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Advice
Introduction
Winning a competitive scholarship or fellowship takes
time and preparation. By starting early, you can identify
the scholarship that is right for you, put together a show-stopping
application, and impress interviewers with your polish
and knowledge.
This section provides general preparation advice, as well
as providing hints and tips for your applications, essays,
interviews and resumes.
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General Advice
- Start planning early (as a freshman
or sophomore) to see what you might be interested in
and how to apply.
- Review and note the MIT procedures
and deadlines. Be sure to check eligibility and other
requirements thoroughly.
- Research the official scholarship/fellowship
site. Many of these have significant information on an
award’s background, purpose, requirements, and
criteria for selection, as well as on-line application
material and information.
- Pursue opportunities to develop the
qualities necessary for the award. An excellent academic
record is often necessary, but not sufficient. To be
a successful candidate, you typically will need to demonstrate
additional experiences and qualities relevant to the
scholarship or fellowship, such as leadership roles,
well-roundedness, volunteer activities, knowledge of
political events, and/or commitment to a certain area
or discipline.
- Hone your writing and interviewing techniques as
you apply for UROPs, jobs, internships,or other scholarships
or prizes.
- Consult, as appropriate, with the
MIT contact for the award. Often, the MIT contact has
significant experience in supporting students in the
application process and can greatly assist you in your
thinking and application for a particular award.
- Give yourself plenty of time to gather
information, recommendations and other material, and
to write (and re-write) essays and personal statements.
Doing the research and writing takes time. Be sure to
let your recommenders know well in advance that you are
going to ask for their endorsement in order to give them
sufficient time to prepare a strong reference. Visit Columbia
University for tips on recommendation
letters.
- Apply and go through the MIT process.
Some of the internal MIT processes include interviews,
while others do not. If you do have an interview, prepare
for that as well.
- Prepare for the next step of competition,
if selected. This can be an opportunity to work with
the MIT contact to refine your application before submission
to the next round. There may be interviews or other selection
criteria in that round; talk to the MIT contact for best
ways to prepare.
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Application
- Submit an application that is complete, neat, and accurate.
Proofread, avoid small fonts, and use spell-check.
- Present a set of varied experiences throughout the
application. Be sure that each one demonstrates some
important quality for that particular scholarship or
fellowship.
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Essay
- Use your essay or personal statement to make a compelling
case and showcase your unique qualifications for the
award.
- Take advantage of the free help available at the MIT
Writing and Communication Center. Consultants there
will work with you beginning at the idea stage.
- It is also helpful to have others review your drafts
and make suggestions. Ask people like your advisor, an
instructor, your housemaster or Graduate Resident tutor,
the academic officer in your department, or other faculty
or staff member to read your draft. If you do not know
whom to ask, talk with the MIT contact for the particular
award for suggestions about readers. And don’t
forget to ask the best proofreaders you know to check
your grammar and spelling.
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- Columbia
University - This site gives insight on "Do's & Don't" of
writing Personal statements.
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Interview and Resume
- Submit an up-to-date and attractive resume that is
tailored to the specific scholarship or fellowship. This
is an excellent way to highlight your experience, professionalism,
and provide an overview of your accomplishments.
- While the focus of the Careers Office is on helping
you find a job, much of the staff’s advice is general
and applicable to applying and interviewing for scholarships.
The Careers Office Tips
Guide offers valuable suggestions about resumes and
interviews. Counselors in the Careers Office critique
resumes, hold practice mock interviews, and offer workshops
to help you develop relevant skills. See the Careers
Office for more information.
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