I still remember the day I got the email that I had won a fully funded scholarship. I stayed still for a while. I had been looking for scholarships for so long, I didn’t know what to expect when I eventually win one. At this point, I was very used to seeing the line below
“Thank you for your application, there were so many excellent candidates and you were one of them. The decision was very tight one, but for now, we are sorry to say that we will not be considering you for this scholarship this year. Wish you the best with your endeavors.”
Seeing a different email for the first time, I froze for a bit. I couldn’t tell anyone because I had to be really sure it wasn’t a scam either. I didn’t want to get my hopes up. It took me some time to process but eventually I got used to the idea that things were going to change. One question kept coming to my mind though “what did it take to get here?”
I had gone from a masters holder naive in scholarship applications to now a scholarship winner. What did it take?
I have reflected on this and over the years, as I have met other scholarship winners and learned from their experience, I realized that a few skills are critical to master in order to write really compelling scholarship applications.
During my time, I learned these skills by accident, trial and error, but here you have this list so you can develop them in a more intentional way.
1. Storytelling and Writing
Obviously!! Everyone knows this. Maybe, but most people are not making a conscious and intentional effort to develop and apply these skills when preparing their applications. I know this because thats what I thought too. Writing and storytelling for scholarships requires special application, something I would consider an art. You have to work on it intentionally and consistently.
2. Research and Analytical Thinking
Searching for scholarships takes at least 50% of your time dedicated to scholarships. Scouting the internet, google, blogs, social media profiles, etc to find something that matches your goals, the right place you want to study, and also reasonable deadline can be very time consuming. Its also important to be able to spot scams and legit postings as there are so many of them out here. The better you are at research and analytical thinking, you become significantly better at spotting the right opportunities at the right time.
3. Networking and Relationship Building
I found out that these were always the least obvious skills. It is necessary to develop them as early as possible. While in university, I wasn’t always the best person to create relationships with professors, school mates, or other professionals who showed up occasionally as speakers for events etc. Most students actually, early on in school don’t focus on. building relationships. However, down the line, these are the people who may share with you the best opportunities, give powerful recommendation letters, or provide advice on how to craft great applications. Most candidates only realize the value of this when they are at the point where they need these scholarship opportunities. Building them earlier on can significantly help in making better applications and having access to the best fit opportunities.
4. Organization and Time Management
I had to search for scholarships while running a small business. For most, the search coincides with when they have a full time job, or looking for a job. There isn’t just enough time. For me, and what I advise my mentees in my mentorship programs is to commit to scheduling the tasks in each step of the search and application process. This can be done by adopting a more goal setting + systems thinking approach to the entire process.
5. Resilience and Perseverance
I had hundreds of rejections till I was having rejection emails for breakfast and dinner. I noticed that most applicants give up too early in the process as they often interpret rejection to be a result of a limitation in their abilities and not necessarily something they can overcome. Sometimes the fear of rejection itself causes them not to put in effort in the process especially when applications are long and require essays, letters of intent etc. The entire process itself demands these skills. Developing resilience and perseverance enables you to handle rejections constructively, learn from the feedback, and continuously improve your future applications.
6. Public Speaking and Interviewing
Many prestigious scholarships involve interview stages and it is very likely you will have to do one for your scholarship. I practiced questions and answers for my interview probably more than 100 times. Its not about knowing how to speak at this stage. Its more about the ability to confidently articulate your ideas even under pressure. The only way to beat this is preparation and more preparation. It is at this step you want to x10 your efforts, because you are extremely close. It would be very sad to come so close and then lose because of a lack of preparation.
7. Leadership and Initiative
I kept the best for the last. Scholarship providers are always looking for individuals who demonstrate leadership and take initiative. It is almost always there in the scholarship description or you will be asked a question in the interview “Can you describe a time in your life when you demonstrated leadership and initiative?” It is important to note that leadership is not always about being at the top of hierarchy in an organization. Most candidates don’t know this and fail to mention valuable leadership experiences that can boost their applications. To build this skill and have incredible experiences to talk about, engage in extracurricular activities, community service, or leadership roles where you can showcase tangible impacts. These experiences will substantiate your claims and portray you as a proactive candidate.
I have made this list of skills so you don’t have to go about your scholarship applications with doubts. These are the skills that make the difference between a good and a bad scholarship application. When you know what you have to do, your focus becomes unparalleled. Winning becomes just a matter of time.
If you want to join a community of like-minded individuals to keep you on track and motivated, check out my facebook page. If you want something more hands on, you can sign up for my mentorship program. Check out my free eBook on how to prepare winning scholarship applications even when you have a 2nd class CGPA here.
If you are planning to study abroad this year or anytime soon, please check this out.
I’d love to hear or read your thoughts.
To your success and beyond
Dr. BM Enuh
Very insightful
Thank you..
Thank you
You are welcome
I’m interested