For many student achievers, getting a scholarship for their college of choice is a definite dream come true! It brings about many perks! First, it reflects their hard work through the years and can often be considered as a ‘bragging right’ when it comes to applying for their chosen career. Not to mention, having a scholarship can also help with your finances and lessen (or even eliminate) those hefty school loans that take forever to pay. This is why even being considered for a college scholarship is a major big deal for many because it means that your academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, and attitude are considered for this coveted grant.
Choosing the right candidate to bestow the scholarship often begins with a rigorous interview by the school board, often the Dean or the president. This can often be a nerve-wracking and anxiety-laden process for potential candidates because their fate of whether or not they can attend their dream college lies in that one-hour interview. Worry not because here are some tips on how you can ace that interview and win that ticket to your dream college!
Tips on how to Ace that Scholarship Interview:
- Getting to know you questions
Probably the most overused and still most important question asked at the onset of every interview is: “Tell me about yourself.” While you can start with the basics such as your background, academic achievements and whatnot, dig a little deeper on the nature of the scholarship, the background of the school itself, and the academic achievements and personality traits of past scholars. For example, if the award is mostly given to scholars with a STEM background, focus your story on achievements related to Science and Engineering, including unique ways you have positively impacted the STEM community. Another tip is to anchor your values with the school’s mission, vision, and values. Research on the school and make sure that you highlight behavioural indicators reflective of the school’s values.
- What is your Biggest Challenge?
A tricky question that colleges would ask aspiring candidates is what their biggest challenge is and how they can overcome it. While it is fairly common to discuss overcoming an academic achievement, this is only serving yourself with very minimal impact on the community. Consider sharing a story that has a more profound impact on the community, such as the time where you have confronted a bully or led an initiative to reduce plastic use in your neighbourhood.
- The question on your future
Another common question during interviews is, “Where do you see yourself ten years from now?”. Your answer to this question will help paint a picture to the interviewer’s mind on whether your plans for the future involve applying the knowledge and skills you have learned in their college to good use, possibly benefiting your potential alma mater too! Making sure to mention that you include possibly pursuing an internship if available, and then pursuing a career in that college would give you extra brownie points.
The interview process for any scholarship can be nerve-wracking for even the best of the students. Just remember that you are the captain of your ship! You know you better than anyone else – that includes your strengths and development opportunities. Just be yourself, and you’ll breeze through the interview process and get that scholarship! Because scholarships are very important, especially for students who do not have access to good education, Prance Gold Holdings, Inc’s mission is to help people out of poverty by providing education to the world through scholarships. Their vision is to be a pioneering, innovative, and disruptive influence, constantly in search of new and better ways to solve world and economic problems. They have started their roots in Asia and have been working globally from there.