Winning a scholarship can be quite the gift as it will give you both monetary assistance and a ticket to quality education. However, most of these scholarships are not only going to require excellent academics and extra-curricular participation, they usually entail an interview for the scholarship.
This is an important part of the selection since it gives you the room to apply within you for the desires that you have, your ambitions and how suitable you are to be awarded the scholarship. In fact, preparing effectively is what will help you impress as the best candidate.
We will look at the various steps and strategies of preparing for a scholarship interview, starting from the very important comprehension of the mission of the scholarship to responses to possible questions that will likely be asked during the interview and anxiety control. Following these recommendations will leave you set to self-advocate you at the interview day.
Know the Focus and Purpose of the Scholarship
Calling attention to the preparation of the interview, time for such a task as the study of the literature providing the description of the scholarship is taken in advance. There must be rules and regulations for every scholarship program, and their goals are mostly associated with a certain corporation or fund. Some of these scholarships are only for academically talented applicants, while other types are offered for social, civic engagement and other types of personal achievement.
Take the time to go through the website of the particular scholarship, and any other documents linked to it with the attention it deserves. Establish the organization’s founders, their organizations objectives and the kinds of students they assist. This information will be of great benefit in assisting you to formulate their answers in such a way as to feed its objective. For example, if it is a scholarship that intends to promote women’s leadership in the youth, then you need to mention those leadership positions that you held and their impact to the society.
Thoroughly Rehearse the Application
Another common tactic is to ask the interviewee questions using the application as an outline so prepare for every aspect of your application. You will need to inspect your scholarship application forms such as your essays, the recommendation letters, and personal statements. Focus on main points you made and be ready to provide further explanations during the interview.
For instance, let’s consider a case in which community service was incorporated in the essay. Be prepared to talk about what the community service project was, what your responsibilities were, what your challenges were and what lessons you learned from this experience. Therefore, you will be able to establish a correlation between the responses you gave verbally and through application.
Change The Conventional Scholarship Interview Questions
Although each scholarship interview differs, there are some common questions that you can expect to come across in almost every interview. Preparation for these questions beforehand would require the actual interviewer to feel more at ease. Here are some common questions that are usually asked during a scholarship interview.
Tell us a little about yourself.
What are the reasons that you deserve this scholarship?
What are your aims and objectives for study and career?
What is this scholarship going to change in your life?
Mention the challenge that you encountered and the ways you overcome the challenge.
What are your greatest strength and weaknesses?
How do you help your community?
What made you choose this course of study?
The above questions are critical in that they require you to have accurately thought about them before the interview. Don’t practice these response every word for word so that you do not appear dully mechanical. Self-serve and include your main points and adjust along the way. This will help you sound more like yourself and present yourself better.
Show Your Passion and Motivation
Most of the common reasons that scholarship interviewers will have an interview will be to check the candidate’s passion and motivation. Yes, academic achievements carry weight but you also have to exhibit that you are a goal getter, a person who is energized and enthusiastic about something. This is your opportunity to express what interests you in the course you have chosen and how you will impact positively in the world in the future.
When people ask you questions, be enthusiastic about the topic. If you are going for STEM scholarship, express the desire to tackle difficult puzzles, or share the excitement of exploring science. On the other hand, if it’s an arts scholarship, talk about how the art of expression has influenced your personal growth. Although in interviews this is more difficult as there are people trying to curtail it, however let it go. This can create an impact on the people who are interviewing you and for how long you will be remembered by them.
Prepare Questions for the Interviewers
While each interview will wrap up in the same way, towards the end you will also have your chance of asking some questions. This is because it is an essential component of the interviews, which indicates that you have reasonably thought through the scholarship and the organization that supports it. Draft an appropriate amount of questions that will signal your authentic interest in the topic.
Good examples of questions that can be asked are:
In your view, what characteristics are most appreciated in a scholarship awardee?
How does the organization keep in touch with the recipients of the scholarship after their education period is over?
Are there any other aspects through which one can be engaged with the organization apart from the regular organizational membership such as internships and vacancies for the students?
What would you recommend to a person in my shoes in regards to advancing in such academia and career choices?
Avoid asking questions that can be easily found on the scholarship’s website or promotional or informational materials. This segment of the interview should highlight your interest and comprehension of the purpose behind the scholarship which you are applying for.
Dress Appropriately and Make the Proper First Impression
One of the most important things is the first impression of a person, especially in an interview. How one looks is able to reveal so much facts about the person and their intentions on the scholarship offered. It is important to note the dress code of the day and dress appropriately that is to avoid too formal or too informal dressing. Even though the platform of the interviews is virtual, dressing professionally will somehow make a difference in the mood setting.
Apart from putting on a nice suit, observe courteous of the time set for the interview (or join the online meeting some minutes ahead) and return the salutations of the interviewers. These include standing up and offering a handshake if it is a real life interview. Even these small gestures help create a good image and show that you mean business.
Good Body Language
Almost as critical as your responses during the interview are the things that you say without words. This is called non-verbal communication, and it can be a critical factor in your success or failure during an interview. To do this, you should:
- Make eye contact with your interviewers whether it is face to face or remote so as to show active participation.
- Posture yourself in an upright position, punctuating regularly to avoid jittery movements that are often misleading.
- Do nodding and smiling on some occasions so that you convey a friendly environment as well as capture the concepts said.
- The non-verbal skills associated with good body language should help support what you say during the interview and also create a good impression on your interviewers.
Regulate Your Over-Energy
It is understandable that people feel anxious prior to a scholarship’s interview, but the most intuitive change would be to control those feelings for a better performance. Interview preparation is one way of alleviating interview nerves. When you are likely to answer questions that make you, it is a good idea to rehearse the same a number of times.
On the day of the interview, give yourself a couple of minutes to breathe yourself and calm down your mind. Similarly, deep breathing, visualization, or a short walk may also be helpful. Understand that the interviewers are not interested in hearing the ‘acceptable’ you hence be yourself and relax.
Send Them A Thank You Note
Once the interview is done, it is best to send a thank you note or an email for the interview. Thank them for the time and ask for the scholarship once more. This can help you reinforce the good impression you made during the interview, showing courtesy and professionalism.
Here’s an example that is easy to follow:
“I would like to express my appreciation toward with you in order to do me a favor and respond to my request.
Dear [Interviewer’s Name],”
“Dear Sir, Madam, Thank you for coming here and giving me an opportunity to speak about my application regarding [Scholarship Name]. It is always a pleasure to talk to you about my dreams and actions. I am looking forward to taking a part in [Organization’s Name] and continuing my studies with help of this scholarship.
Once again my gratitude for every piece of the information rendered.
Best Regards, [Your Name]”
Conclusion
Learners and aspiring members of the public ought to know that looking for a scholarship opportunity and getting prepared for an interview in such cases may prove to be extremely challenging. However with the proper technique it is possible to create a good impression all the while increasing your probability of success and finding a way to take that much desired scholarship.
First right measure entails researching the scholarship, preparing for and practicing answers to the usual questions, demonstrating a genuine love for the course, and control of anxiety prior and during the interview process. It is only this way that with humility grace and determination, one will walk away with that scholarship interview. Do not be afraid of the process of preparing for an interview, it is essential to adjust the time so as not to wait until the last minute.
Good luck!