✍️ Writing Your Scholarship Essays
Draft First
- Draft your essays in a separate document before pasting them into the application.
- This makes it easier to revise and ensures you have a saved backup.
- Take your time—there’s a “Save” option in the application so you can come back later.
- Make sure your writing is thoughtful, authentic, and in your own voice.
Need Help?
If you’d like assistance with your essays, contact the Moorpark College Writing Center to schedule an appointment with a writing coach.
(Writing coaches can help you brainstorm, organize, and polish your essays before submission.)
📚Mandatory General Essays
All applicants must complete five short essays (up to 300 words each) to submit the application.
These essays help reviewers understand your goals, experiences, and motivations.
Prompts:
- Educational Goals Essay – Explain the relationship between your academic pursuits and career ambitions. What have you already accomplished, and what do you envision for your future?
- Campus Activities Essay – Describe your involvement in campus life and how it has impacted your overall college experience.
- Community Service Essay – Share your experience with community service. How has it shaped your personal or professional goals?
- Financial Need Essay – Discuss a financial challenge you’ve faced and how it has influenced your approach to your studies.
- Scholarship Impact Essay – How would receiving this scholarship affect your educational journey?
🌟Optional / Special Essays
Some scholarships include optional essays for specific awards.
- You’ll only be considered for those awards if you meet all eligibility criteria and complete the related essay.
- You may answer as many or as few of these optional essays as you like—there’s no penalty for skipping them.
- For a complete list of scholarships, visit the Scholarship Manager database.
(Updated October 14, 2025 for the Spring 2026 application.)
ASMC First in the Family Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Major: Any
- GPA: No minimum required
- Student Status: Continuing or transferring
- Enrollment: Full-time or part-time
- Moorpark College as primary campus
- Enrolled in at least 3.0 units
Essay Prompt (600 words max):
Reflect on your experiences as a first-generation college student. Discuss the challenges and opportunities you’ve encountered and how they have influenced your educational journey and personal growth.
ASMC Mental Health Matters Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Major: Any
- GPA: No minimum required
- Student Status: Continuing or transferring
- Enrollment: Full-time or part-time
- Moorpark College as primary campus
- Enrolled in at least 3.0 units
Essay Prompt (600 words max):
How have you helped reduce stigma around mental health on campus or in your community? In what ways have you encouraged others to care for their mental well-being?
Brian Wolverton Anthropology Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Major: Anthropology
- GPA: 3.0 minimum
- Student Status: Must be transferring
- Enrollment: Full-time or part-time
- Completed at least two Anthropology courses
Essay Prompt (600–1200 words):
Explain how you intend to use your knowledge of anthropology or archaeology to improve the lives of others. Include how you became interested in anthropology, how Moorpark classes shaped your thinking, and examples of how you’ve applied anthropological knowledge in your life or community.
Bruce Garber Legacy Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Major: Any
- GPA: 3.2 minimum
- Student Status: Continuing or transferring
- Enrollment: Full-time
- Must include a letter of recommendation
Essay Prompt (600 words max):
Describe how you uphold the values championed by Bruce Garber—intellectualism, human rights, social justice, civility, environmentalism, and respect for all life. How do you plan to continue these values in your personal and academic pursuits?
Clean Power Alliance Voyager Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Major: STEM, Environmental Science, Engineering, Biotechnology
- GPA: 2.5 minimum
- Student Status: Continuing or transferring
- Enrollment: Full-time or part-time
- Focus: Students aspiring to careers in clean or renewable energy
Essay Prompt (600 words max):
How are you active in environmental sustainability?
George Floyd Memorial Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Major: Any
- GPA: 3.0 minimum
- Student Status: Continuing or transferring
- Enrollment: Full-time
Essay Prompt (600 words max):
In what significant ways have you contributed to the uplift of the Black community or worked to improve race relations between Black and other ethnic groups?
John and Daniel Sherwood Memorial Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Major: Arts, Language & Communication, Business, Technology & Science
- GPA: 2.5 minimum
- Student Status: Must be transferring
- Enrollment: Full-time
- Must be a registered voter who voted in the last election (no proof required)
- Must be involved in community service
Essay Prompt (300–1200 words):
Write a creative response describing a real or fictional travel story.
LGBTQIA+ Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Supports students in the LGBTQIA+ community
- Major: Any
- GPA: 3.0 minimum
- Student Status: Continuing or transferring
- Enrollment: Full-time or part-time
- Must include a letter of recommendation from a Moorpark College faculty member
Essay Prompt (600 words max):
Tell us about your relationship to the LGBTQIA+ community. Describe activities or education (formal or informal) that demonstrate your advocacy or support for the community.
Ranford Hopkins and Cynthia Barnett Multicultural Day Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Major: Any
- GPA: 3.0 minimum
- Student Status: Continuing or transferring
- Enrollment: Full-time
Essay Prompt (600 words max):
In what ways have you promoted understanding among racial and ethnic groups?
🖋️ Other Writing Prompts
Norman F. Garrow Jr. Scholarship for Creative Writing
Eligibility:
- Major: Any major
- Minimum GPA: 2.0
- Student Status: Must be continuing at Moorpark College in the upcoming academic year
- Enrollment: Full-time or part-time
- Credits: Enrolled in ENGL 10A or ENGL 10B
Essay / Writing Requirement:
Students must submit an attachment that includes an original piece of creative writing. Acceptable formats include fiction, prose, or poetry.
Producer's Choice Scholarship – Film/Television/Multimedia
Eligibility:
- Major: Film, Television, Visual Media
- Minimum GPA: No minimum required
- Student Status: Must be continuing at Moorpark College in the upcoming academic year
- Enrollment: Full-time or part-time
- Credits: No minimum required
Essay / Writing Requirement:
Students must submit an original 10–15 page script for review.