<p>Please help me win a local scholarship [tips]
I live in a rural area, and there is a local scholarship that I applied for. It’s only available to members of my county. I was selected, along with 5 other people from my school, as a semi-finalist. I have an interview later this month. Typically, 2 people from my school each year get this full-ride scholarship to any school in the state.</p>
<p>I feel as if I’m at a disadvantage. I am number 3 in my class (#1 and #2 were also both selected.) I don’t have an expensive illness (like #1). My parents’ income is greater than both #1 and #2, but it’s still enough that I need aid.</p>
<p>I have the best SAT score in my school (not bragging, just saying). I have a lot of extracurricular activities also, and I’m an officer in the clubs that #1 and #2 are just officers.</p>
<p>How can I stand out in the interview? Since it’s a local scholarship, I’m thinking of stressing the fact that I want to become a pharmacist and move back to the area. I also want to talk about grad school expenses which my parents probably won’t be able to help much with if I don’t get a scholarship for undergrad. I get really nervous in interviews…can I fix this in less than two weeks?</p>
<p>Help me please! </p>
<p>(I posted this in the scholarship section and was advised to move it here. original post: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/881396-please-help-me-win-local-scholarship-tips.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/881396-please-help-me-win-local-scholarship-tips.html</a> )</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Never mention your “competitors” during your interview. Do not try to compare you with them directly.</p></li>
<li><p>Do not tell your interviewers what they can do for you. Tell them what you will be doing for them (for your community) with the aid of this scholarship.</p></li>
<li><p>Be very upbeat and positive. Practice with someone playing the role of your interviewer.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks! (Love the screen name by the way!)</p>
<p>I get really nervous during interviews, and I know #1 is a great interviewer. This just makes me more nervous. I’m going to practice with my guidance counselor soon, so hopefully this will help…</p>
<p>If I haven’t had much adversity, how should I address this?</p>
<p>Try not to think of the other two at all. In some ways it’s a bummer to know your competition. Being super polished in an interview doesn’t always come across to an adult the way it comes across to young people, and being a little nervous is okay because it shows that you care and you aren’t too confident. The advantage of knowing your competition is that you can highlight what makes you different.</p>
<p>My children haven’t had much adversity in their lives either–aren’t you all lucky? I think you can say how fortunate you are–you might even throw in about how great it is to live in such a loving community and you hope to return there after college–you get the idea. It’s okay to be 18 and have a good life. You do not need to apologize. My children have huge advantages–lucky them. You might also mention any good you have done to help others.</p>
<p>Do try to predict questions. You might even do an internet search for typical interview questions. Think of how you might answer the questions. Good luck.</p>
<p>Do you know any of the previous recipients? It might be helpful if you could contact them and ask for general guidance. They may tell you what their “big” questions were. This could be very helpful for your preparation.</p>
<p>I agree that you should absolutely NOT mention the names of any of your competitors. However, I’d use that knowledge to your advantage. Think of ways to set yourself apart from nos. 1 and 2 so that you stand out. After all, if the committee only wanted the top two GPAs in the school they’d just award the scholarship without interviews. But, again, don’t mention them by name, or even allude to them.</p>
<p>I love what you said about wanting to come back to the community. And I think it’s great you know what you want to study and that it includes graduate school. Let them know that because grad school is in your future you would like to escape undergrad with as little debt as possible.</p>
<p>Please come back and let us know how it goes. Practicing is a good idea, even by yourself in your room. Good luck!</p>
<p>Dress smart. No jeans, t-shirts. </p>
<p>If you are a guy, a tie would be nice – these days, many times kids do not wear one, but depending on the interviewer, he or she might like to see that tie. Oh, and wear a belt.</p>
<p>If you are a girl, make sure that you do not wear anything too formal or too revealing. </p>
<p>I know that this will sound a little strange, but do not talk too much. Answer the questions. Just don’t tell your life story. </p>
<p>Give a good handshake to the interviewer when you could in and when you leave. My dad hates this fishy, wimpy handshakes. It shows little confidence in yourself.</p>
<p>Write a thank you note to the interviewers. Saying that you were grateful for the chance to interview for this prestigious honor goes a long way. My son did that last year … and while he didn’t win, I can tell you this. He is the only one of the nine candidates who wrote that note. He must have made them think, because he got a note in return from the committee saying it was sorry it did not another scholarship and wishing him much luck.</p>
<p>Much luck to you!</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses all. I’ll definitely look up questions tonight and try to formulate answers. My best friend was awarded the scholarship last year, but she was in a completely different situation from me; she had A LOT to talk about. I want to sound confident about my future, that even if I face adversity I will persevere through it.</p>
<p>I don’t think I’ll have to worry about talking too much! I’m usually one who talks too little, is too punctual, etc. I may have to think of expansion ideas.</p>
<p>Thank you for telling me to write a thank-you note! I was planning to do this two months ago when I found out I was a semi-finalist, but I believe it had slipped my mind recently!! The winners are announced within a week to two weeks, so it’s a very quick process!</p>
<p>Again, thank you for the advice. I will try to overcome my nerves. I’ve had a few job interviews, and I’ve gotten the jobs…hopefully these interviews have helped me practice a little.</p>