What does contributing to the college community mean for scholarship applications?

In the context of scholarship applications, what does it mean when they ask how you plan to contribute to the college community? Are they looking for clubs, volunteer work, or something else? Would love any examples or tips on answering this.

When a scholarship application asks how you plan to contribute to the college community, it is seeking to understand how you will engage with, and potentially transform, the campus environment and culture. This can involve a wide variety of activities such as joining clubs or organizations, starting your own club, participating in student government, contributing towards athletics, or volunteering.

For instance, if you've been involved in high school theatre and are interested in continuing this passion at college, you could detail how you plan to involve yourself in the college's theatre community. Maybe you're excited to act in productions, write your own plays, or support behind-the-scenes work such as costume or set design.

Alternatively, if you have a strong interest in environmental activism, you could talk about how you plan to join the college's sustainability committee (if one exists) or start a new environmental initiative on campus.

Another example would be if you are a prospective engineering major based on a strong interest in STEM education, you could discuss creating a tutoring program for underclassmen in STEM courses or starting a girls in STEM club to encourage more women in the field.

Remember to be authentic and emphasize how you will make a unique contribution. The scholarship committee wants to know how your individual perspective, experiences, and passions will enrich their communities—not just how you'll participate in existing activities—but how you'll take initiative or contribute in unique and meaningful ways. This question really allows you to highlight how you plan to use your talents, skills, and initiatives to positively influence others within the college community.