 words)”

Step 1: Start With a Hook That Makes People Lean In

Why this works:

• Unexpected start — most scholarship essays open with “Ever since I was a kid…” or “I have always been passionate about…” This opening immediately grabs attention because it’s raw, surprising, and deeply personal.

• Vulnerability — I lead with something that could be uncomfortable to share. That honesty makes the essay memorable and human.

• Specific details — instead of vague “I was acting strange,” I gave vivid scenes (dancing in a mosque, posting hype videos, etc). That imagery sticks in a reader’s mind.

Takeaway: Start with a scene or moment that makes people lean in, not a résumé summary.

Step 2: Deliver a Turning Point

Why this works:

• It’s a plot twist — I flip the reader’s expectation (“it was just a dream”) into a shock (“it was real, and three weeks had passed”).

• The “out of body” moment invites them to feel my disorientation.

• Short sentences here make the revelation hit harder.

Takeaway: After your hook, deliver a shift that raises the stakes and deepens emotional connection.

Step 3: Sit in the Questions

Why this works:

• I’m open about the confusion, shame, and identity crisis without rushing to “the lesson.”

• The questions are universal — even if someone hasn’t lived my exact experience, they’ve likely asked similar questions about identity and purpose.

Takeaway: Don’t skip straight to “and here’s what I learned.” Let the reader sit in the uncertainty with you.

Step 4: Show the Transformation

Why this works:

• It’s a purpose-driven pivot — turning the negative into motivation.

• It shows personal ownership — “I had a responsibility to change” makes it clear I’m taking accountability, not playing the victim.

Takeaway: Show growth by connecting your experience to a bigger purpose.

Step 5: Re-emphasise Core Belief + Action

Why this works:

• The “tomorrow vs. today” line is simple, sticky, and becomes a mantra.

• I make the shift actionable — I’m not just saying “I value life more now,” I’m showing it (“I started valuing every second”).

Takeaway: End your lesson with a principle that’s easy to remember and repeat

Step 6: Tie It Back to the Prompt

Why this works:

• I directly answer the question, making it clear what’s most important to me.

• My values feel earned because they’re tied to a lived experience — not a generic statement.

Takeaway: Always circle back to the prompt in the final lines so there’s no doubt you’ve answered it.

Why this essay worked:

• Radical honesty — told a story no one else could tell.

• High stakes — life-threatening illness, identity crisis, purpose shift.

• Clear transformation — took a chaotic experience and turned it into a mission.

• Strong closing — leave the reader with clarity on my values

My friend, it’s super vulnerable sharing my essay with 1000’s of us in this community. But I am doing this because there’s so many of us here that are doing such incredible work and have the right talent but still struggle with your applications. I am curious to learn from you - did you find it helpful? Would you like to see more of this? Do you have a winning application that you would like to share with the community? Let me know, would love your feedback.

Sending you some Toronto heat my friend,

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