Helpful strategies to achieve scholarships<\/p>\n
By Yuyu Komariyah<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): Are you seeking a scholarship to pursue further
\neducation? Do not worry. There are many scholarships now being
\noffered to Indonesians wishing to pursue either undergraduate or
\npostgraduate studies at home or abroad.<\/p>\n
Whether or not you succeed in securing a scholarship depends
\nvery much on the strategies you employ in the application and
\nselection process. Consider the following tips:<\/p>\n
1. identify the target<\/p>\n
2. be ready with all requirements, such as transcripts<\/p>\n
3. remain optimistic and be well-prepared for being
\nshortlisted<\/p>\n
4. have good communication skills<\/p>\n
Identifying the target<\/p>\n
Be creative and try to find various sources of information
\nregarding scholarship programs provided by Indonesian or overseas
\ninstitutions. Some national newspapers may be regarded as the
\nmost common medium of information. ADS, for example, commonly
\nadvertises its program in August or September each year; the
\nBritish Chevening awards are launched in January or February; and
\nthe Fullbright by the end of each year, etc.<\/p>\n
Government employees can get the latest information regarding
\nscholarship opportunities from their institutions, personnel
\ndepartments or human resource development divisions. The programs
\nare mostly in the form of public or government to government
\nprograms.<\/p>\n
As e-media sources have been becoming increasingly popular and
\navailable, another alternative is to browse through various
\nInternet sites on scholarship programs. The list below could be
\nuseful:<\/p>\n
www.adsjakarta.or.id -- for ADS scholarships for postgraduate
\nstudies (masters and doctorates) in Australia.<\/p>\n
www.leydesdorff.net\/index.htm -- ASCoR University of Amsterdam
\nfor doctorate studies only.<\/p>\n
www.zef.de\/ -- PhD fellowships in Germany.<\/p>\n
www.surabayapost.co.id\/01\/02\/10\/08INZ.HTML -- for
\nundergraduate and postgraduate studies in Russia.<\/p>\n
www.more.at\/nec -- masters and doctorate programs in the
\nNetherlands.<\/p>\n
www.itc.ncl -- masters and doctorate programs in the
\nNetherlands.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/wdisf.net -- undergraduate programs in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
www.usembassyjakarta.org\/aminef -- Fullbright scholarships for
\nmasters in the U.S..<\/p>\n
www.chevening.or.id -- the Chevening award for masters
\nprograms in the UK.<\/p>\n
If you wish to get more information about programs such as
\nshort courses and seminars, look up www.pendidikan.net or
\nwww.infoseek.com on the web.<\/p>\n
Once you have decided on a scholarship, you must also decide
\non the subject you wish to study -- bearing in mind your
\ncapability. Do not choose subjects which are completely novel or
\nirrelevant to your working experience or educational background.<\/p>\n
Also read all of the requirements carefully.<\/p>\n
Some scholarship programs have compulsory and optional
\nrequirements, but you would have a greater chance of succeeding
\nif you fulfilled all of the requirements.<\/p>\n
The following are the most common requirements:<\/p>\n
* Academic records: If you are a domestic university graduate,
\nbe prepared with academic records and certificates translated
\ninto English. A minimum GPA of 2.75 on a scale of 4.0 is
\nrecommended.<\/p>\n
S2 and S3 (masters and doctorate degree) applicants, have to
\nsubmit at least one recommendation letter from a former professor
\nor lecturer.<\/p>\n
Moreover, it is highly recommended that S3 applicants submit a
\nrecommendation letter from a professor at the university they
\nwish to study at; therefore advance correspondence with those
\nprofessors is needed before applying for both the place in the
\nuniversity and the scholarship.<\/p>\n
* Personal records: translated birth certificate,
\ncorrespondence and acceptance from the university. Don't forget
\nto have a detailed curriculum vitae which shows that the study
\nyou wish to pursue bears relevance to your educational or
\nprofessional background.<\/p>\n
* TOEFL\/IELTS score: The recommended score for either tests
\nvary, but it usually starts from 500 for TOEFL and 5.0 for IELTS
\n(ADS requires 500 for TOEFL and 5.0 for IELTS, Fullbright
\nrequires a TOEFL score of 550). Applicants will have a greater
\nchance of winning a scholarship if they score more than 550 for
\nTOEFL or more than 6 for IELTS.<\/p>\n
* A research proposal: For applicants of master by research or
\nPhD, a research proposal is a must. The length of the proposal
\nranges from 1 to 4 pages and should cover the aim of the study,
\nrelevance and benefit of study for Indonesian development,
\nresearch methods and data analysis.<\/p>\n
Be consistent with the detail you have to cover in the
\nproposal and don't cram data into your proposal just to fill up
\nthe space. Your passages should be clear and concise.<\/p>\n
Don't forget to check spelling, grammar, vocabulary and the
\noverall clarity of the proposal so that it can be easily read by
\nthe examiners.<\/p>\n
A healthy dose of optimism is needed<\/p>\n
Given the tough competition, the selection committee usually
\nshortlists applicants based on the clarity and relevance of the
\napplication letters and whether all requirements are met.
\nOptimism is needed, and get ready to be shortlisted.<\/p>\n
Interviews are usually the next step and are often considered
\nto be the most difficult part of the application process,
\nespecially for those not accustomed to facing formal interviews
\nin English.<\/p>\n
Most interviews revolve around certain topics such as your
\neducational background and whether it supports the study program
\nyou wish to pursue. Your professional experience will probably be
\ndiscussed and questions about the benefits of the study that you
\nchoose for your future career, your community and the
\nrelationship between Indonesia and the country in which you wish
\nto study.<\/p>\n
Communication skills<\/p>\n
Good communication skills contribute positively to a
\nsuccessful application. Consider the following tips for your
\ninterview:<\/p>\n
* Be punctual and ready for an initial briefing and interview<\/p>\n
* Try to give a good first impression, since it usually
\naffects the rest of the meeting.<\/p>\n
* Be polite when answering all the questions<\/p>\n
* Speak clearly<\/p>\n
* Listen well and speak at the appropriate time<\/p>\n
* Be concise and give compelling arguments<\/p>\n
Let us hope you will be one of the successful scholarship
\nrecipients in 2002\/2003.<\/p>\n
The writer is a lecturer at STIA LAN Bandung.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/helpful-strategies-to-achieve-scholarships-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }