In order to really compete for some top scholarships you should make sure you follow all the guidelines and pour yourself into this essay. Usually, you will be given a pretty broad topic to write on and you are going to be able to put a lot of yourself into it because people who will be reading this essay want to know who you are and what you plan to do with your life.
Of course, first of all you should have a plan. Second of all, implement that plan whenever you are writing your scholarship essay. In the scholarship essay you should present all your dreams and mold your essay around yourself so it itself will make you shine and you will be more attractive to that particular school. Don’t worry about going over the top in a sense, but do worry about keeping your integrity, make sure you are not writing the essay just to impress, but that you really do stand behind the things you are writing in it.