Helpful strategies to achieve scholarships

Helpful strategies to achieve scholarships

By Yuyu Komariyah

BANDUNG (JP): Are you seeking a scholarship to pursue further
education? Do not worry. There are many scholarships now being
offered to Indonesians wishing to pursue either undergraduate or
postgraduate studies at home or abroad.

Whether or not you succeed in securing a scholarship depends
very much on the strategies you employ in the application and
selection process. Consider the following tips:

1. identify the target

2. be ready with all requirements, such as transcripts

3. remain optimistic and be well-prepared for being
shortlisted

4. have good communication skills

Identifying the target

Be creative and try to find various sources of information
regarding scholarship programs provided by Indonesian or overseas
institutions. Some national newspapers may be regarded as the
most common medium of information. ADS, for example, commonly
advertises its program in August or September each year; the
British Chevening awards are launched in January or February; and
the Fullbright by the end of each year, etc.

Government employees can get the latest information regarding
scholarship opportunities from their institutions, personnel
departments or human resource development divisions. The programs
are mostly in the form of public or government to government
programs.

As e-media sources have been becoming increasingly popular and
available, another alternative is to browse through various
Internet sites on scholarship programs. The list below could be
useful:

www.adsjakarta.or.id -- for ADS scholarships for postgraduate
studies (masters and doctorates) in Australia.

www.leydesdorff.net/index.htm -- ASCoR University of Amsterdam
for doctorate studies only.

www.zef.de/ -- PhD fellowships in Germany.

www.surabayapost.co.id/01/02/10/08INZ.HTML -- for
undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Russia.

www.more.at/nec -- masters and doctorate programs in the
Netherlands.

www.itc.ncl -- masters and doctorate programs in the
Netherlands.

http://wdisf.net -- undergraduate programs in the Netherlands.

www.usembassyjakarta.org/aminef -- Fullbright scholarships for
masters in the U.S..

www.chevening.or.id -- the Chevening award for masters
programs in the UK.

If you wish to get more information about programs such as
short courses and seminars, look up www.pendidikan.net or
www.infoseek.com on the web.

Once you have decided on a scholarship, you must also decide
on the subject you wish to study -- bearing in mind your
capability. Do not choose subjects which are completely novel or
irrelevant to your working experience or educational background.

Also read all of the requirements carefully.

Some scholarship programs have compulsory and optional
requirements, but you would have a greater chance of succeeding
if you fulfilled all of the requirements.

The following are the most common requirements:

* Academic records: If you are a domestic university graduate,
be prepared with academic records and certificates translated
into English. A minimum GPA of 2.75 on a scale of 4.0 is
recommended.

S2 and S3 (masters and doctorate degree) applicants, have to
submit at least one recommendation letter from a former professor
or lecturer.

Moreover, it is highly recommended that S3 applicants submit a
recommendation letter from a professor at the university they
wish to study at; therefore advance correspondence with those
professors is needed before applying for both the place in the
university and the scholarship.

* Personal records: translated birth certificate,
correspondence and acceptance from the university. Don't forget
to have a detailed curriculum vitae which shows that the study
you wish to pursue bears relevance to your educational or
professional background.

* TOEFL/IELTS score: The recommended score for either tests
vary, but it usually starts from 500 for TOEFL and 5.0 for IELTS
(ADS requires 500 for TOEFL and 5.0 for IELTS, Fullbright
requires a TOEFL score of 550). Applicants will have a greater
chance of winning a scholarship if they score more than 550 for
TOEFL or more than 6 for IELTS.

* A research proposal: For applicants of master by research or
PhD, a research proposal is a must. The length of the proposal
ranges from 1 to 4 pages and should cover the aim of the study,
relevance and benefit of study for Indonesian development,
research methods and data analysis.

Be consistent with the detail you have to cover in the
proposal and don't cram data into your proposal just to fill up
the space. Your passages should be clear and concise.

Don't forget to check spelling, grammar, vocabulary and the
overall clarity of the proposal so that it can be easily read by
the examiners.

A healthy dose of optimism is needed

Given the tough competition, the selection committee usually
shortlists applicants based on the clarity and relevance of the
application letters and whether all requirements are met.
Optimism is needed, and get ready to be shortlisted.

Interviews are usually the next step and are often considered
to be the most difficult part of the application process,
especially for those not accustomed to facing formal interviews
in English.

Most interviews revolve around certain topics such as your
educational background and whether it supports the study program
you wish to pursue. Your professional experience will probably be
discussed and questions about the benefits of the study that you
choose for your future career, your community and the
relationship between Indonesia and the country in which you wish
to study.

Communication skills

Good communication skills contribute positively to a
successful application. Consider the following tips for your
interview:

* Be punctual and ready for an initial briefing and interview

* Try to give a good first impression, since it usually
affects the rest of the meeting.

* Be polite when answering all the questions

* Speak clearly

* Listen well and speak at the appropriate time

* Be concise and give compelling arguments

Let us hope you will be one of the successful scholarship
recipients in 2002/2003.

The writer is a lecturer at STIA LAN Bandung.