TEST SCORES
High grade point averages are a must for certain highly competitive scholarships. Many industry-sponsored awards have high GPA requirements in the range of 3.35 to 3.5 on a four-point scale. GMAT and GRE test scores also get a lot of attention when ranking scholarship applicants. Applicants should try to do their best on the standardized tests. Test preparation can raise scores by offering helpful techniques and rehearsing the testing format and test-taking environment. For many students, a lack of realistic expectation can diminish their performance. Students may perform better when they have a positive approach, information about the tests, and some strategies for attacking issues.
The timing for the test can weigh on the student’s performance. Students can get the best results according to some experts by taking the tests during their third and fourth years. The mathematics and other subjects will be fresher before graduation than in the time after when sharpness can fade.
RESEARCH THOROUGHLY
The school selected or under consideration can offer scholarships. Many of the leading schools have deep reservoirs of scholarship funds for needs-based awards and merit-based selections. It is important to search thoroughly within the framework of the selected school and not just the MBA program or business school.
When looking for scholarships, students must thoroughly research the sources of funds. Scholarships can change from year to year and students must carefully review eligibility and restrictions. Many scholarships accept applications on a pre-enrollment status. Some scholarships require achievement of some number graduate semester hours. A frequent requirement involves GPAs of 3.0. Students should always inquire whether the minimum GPA in question is an overall figure or a weighted average that looks at major courses.
APPLY EARLY AND OFTEN
There is no safe way to predict the outcome on a given scholarship application; students can raise the chances for success by making a lot of applications. Most scholarships adjust their awards against many factors such as the student’s need, the number of awards it wishes to make, and its annual budget. When applying to a wide range of scholarships, students must present a strong image of an active and socially engaged person. Scholarship committees also look at GPA and test scores. Since top students apply for scholarships, there may not be a wide range of difference among finalists. Students can distinguish their application with meaningful connections to their communities.
ESSAYS
Many scholarships require essays or personal statements. These writings are opportunities to impress on a reviewer your sincerity and dedication to achieving a career goal. Creativity, insight, and critical thinking are valuable attributes, both in school and in the career that follows. Applicants can take every opportunity to demonstrate these traits. For example, it may seem out of place to mention a hobby like music in an essay about a career in accounting. If the music hobby involves creating original works or performing at a hospital for sick children, then it takes on a new meaning; it expresses something important about the applicant.
BE EXPANSIVE ABOUT ACHIEVEMENTS
Scholarship committees are like employers, educators, and other reviewers of an applicant’s presentation. They seek something to use as a measure of the applicant’s present abilities and potential. One way to get to know an applicant is to assess the extent of community engagement, school activities, and participation in public issues. Getting great grades is impressive and so are high test scores on the GMAT or GRE, but scholarship committees are also impressed by people that organize food drives, take part in social issues, or lead in some type of social activity. Applicants should resist the urge to modesty and the type of social restraint used in a typical conversation. Applications need to use persuasion. The idea is to show a complete picture of a well-rounded person that has had an impact on his and her community.
POLISH YOUR IMAGE
A scholarship committee rarely meets the applicants. Some few do require face-to-face interviews. For the remaining 90% or more, the writings they receive are the only part of the applicant that they will see. The best advice, under those circumstances, is to polish the writing so that it can make a positive impression. Communication ability, whether verbal or in writing is critical to a successful career in business or any other type of organizational structure. The scholarship committee for an MBA award would be an excellent place to display superior writing ability, critical thinking, and a positive outlook.
Sloppy writing reflects a careless personality that may or may not understand the basics of the English language. That is a poor impression under any circumstance and particularly with someone sitting in a position to help or deny financial assistance for graduate education. In the same vein as great writing and precise use of words, applicants should take every opportunity to include things that reveal their character, roles in their communities, and achievements. One does not need to brag, but the task is to explain something to a stranger, details and specifics help fill the picture for the reader.