College Scholarship Interview Tips

Preparation It is impossible to predict exactly which questions you may be asked in a scholarship interview, but it is possible to prepare yourself by working out answers to some of the more common questions that get asked in interviews, whether for scholarships or employment. Write down the answers to these questions. What are your greatest strengths? What are your career goals? Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? Tell me about a personal achievement that makes you proud. Tell me about a mistake that you made and what you learned from it. Who has influenced your life and why? Why would you be an excellent recipient of ___ scholarship?

These are the basics. Know these answers cold. Next, think specifically about the scholarship award that you are seeking. Be sure you are very well informed about the organization. What is the mission of the organization offering the award? Who have they given the award to in the past and why? Who are the judges? What is it about your application that made you a finalist?

Use this information to develop responses that you may be able to introduce into the discussion to provide the content that you would like to be sure that the judges hear from you. For example, if you are a finalist in a scholarship competition from an environmental group and you believe that your volunteer work on the local Conservation Commission was key to your selection as a finalist, consider finding examples from that experience to highlight your strengths or describe lessons you have learned. Finally, prepare yourself to make a good impression. If you need a haircut, get a haircut. If you are a nail biter, invest in a professional manicure or even a set of acrylic nails. Select your interview outfit with care. It may or may not be advisable to wear a suit or dress, depending upon the specific situation. However, it is always appropriate to make sure your clothes are clean, they fit correctly, and there are no loose buttons or hanging threads. Familiarize yourself with the working of a steam iron and press your clothes even if the tag says they don't require ironing. Logistics Be sure you know where you are going and how long it will take to get there. Think about traffic flow at different times of the day. It is really hard to concentrate on the questions you are being asked when your heart is still racing from the parking lot dash, there are rivulets of perspiration running down your face, and you have to go to the bathroom but didn't have time. Presentation You look great. You have arrived with enough time to visit the restroom, run a comb through your hair, and pick the dog hair from the car seat off your clothes. You're under control. It's probably impossible to relax under these circumstances, but it may help to remember that you are here because these people think you are a competent, qualified candidate. You earned the right to have this interview. The judges will use this time to get to know you better, and you are working from the advantage that they are already supporters. Help them to help you have a great interview by being as genuinely pleased to be there as you can. Let your enthusiasm for your education show. The personal interview can be a wonderful experience if you can approach it as an opportunity rather than as a trial.

What If...? What if, despite your logistical preparations, you are late or arrive with a big coffee stain on your shirt. Well, you now have the opportunity to exhibit the grace under pressure and ability to adapt that has gotten you so far already. Acknowledge the problem ("I had a flat tire on the expressway"), apologize if appropriate ("I'm so sorry to have delayed our scheduled meeting") and then move on. Don't continue to focus on the initial negative; try to get the process moving forward so you can shine. ("I realize that I'm late, but I'm very interested in participating in the interview if you are ready to move forward.") What if you can't think of a good answer to a question that's been posed? Or you can't even think of a bad answer because your mind has gone blank? Again, grace under pressure is key. Explain that you're having a mental block on that topic just now and ask if it's possible to come back to the question a bit later. Or suggest that it's a really interesting question that has prompted a lot of different ideas for you, and you'd like to take a moment to organize your thoughts. In situations such as this one, it may be best to take a little pressure off by giving yourself a moment to collect your thoughts. There are a lot more possible what-ifs. The key is to remain confident and don't let a problem shake your sense of yourself. The judges recognize the pressure you are under and, as in life, you are often judged not by the reality that problems occur, but by the style with which you manage those problems. Approach the scholarship interview with a sense of confidence, some humility, and enough good humor to get you past any awkward moments.

Tackling that scholarship interview

Wed, 05/28/2008 - 15:11 Anonymous

So youve been invited to attend a scholarship interview but are already feeling the jitters? Let us show you how to prepare for that all-important interview. By Ruth Wong

Congratulations! Being chosen from over hundreds or even thousands of applications for an interview is your first winning step towards getting that much coveted scholarship. The next thing you want to do is to be well prepared for the interviews. EARLY PREPARATIONS Ideally, preparations for the interview should start the moment you are applying for the scholarship. Many organisations hold talks in schools and tertiary institutions, such as during career fairs, to promote themselves and the scholarships they offer.Some organisations even hold special events to publicise their scholarships to selected students. During such occasions, it is common to have scholars from these organisations share their experiences. So seize these golden opportunities to get fi rsthand insights into the selection process what are the interviewers looking for in a candidate, what sort of questions you can expect, and suggestions on how you can prepare for the interviews. But if you have missed this chance, fret not. You can also gather information from the HR personnel or scholarship officer who contacted you about the interview. Find out from her what the selection process involves what are the various tests you need to sit for, how many rounds of interviews there will be, who the interviewers are and how many of them can be expected at each interview and so on. However, be polite and dont sound as if you are a police interrogating a criminal. Unless they are very busy, most HR personnel or scholarship officerswould be willing to answer your questions whenever possible. By the way, some organisations screen potential candidates via phone interviews, so be prepared and dont be caught offguard. During a phone interview, give concise answers. Be polite, articulate your words clearly and sound confident. If the interviewer rang you at a bad time, apologise and arrange to call her back. Unless you are planning to opt out or you encountered an emergency, do ring back promptly at the agreed time. Now back to the information-gathering. You would notice that the selection process in most organisations comprises aptitude tests, personality profi ling, case studies, assessment centres (usually a full day event that includes individual and team activities that allow candidates to demonstrate their leadership, communication, teamwork, analytical skills etc.) and several rounds of interviews. Of these, the interview is perhaps the easiest to prepare for. KNOW YOUR ENEMY The first step towards scoring well in an interview is to know your enemy well, in this case, the organisation that is going to offer you the scholarship. Visit the organisations website, trawl the Internet and get your hands on their publications such as annual reports, newsletters, brochures to learn all you can about what they do, their areas of specialty, the challenges they face, their future plans, the organisational structure and the various divisions, departments and the subsidiaries, if any. It is almost inevitable that at one point or another, you would be asked questions that show how much or little you know about the organisation. A lack of knowledge gives the impression that you are not interested in the organisation. Moreover, most scholarships come with four- to six-year bonds. It is important to decide if you are keen to work for that organisation over that length of time. Furthermore, such research helps you formulate your own questions for the interviewers. Remember, not asking questions may signal your lack of interest. So prepare a range of questions covering the organisation, the job, the career prospects, and of course, the scholarship itself. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Meanwhile, as you prepare a list of questions for the interviewers, anticipate the questions they will ask and get your own answers ready. Write or type them out and look for opportunities to weave in examples to highlight the skills or qualities the organisation is looking for. For instance, to show leadership qualities, you could mention the time when you were leader of a school project and you learnt how to delegate tasks to other members. lways look for

opportunities to mention your selling points, but do not oversell yourself. It is ok to brag within limits, but never, ever lie about doing something you never did. You do not have to memorise the essay-length answers! It would suffi ce to keep a few key points. You dont want to end up sounding as though you were reading a script. Nor do you want to be tongue-tied at the fi rst mention of a question you have not prepared for. In other words, be flexible when answering questions, but stand first on your key points to ensure you give consistent answers. If possible, ask a family member or a good friend to role-play the interview. Get them to pose questions while you practise your answers. Once youre done, ask for honest comments about yourtone of voice, posture and articulation. Ask if your answers sound arrogant or insincere. Or were they too vague or long-winded? Once youve identified your weaknesses, keep working to improve your performance. HANDLING THE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS Sometimes, interviewers may ask some really tough questions. This is not because they want to give candidates a hard time. Rather, they are checking to see how well the candidate responds to unexpected questions. Otherwise, they may also be trying to find out what other hidden qualities you may possess. If youre flustered by the question, you could say, That is something I havent considered. Can I have a moment to think about it before answering? The key here is to be honest and polite. It is unlikely that the interviewer would penalise you for requesting for more time to give a good answer. Now that you have done your preparations, be confident and have faith. Dont forget to use the interview as an opportunity to find out about the organisation fi rsthand. Find out if the organisation matches the impressions youve gained from your own research. In the end, taking a scholarship is not unlike making a career decision, so do your best to make sure youd like to commit a few years with that organisation. Good luck! May you get the scholarship you want, together with an enriching education and a fulfilling career! Click here for scholarships!