Let us use a visit to where you grew up as an example. If you have ever moved away from home, a return in the summer or December vacation period can feel too short. As soon as you take care of your commitment, like a visit to your house or ancestral home, there is something you make time to enjoy—the meal, place, or person’s company you must have as soon as possible. You want it, specifically, because it has no substitute.

When interviewing for a scholarship, adopt the mindset of making yourself a must-have. The reason is simple: The likely scenario is that there will be more people applying than there are available spots, and a large percentage of these applicants will align well enough with the priorities of those providing the opportunity. If you want to give yourself the best chance of winning, you have to move yourself from the “nice to have” pile to the “must have” shortlist.

I’ve been thinking about this over the past two weeks as I have done practice interviews with a bright young person vying for a selective scholarship. The individual is accomplished, driven, and meets each criterion the scholarship creators say they are looking for. However, by the end of practice, the person had not converted me into a “raving selection committee member”. They felt “very nice to have”; however, I was not so sold that, if it came down to a tie, I would call home and ask someone to shelf my dinner, so I could remain in the selection room and hold out for this applicant all evening. I think the person will be a must-have on interview day by using three simple strategies. You, too, can use them:

1. ARTICULATE YOUR UNIQUE VALUE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE INTERVIEW

The direction and pace of an interview depend largely on the interviewer(s). However, at all times, you are in charge of your interview; take charge of that ship, or it will drag you to any old place. This is especially true for interviews known to at times be aggressive (Rhodes and Truman, for example). If you are not sure about a scholarship’s interview style, ask a few recent winners.

Set the tone of the interview by sharing upfront the unique way in which you plan to use the scholarship to address the primary issue the scholarship is geared towards. Your uniqueness makes you interesting, and by articulating it, you remind the committee member(s) that you are who they are looking for.

If you prepared well, you will also be ready for some of the obvious spin-off questions. When you set the tone, you even reduce the number of questions that surprise you.

2. SHOW THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SAY YOU KNOW

Whereas the use of jargon is sometimes discouraged in the classroom, in scholarship interviews, especially in ones with experts on a selection panel, strategically use jargon. Also deliberately introduce concepts, historical context, statistics, landmark research projects and policies, and trends. For niche scholarship interviews, you will be talking with panelists who have read (and perhaps also written) thousands of pages of information about the field to which you are saying you want to contribute. Be as thoroughly informed as possible. More importantly, when you are informed, do not assume people know this; show off. Start and facilitate authoritative conversation.

3. DIVULGE YOUR PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THE SCHOLARSHIP

The scholarship you are applying for will fund a specific area of study. What personal experience or conviction bred your interest in this issue? Yes, some people are more comfortable with being vulnerable than others are, and you should not overshare. However, sharing your emotions remains a powerful way of connecting with people. Do not pander to emotions, lie, or be insincere, but do be open and speak openly.

To paraphrase Maya Angelou, people remember how you make them feel. Make the scholarship committee feel the urgency of your mission so deeply that they eagerly appoint you to become an ambassador for their own mission. There will be time and money for you when you meet the committee’s needs in a way no substitute can. Use these strategies to make yourself a must-have.

Which other strategies have you used to win selective scholarships? Share them below, and share this article with anyone who you know is applying for a competitive scholarship.

The post Scholarship Interview? Make Yourself A Must-Have appeared first on Memorable Essay.

1. Read all the information about the interview that is provided on the school’s website or in your congratulatory email — the duration, number of interviewers and style. Will you speak with five people at once for 60 minutes, or with one person for 30 minutes? If you are unsure about the dress code, ask; adhere to what you are told.

2. Despite what you are told about your interview format, be prepared to interview under any condition. For example, you should be able to chat in a one-on-one setting instead of in front of a panel, or for 90 minutes instead of for 30.

3. Prepare for your interview: review your entire application and be prepared to speak about any part of it, write out possible answers to expected questions, and practice articulating your responses with confidence. Also practice maintaining both an upright sitting posture and eye contact with your interviewer.

4. Expect to be asked why you wish to attend this particular institution. Thoroughly research the school and your program of interest, and be ready to share at least three reasons why you are a perfect fit.

5. If you are not explicitly asked why you want to attend this institution, find ways of sprinkling your reasons for wanting to attend in the responses you give to other questions.

6. Be prepared to discuss weaknesses or discrepancies in your academic records while maintaining your composure and displaying emotional control.

7. Always paint yourself in a positive light. Do not ever bring attention to an area in which you are deficient, e.g., by saying things like “I know my grades are not all that good.” If something negative about you comes up, acknowledge it and reposition it in a good light. For example, if the interviewer says “You don’t seem to have much experience leading teams,” don’t say “I know. I just haven’t really led anything.” You can say “I have not been a leader in the traditional sense of being the one in charge, but I have given my best effort and helped my teammates and our school get good results. I think this is what a leader does — plays their part with passion and takes the team in a positive direction.”

8. Show up prepared to discuss why you are qualified to excel in this particular program, what you would gain from the school, and what your teachers, peers and the wider community would gain from you being given the chance to attend.

9. Be prepared to discuss at least a few examples of how you have excelled, grown and changed, volunteered, completed teamwork, been a leader, and recovered from failure.

10. Go armed with intelligent, positively framed and well-researched questions. This interview is a two-way street, a conversation. Scour the school’s website and the news outlets that cover the community where the university is located. Talk with current students and alumni to prepare. You can ask your interviewers for more details on course offerings or current research, for example. You can also ask them about their experience attending (if it is a student interviewer) or working at the university; this might open a door to a robust discussion that you can refer to in your thank you note.

Bonus tip: Send a sincere thank you note to your interviewers within 24 hours of completing the interview.

Let us know if you found these tips helpful, and share them with your friends.

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