How to get scholarship, step by step

How to get scholarship, step by step
Lay an eye to particular scholarship.

I usually look at scholarship advertisment. If I found it interested,

then I will apply. Although it is possible to find the department where

you want to study first then apply the scholarship, I don`t do that

because usually the nominal of scholarship is small. I am only

interested to fully funding scholarship. Some scholarship, however,

request you to apply officially to university and get accepted before

apply the scholarship (mostly European scholarship I think)


Get the scholarship form and read it carefully

Make sure that you are elligible to the scholarship, you are within the

age range, the topic you want is included, your background is

acceptable etc. Some scholarship is mainly for gov. employee, some are

for age 35 and below, you fulfil the minimum language requirements etc.

Find the university you want to go

Make sure that you know where you want to go. Only very few scholarship

that just want you to write down what subject you want to do and you

can choose the university later. Again, check the requirements

carefully


Collecting the requirement

Be very careful with the requirement. If it requires international

TOEFL/IELTS, then do it. If it is not specified, better ask than sorry.

If it asked for 2 recommendations, get two, some even specifically

asked for direct supervisor, make sure you get it as well. Some

scholarship request you to develop contact with the department you want

to study, then try to get it.


Make sure that your application is "selling"

Imagine yourself the person who need to select which application is

acceptable, which is not. That person need to look hundreds and maybe

thousands of application. Make sure that your application is neat,

clear, concise, to the point and rich instead making it a flowery

boring story that nobody want to finish reading it. Think, what is your

strong point that makes you different from others, what is the founder

agenda etc. Also make sure that when they say one page explanation,

it`s one page. Try to put as much related information in the limited

space


Pay attention to deadline
Things to consider:
Scholarship cost lots of money. Think that it is the founder investing

the money on you. What can you give them in return. Therefore you must

have a clear idea why you want to take the degree, why it is important

for you to take that degree, what your future plan is, how the degree

will support your plan, what is the benefit of your degree and

knowledge for you, for your office, for your country and for the

founder. Remember, no need to bluffing and saying things like "solving

poverty problem in Indonesia" but be more specific and achievable such

enhancing teaching language curriculum in University ABC, particularly

in terms of develooping comprehensive student learning by doing

approach. You must have the confidence that you need the degree, you

can do it, and you can implement your knowledge in your work


Master and above degree is not a path to get a job. I was wrong and

tought master is sellable to get a better job. To some extend yes, but

it is actually wiser to think that master should be used to enhance

your qualification at work. Therefore, make sure that your educational

background, your work and your proposed study are matched, or at least

try to matched them


Have confidence. Technically, passing the administration selection is

the most difficult part. Possibility for a person to pass interview is

much higher than passing the administration part. If you keep failing

in the interview part, means that you are not really clear about your

own proposed study (or you can`t express it well). During the

interview, make sure that it is you that lead the interview, you should

elaborate each question, and it is quite important to be original.

Sometimes it looks nice if you quote from other sources (to make you

look smarter). I like to quote Confucius saying during interview.

During my interview for ASF, the major question was, "why do you want

to this topic, and why you do it in South China? ." The answer:

"Majority of research in this issue discuss the problems that occur in

North China. If I do it in the north like other scholars, what will be

my additional value? The project will use new approach in looking at

the China`s one child policy beyond the common pattern where instead of

comparing single and non single child, I compare male and female single

child. That is my scholarly contribution for the discourse. Later one

of the professor said that he is very impress with that answer, because

they looking for original approach. So, make sure that you have the

confidence, you have the educational background in that issue, and you

seems know what you are going to do,


Get the requirements they want

Make sure that you can fulfil all the requirements. It is very useful

if you have some additional things that you can offer. In my situation,

I get involve with lots of social organisations dealing with HIV, drug

abuse, community empowerment etc. Since I am doing social studies,

these are very positive addition for my applications. Trainings,

seminars, articles are important too.
Hope that the info are useful.