Secrets to Writing a Winning Knight-Hennessy Scholarship Essay
When you applied for Knight-Hennessy Scholars, you wrote an essay about connecting the dots, looking back over your life and influences, and what brought you to that specific moment. I invite you to think back to your essay and to all the trial and error experiments you performed in response to the obstacles and opportunities you had faced in your life. As you venture out into the vast ocean, you’ll get a chance to look back at your life again and again, connecting the dots as they reveal brand-new stories.
She authored an award-winning essay on post-Soviet -I activism based on interviews she conducted in Moldova and Georgia.Founded in 2016, Knight-Hennessy Scholars is named for philanthropist and Nike Inc.
If you are interested in applying for a prestigious scholarship or fellowship opportunity such as the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, the University Fellowships Office can help. The office helps students identify awards, draft and refine essays and application materials, and acts as a liaison to funding agencies. Fellowship advisors meet with students individually in order to provide unique and appropriate advice. Learn more on
Knight Hennessy Scholarship Essay Analysis and Strategies ..
Applying for the Knight-Hennessy scholarship is not something to attempt without support, whether that is from a mentor, colleague, classmate, friend, or consultant service. At Accepted, who can help you manage the application process and revise the essays that are key to a strong application. The only way to create a thoughtful and competitive application is through multiple drafts, lots of thinking, and even more editing. Before you begin the process, consider who might be able to support you and how. For example, a friend might help you decide which personal stories to include, a professor might write you a letter of recommendation and help you focus on your research interests, and a writing professional or colleague could help you communicate your ideas clearly. This will all be very beneficial during the application process.
Other scholarships (like Knight-Hennessy, Rhodes, Mitchell) might not have an essay specifically on leadership, but they expect you to incorporate your leadership experience into your personal statement.
which can be used for strategic guidance, essay and resume editing, and interview coaching for the Knight-Hennessy application.
has been a consultant with Accepted for 19 years and is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW).
Though this prompt encourages you to reflect on past influences, it is incredibly important for you to keep in mind that your answer should be future-driven. By this I mean that you should only include stories from the past that build up to how you currently envision . Focus on the circumstances, key influences, mentors, or moments that have taught, surprised, and motivated you to pursue the goals you plan to work towards as part of your graduate degree while at Stanford. This is the largest piece of text that you will be able to submit for the application, so you must address the personal “why” of your future plans. What moments from the past have shown you that your goals matter to people other than yourself? Why do you wish to have the impact that you wish to have? By connecting the dots in this essay, you should be drawing a clear line, from the past to the present, to your anticipated future and the dream goals that go along with it. Reminder Note: The essay helps the Knight Hennessy Scholars application review committee understand who you are – as opposed to what you have done – and provides you with a rare chance for structured introspection. Think about your past and how the people, events, and situations of your life have shaped who you are today. Then tell us a story that only you can tell.
Reflection on Becoming a Knight-Hennessy Scholar
I don’t see these as 500 words each but rather believe that in most cases Stanford will appreciate a longer essay 1 and a shorter essay 2.
October 9, 2019: This deadline includes not only your application but also your recommenders’ letters.
For professional guidance with your Knight-Hennessy application,
Tips for Your Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program Application
Then, you can talk about how the elements of the Stanford curriculum and the Knight-Hennessy opportunities will combine to prepare you for this future.
Essays 1 and 2 combined need to remain 1000 words or less.
Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
The program's application was by far the most difficult and creative one that I have ever encountered in admissions processes. Candidates were required to submit two separate applications - one for a graduate program of choice at Stanford, and the other for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program. The essay questions pointed to deep self-reflection on how our past experiences have influenced where we are at now, and where we plan to be in the future. For guidance, we were referred to Steve Jobs' 2005 commencement at Stanford, where he shared three stories that shaped his life of going from an adopted child, to a college drop-out, and a founder of one of the world's most successful companies. "You can't connect the dots looking forward - you can only connect them looking backwards," Jobs said in that speech. To help us connect the dots in our lives, we were directed to "Designing Your Life" run by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. Prototyped into what has become one of the most popular classes at Stanford, Burnett and Evans' main idea is design thinking to converting passion into reality in our lives. I will spare you a dose of motivation to learn more about their concepts and stop before diving too much into them! All in all, I had finally submitted my applications to Stanford Graduate School of Business for the MBA program, and to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program, by the end of September 2017.
Knight-Hennessy Application Steps
Essay 2: Describe three different paths for your career and life. To prepare for them, what do you need to learn at Stanford as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar? For Essay 2, you may find it helpful to review the work by Stanford faculty Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.