How to choose the right scholarship?
If you are having trouble deciding if you should apply for a scholarship or what scholarship to apply for, you’ve come to the right place!
Here are 4 questions you should ask yourself to help you choose the right scholarship:
1. Can I even get a scholarship?
Many students are too scared to apply for scholarships because they think their grades are not good enough or their portfolios aren’t impressive. This is a misconception! Many scholarship providers in Singapore are choosing recipients in a more holistic manner now, and they will take into account your performance in interviews or essays, and even feedback from your teachers/workplaces. As we always advise our participants in our school holiday programmes: if you CAN’T then you MUST! Have faith in your own abilities and never be afraid to aim high!
2. Why do I want a scholarship?
Some people want a scholarship just for the prestige, others want it for the money, and some just want one to enjoy job security right after they graduate…what about you? There is no right or wrong reason for you to want a scholarship, what matters most is that you are clear of your own motives and you don’t lie to your scholarship provider!
3. What is my desired career path?
Did you know that most scholarships come with a bond that can range from 1 to 10 years? This means that after you graduate, you have to work for the scholarship provider for the bond period. But this doesn’t have to be something scary or intimidating… as long as you are sure that you will want to work in this industry in the future, you will benefit greatly! A word of advice though, do your best not to break your scholarship bond or it will look bad on your future resume! However if you do not wish to be tied down by a bond, you can always look into no bond scholarships such as those offered by universities. For example, the NUS Merit Scholarships and SMU Global Merit Scholarship do not require students to fulfill any bonds!
4. Who can provide me a scholarship?
You can only start looking at scholarship providers if you have a rough idea of what you are going to study and what your future career will be. Many people do not know this but there are actually thousands of scholarships for Singaporeans out there! Fun fact: did you know that even local industries such as “Charles and Keith” and “JUMBO Group of Restaurants” offer scholarships? Here are some websites for you to check out if you want to find out what scholarships are available:
https://www.singaporeindustryscholarship.sg/
We hope you will be able to nab all those scholarships! But even if you don’t manage to get a scholarship, don’t be too upset! You will have many more chances to prove yourself while you’re still studying or when you enter the workforce.
Check out our other article What is STEM and How is it relevant? if you are interested in the STEM industry!
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door!”
