Scholarship Application Guidelines ( General )

This passage is specially written for
1. SPM / equivalent leavers
2. STPM/ equivalent leavers
3. University students
 ( Undergraduate and Postgraduate)

Introduction

We tend to lose ourselves when we intend to further our education. First and foremost, it is about money. Scholarship is the saviour for a lot of people who face financial burden.

For scholarship application, normally it is opened after the release of SPM and STPM result or UPU result. If you fulfil the requirement, just try for it. Who knows lady luck stands by your side!
(You can apply when you are studying too)

Find out the scholarship website independently. Be alert and check it out frequently. Check out whether you pass the requirement or not.
There are a variety of scholarship websites that will be updated frequently,  you have to discover it.

In university and college, we have to spend a lot of money unlike our primary and secondary school. If your parents cannot afford it or you do not have any education insurance, scholarship is better alternative if compared to loan (PTPTN / some yayasan).

Different scholarship will have different requirement. First and foremost, you must pass the minimum result requirement.

Then, see whether your course and university are recognised by the scholarship. Sometimes, there is a limit for applicants' age, family income and the state.

Here are a few things that everyone of you must know before applying any scholarship. 

All the best !

Stage 1 : Scholarship Application Form

-Tips and procedures in filling in
scholarship application form

Before you apply for any scholarship, you must have a mobile phone number and email address as they will contact you through them if you are shortlisted successfully.

Undeniably, for the first stage it is the simplest part. However, a  lot of people give up on this stage because sometimes the steps are too troublesome.

Basically, they need you to fill in
1. Personal Details
2. Parents' and Siblings' Details
3. University/College courses details
4. Academic achievement
5. Co-curricular position/participation/      achievement

For some scholarships, they have set everything in the system. You only need to choose your details from the list provided.  However, some scholarships need you to type everything by yourself. For this stage, manage your time properly as the procedure is really time and energy consuming.

Some scholarships need more extra details from you.

1. Essay
Some scholarship committees want to understand more about yourself and test your understanding as well as capability to share your thought effectively. The topics normally are
~About yourself
~About your course
~About any current issue/specific topic given
*They will set the word range,so you have to express mature ideas in the limited amount of words.

2. Referee
For some scholarships, they want you to find two referees to prove that your information is correct. For your information, most scholarships disallow you to find your parents, siblings or even relatives as your referee. You have to find out your teachers or employers (as long as no any bloody relationship) because they understand you the most and they can recommend you easily. Besides, they can judge you fairly and honestly. Mostly, they request certain information about referee.

~Name
~ Current position
~Relationship with applicant
~Telephone number
~Name and Address of referee's company
~Duration they recognise applicant

The scholarship committee members may call them anytime and anywhere and ask anything.

3. Documents as evidence
Some scholarships needs you to send the document as the sign that your information is authentic. Basically they will ask you to send

~Passport-sized photograph
~Copy of Identity card
~Curriculum Vitae/ Resume
~Examination result slip
~Co-curricular certificates
~Parents' pay slip / income tax form
~School leaving certificate
~ University Offer letter (If any)
~Testimonial (If any)

4. Financial Aid
They want to know whether you have received other scholarship/loan/allowance/
subsidy.

and so on....

You need to scan the documents and submit them either in jpg or pdf format
Recommended apps
~Camscanner
~PDF convertor
~Photo Editor

Some scholarships set the maximum KB/MB for pdf file, try to follow it.

Check carefully after you fill in and send everything.

After you agree with all of the terms and conditions, you can submit your application form online.
(Some scholarships need you to send by e-mail)

For offline application
~Download the application form.
~Fill in the information and attach the documents.
~Post / scan and send it by

e-mail before deadline .

After you submit it, you are not allowed to change any information.

Try to upgrade yourself every time to brush up your qualification. Good luck for stage 1.

Thank you.

Stage 2 : Telephone Interview

After we have submitted the application form, we have  to browse some information about the company/organisation/body scholarship as well as the course that you wish to study before-handed. This is to ensure that we will not be panicked when we receive telephone interview.

For telephone interview, mostly they will conduct the interview without any prior notification. You will receive the call at anytime for office hour (Yes , it is at any moment).Perhaps when you are studying, working or even at home/hostel/shopping mall, you will receive a mysterious call.

Normally, they will start their conversation with this...

Interviewer:Hello, may I speak to _______?
Interviewee:Yes, I am.
Interviewer:Good morning/afternoon/evening. This is from ______ scholarship, do you free to have a telephone interview with us now ? It will take you for about ___ minutes.

Unless you are extremely busy at that time, it is better to say that you are totally available.

Later, they will ask you the questions. You are advised to shift to a quiet place immediately to avoid disruption.

Remember to be as confident, professional, polite and steady for these few minutes.

Basically, they will ask...
~Tell me about yourself.

~Tell me about your family.

~Why do you apply for/need/choose our scholarship?
~Have you applied for other scholarship? Any reply?
~What is your passion/hobby/ambition?
~Imagine yourself after 10 years.
~Why you decide to study in ______? (pre-u or degree)
~Why you decide to study _____ course?
~Explain your course and how it can affect your future career.
~What will you do if we do not choose/shortlist you?
~Tell me about your greatest strength? How can it helps your career?
~What is your greatest weakness? How can you overcome it?
~Why are we going to select you out of all applicants?
~Tell me about what do you know about our company/organisation?
(Examples of project/business)
~What is the greatest decision that you have made and how it affects your life?
~What is the greatest mistake you have made in your life and how you overcome it?
~Tell us about your memory/experience/problem in your school /college/university. (good/bad)
~What is the quality that should be possessed for a successful person?
~Tell me about your leadership experience/working experience/teamwork experience. 
( event, activity, project )
~If we choose you, what can you contribute to our organisation / the community and society ?
~Do you know that our scholarship has bond? Are you willing to work in our company? Why? What is special about our company compared to others?
~Who is the person that inspires you to succeed/changes your life/you admire the most/wish to become in the future?

~If you are the recipient, how will you make use of our money and ensure that you do not waste it?
and so on....

Interview is not that scary. Just prepare the answer but never memories the answer. Try to do it naturally. Show maturity when you answer the question.

The interview questions will be around
~Yourself
(quality,experience,background,idol)
~Your study (experience,university,course)
~The company/organisation
(structure,bond,detail)

Do more research first every time. Here is the last question for every telephone interview.

~Before ending the session, do you have any question?

The interview is end smoothly.

Before officially ending up the call. Bear in mind to say thank you.

* Telephone interview basically is similar to panel interview. Telephone interview is conducted through mobile phone but panel interview is face-to-face interview at the fixed venue.

Thank you.

Stage 3: Online assessment

Before entering the face-to-face interview, some scholarships require you to do an online assessment. Before starting, make sure you
~Check your computer first
~Check your internet connection first
~Make sure the environment allows you to focus during the test.

The psychometric test is normally done to measure your ______ quantitatively.

~aptitude
~personality

This is a very tough process as once your computer or internet connection has any problem, your application will fail automatically. For every test, there will be specific time limitation, and it is very short. For laptop user, check your battery amount before commencing the test. You have to choose or write the best answer in this challenging situation. Never use smartphone to do the test.

Make sure you do the test and submit the answer before the deadline.

After this, cross your finger and wait for any
~phone call
~e-mail
if you are shortlisted.

Stage 4 : Final Interview

If you can go through these few stages, normally you stand a high opportunity to head towards direct face-to-face interview accompanied by a couple of interesting assessments. Undeniably, this is the most important stage. For this stage, I cannot explain too much since the assessment methodology is totally different based on the scholarship committees. Basically it involves

~Individual
~Group
~Writing

Every scholarship have different kinds of assessment.

~ Long assessment ( Application Form + Telephone Interview + Online Assessment + Panel Interview + Final Interview )

~ Short assessment ( Application Form + Final Interview )

* For final interview they are going to assess a lot of aspects in a day. It is the stage where all of the strongest applicants will gather and compete for the limited spot.

Before ending, I wish everybody good luck for scholarship interview.

All the best.

Conclusion

It is your attitude, not your aptitude to determine your altitude.

You may succeed in one time or even keep failing hundred times. Remember to stay strong and never give up. Regardless you are a scholar or not, you still can succeed in your life, your characteristic is far more important in determining how far in your journey of life.

You can apply as more scholarships as possible , but in the end of the day you are only allowed to choose one .

Thank you.

Scholarship Link 

These are the websites where you will get a lot of information about the latest scholarships. If you are eligible, try for it.

http://afterschool.my/scholarship/

http://www.malaysiascholarships.my/?m=1

http://www.biasiswa.info/blog/

Normally, the interview is conducted by human resources (HR) department. It is a way to fulfil Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Thank you.