“I believe that individuals can make a difference in society. Since periods of change such as the present one come so rarely in human history, it is up to each of us to make the best use of our time to help create a happier world.”

— The Dalai Lama

Scholarship committees have a massive responsibility and that is to distribute the money in such a way that diversity is increased in the classroom, stronger ideals are rewarded and the best students are encouraged to join a University. In this context, those students have an edge who have dedicated their leisure time to empowering people other than their own selves. The question young people ask is: “What can I do?”, “I am still learning myself?” However, each of us has the capacity to help another no matter what our age and/or ability. We all have our unique skills which can be used to benefit other people. For some of you it might be a language skill, for others it could be time and compassion or knowledge of everyday technology, etc. It really depends on how you utilize the skills you have and help make a difference in somebody else’s life.

How to choose the volunteer experience

Ideally, you want to volunteer in a community that you would genuinely like to impact. However, sometimes that may or may not be possible owing to the circumstances you are in. The important thing is to be consistent and work with a community for a long period of time. Being flighty and working a few weeks here and a few weeks there is not really looked upon as being dependable. So be consistent and do some intensive work in a setting to gain the full benefits.

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I studied Counselling in the USA on a full scholarship and on my return I started to work as a Student Adviser at the United States Education Foundation in India (USEFI). The job entailed guiding students on how to study successfully in the USA and the most frequently asked question was: “How can I study on a full scholarship?” Having been successful in the scholarship arena I spent a considerable amount of time guiding students with the scholarship process. However, I was always amazed at the myths that surrounded the scholarship process.

Merit vs Need: One of the frequently held myths is that scholarships are given out as charity to a financially needy person. So a large number of students use the Statement of Purpose to write about dire financial circumstances. The truth is that in the arena of international education (Indian students studying abroad) full scholarships are always given on merit. Very rarely will a full scholarship go to a student who has not been academically successful. So save those sob stories and focus on building your academic profile because having top of the line merit will always remain one of the key factors in winning full scholarships.

Academic vs Extra-curricular: At the undergraduate level (Bachelor’s) universities may look for a candidate who over and above academics will have excelled in extra-curricular activities. But a rare student will get a full scholarship only on the basis of extra-curricular activities provided they have been exceptional. So if you have to choose between focusing upon academics versus extra-curriculars then go for a balance and if you can’t manage a balance then tilt towards academics. There are, of course, some extra-curriculars which testify to your academic proficiency, e.g., National Science Olympiad, Maths Olympiad, etc., and they are a definite plus. The other activities that make a difference are Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, NCC, NSS, inter-school/state level sports, etc. So create an Excel sheet of the skills you are learning in these activities and highlight them in your Statement of Purpose.

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