Quick & Easy Guide To Creating A Student Bio

Good News. You just learned that you have received a scholarship or an award.
Maybe months ago you applied for this scholarship and since you haven’t hear back assumed that you were no longer in the running. But today you received the notification that you won the scholarship! With all that’s been going on in the last few months this glimmer of good news is a bright light on the horizon. The scholarship organization tells you that they’re delighted to give you this award and in order to receive it you need to formally accept it. They ask you for a headshot photo. Check! You’ve got your senior portrait or that brilliant headshot from your cousin’s wedding. They then ask you for a quote. Not a problem you’ve got a favorite quote that you’ve always used. They then as you for a bio! You panic. A Bio!! Not only do they want you to send them a Bio they want you to send it ASAP.

Use these Elements of a Bio to Easily Create Yours

WHO are You? Essentially your full name. It’s up to you whether or not you want to include your middle name. Also if you have a nickname you might want to include in parenthesis.

WHERE are you from? How you frame this is totally up to you. You might choose to say your from New York or The Bronx it’s completely up to you. However, remember that people like specifics, it makes your bio more memorable. It’s a bio and the point is for people to get to know you. If you’re from a small town you might say “Madera which is a small town in California’s Central Valley.”

WHAT have you done in high school or in college that you believe makes you stand out. Talk about something dynamic that you have done. Chances are this will be what you highlighted in the scholarship essays so feel free to include that in this section. This is not a time to be modest. Remember you’re writing this in third person so don’t worry you’re not going to sound conceited.

WHEN you graduate what do you plan to do after?  For example,  “After receiving (his/her) Bachelor’s degree in (name of major), (Your name) plans to work in (Dream job or industry).”  You can be general or you can be specific. Maybe you want to go to graduate school but don’t know specifically what you want to pursue. You can keep it general and say that you plan to attend graduate school OR if you know what you want to do you can be specific. “After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in (Major) (Your Name) plans to pursue a PhD in (Discipline) focusing on (Sub-discipline).

Some Examples
Discipline: Mechanical Engineering Subdiscipline: Robotics
Discipline: Electrical Engineering Subdiscipline: Integrated Circuits
Discipline: Materials Science Subdiscipline: Biomaterials

The WHY should be embedded into your bio.  Everyone has something that motivates them so talk about that. Not sure what that means well ask yourself WHY? Why are you pursuing this field? Why is this your dream job? What has motivated you to be in school and to pursue these interests.

Once you have answered the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and WHY you have all of the elements of your bio.

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