Like any life-changing decision, choosing a scholarship begins and ends with yourself. What are you passionate about? How can you give back? Why do you want to succeed? The answers to these questions will guide you from application to acceptance.
Many students approach us seeking advice on scholarships. They ask, “What scholarships should I apply for?”, “What industry should I get into?”, “Am I eligible to apply for a scholarship?”
We don’t have an answer to all these questions. In fact, no one does, because the answer is something you have to decide for yourself. But how do you arrive at that answer?
Phase 1 – Discovery
Understand your strengths, weaknesses and interests. What is your motivating factor? What career goals do you have? This is crucial in the scholarship journey.
In this phase, you need to establish your preferred career path (industry), preferred career options (job), and preferred subjects (courses of study). Tools like the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can help you identify your strengths and what resonates with you.
Here’s an Example
Goal: “I want to help people!”
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Possible industry: Healthcare, social work
Possible career: Doctor, therapist, social worker
Related course of studies: Nursing,
Physiotherapy, Medicine, etc.
Phase 2 – Research
Once you have an idea of what you want, begin researching. Learn more about the courses and subjects you’re interested in, and build a picture of what a career in your chosen field would look like.
It’s very important not to limit yourself at this stage. Read widely, brainstorm, ask your friends. Students often focus on bond-free scholarships, typically offered by universities, and overlook other possibilities. However, if everyone applies to those same scholarships, the competition becomes tough, and you need to be realistic about your chances. Instead, find organisations whose missions align with your personal goals.
Then, look into the scholarships themselves. What are the minimum academic requirements? Do they emphasise varied experience, or specialisation? And, of course, what benefits do they offer?
Phase 3 – Shortlisting
Now, start thinning down your list. Focus on the scholarships you are interested in. Another common error is to apply for every scholarship that meets your grade requirements. Students who do this often lack the time to compile an outstanding application that highlights their individual skills, and frequently end up sending the same application to multiple providers or using AI. These students risk being rejected.
Ensure that the scholarship providers align with your career opportunities. Ensure that you have reviewed the provider’s corporate mission and core values, and that they align with your own beliefs.
Next, we will review the scholarship requirements. Prepare a checklist to ensure you don’t leave anything out. Refer to our guide on Building Your Portfolio!
Phase 4 – Application
First, what should you include in your application? Some organisations have bespoke portals that will guide you step-by-step on their specific requirements, but most applications require:
□ Academic records
□ Recommendations and testimonials
□ Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) records
□ Volunteering or Community Involvement Programme (CIP) records
□ A personal statement (usually 300 words) that describes your background and demonstrates why you deserve this scholarship.
Assuming you have organised and filed your documents previously for easy retrieval, the personal statement will take up the bulk of your application time. Write, refine and redraft as much as you need to ensure you’re presenting a compelling case for yourself. And be sure to tailor each statement to the organisation, not send the same one with each application!
Once you organise your materials, submit your application. Don’t expect scholarship applications to work as instantly as credit card approvals. Dedicate about an hour to each application to create a buffer for slow internet, file conversions, and required questions. After you submit your documents, look for an email confirming receipt. Now, sit back and wait. Good luck!
The personal essay is the first time the scholarship committee will “meet” you, so make it count! Write to persuade, impress and promote yourself (you can follow our 10Ps). And remember to create separate personal statements for each scholarship application, especially when applying for two different scholarships offered by the same provider.
Phase 5 – Interview
This is the final phase of the scholarship journey. After sending out all the applications, it is time to prepare for the interviews. Here are some pointers that you need to observe.
□ Read up about the scholarship providers that you have applied for. Know the company’s business or the organisation’s purpose, vision, mission and goals.
□ Refresh your personal statement essay. You may be questioned on it!
□ Prepare for potential interview questions and rehearse your answers so that you’ll speak smoothly and with confidence on the big day. (Use the PAR and STAR method to deal with tricky questions!)
□ Get some practice in. Ask your friends or mentors to pretend to conduct an interview with you.
□ Some providers require interviewees to take personality or aptitude tests, so familiarise yourself with them.
After the interview, remember to pat yourself on the back for a job well done, regardless of the outcome. Scholarship applications are difficult and tricky, so you’ve done well!
The scholarship application is a marathon and not a 100m dash. There is definitely a lot of hard work and preparation that goes into the process. The scholarship journey is indeed challenging, but the rewards can be fulfilling.
