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CSW Industrials Mary Burns Scholarship Program

Helping Tomorrow's Leaders Succeed Today

Tips for a Successful Application

The application process is straightforward and can be completed within 30 minutes if you are prepared to provide the following materials:

  1. DETAILS regarding the school/program you plan to attend in Fall 2026, including estimated annual costs, whether you have been accepted into the school/program as of your scholarship application date, and where to send your scholarship grant, should you receive one.
  2. Submit an ESSAY (maximum 500 words, Word or PDF) responding to one of these prompts: influences that have shaped who you are; life lessons learned outside the classroom; or achievements that are meaningful to you. We encourage you to be honest and reflective. You do not need to write what you think an “ideal” applicant would say. The independent CSW Scholarship Committee values authenticity and wants to understand who you are at this point in your life, any challenges you have faced, what you hope to accomplish after high school or college, and the steps you plan to take to reach these goals.
  3. A CV/RESUME (1 or 2 pages; Word or PDF) Don't have one? This Resume Genius video will help you get started. Keep in mind that you are applying for a scholarship grant, not a job, so your CV/resume should focus more on what you learned while working and/or volunteering and less on your job duties and tenure.
  4. A recent PHOTO of yourself (JPG or PNG, minimum size 1MB). This will be used for internal purposes only, should you be a scholarship recipient.
  5. The NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS of one or two current/former instructors or other adult, non-family members/friends who can submit a recommendation letter on your behalf. (Note: You must provide their names and email addresses because the system will automatically notify them that you are requesting a recommendation letter and provide instructions for how to do so.)

In addition:

  • RECOMMENDATIONS
    • Before you provide the name an email address for your Recommender, ask the individual whether they are willing to provide a recommendation for you. If they agree, fill out the recommendation request in the application and tell your Recommender(s) to expect an email from CSW Industrials and to also check their spam folders for this communication.
    • IMPORTANT: You can submit your application after you submit your Request for Recommendation, but your application will not be considered complete until the Recommender submits their recommendation. (This is a good reason to request more than one recommendation - in case one Recommender misses their March 13th deadline, chances are good that another Recommender will not.)
  • TRANSCRIPT
    • Please request your official transcript from your school when or immediately after you apply. Some schools may take two weeks or more to process your request; transcripts must be received no later than the program deadline of March 13, 2026.
  • INSTRUCTIONS/PROOFREADING
    • Attention to detail is important, so follow all instructions and review all materials - application, essay, CV/resume - before you submit your application. The presence of spelling or grammar errors will negatively affect your application.
  • QUESTIONS?