Interviewing for Scholarships

The interview process for scholarships can vary widely. Some will require no more than a campus level interview, but some involve multiple rounds, such as campus and state or national level interviews.  The campus interview is especially important for those scholarships requiring institutional endorsement. 

As you prepare for interviews, you should keep in mind that scholarship selection committees are looking for candidates who embody the qualities their organizations value.  You should research the organization: what is its purpose? Who was its founder?  Interviewing for a Rhodes scholarship without knowing who Cecil Rhodes was, for example, would be a fatal mistake.

How to Prepare

Research. 
-Review your application materials. You should be prepared for questions that refer to anything from your academic history (such as a question about what books you read in your junior year history course) to your personal essay, your project proposal, or even your hometown.
-Study the history of the scholarship and its founder, as well as famous past recipients. 
-Study your host country as well. Be able to show that you’re knowledgeable about its history, climate and geography, and current issues.
-Talk to former scholars and professors/advisors (such as the OES staff) and search the web to find out what types of questions you can expect for a specific scholarship organization.

Think.
-What matters to you?  Why is this scholarship important to you? Why does your chosen host country matter to your research?  How does the research you’re proposing fit into the broader scheme of your future plans? Of the world community?
-Be able to discuss your passions, your concerns, your plans for the future. 

Practice.
-Prepare mentally for the types of questions you know you’ll be asked.
-Make an appointment with OES for a practice run of possible questions.
-Participate in mock-interviews.  Should you be invited to interview for one of these prestigious scholarships, the staff at OES will arrange a mock-interview for you.
*If you have to conduct an interview in a foreign language, enlist the help of your language professors.  Concentrate on clarity, not necessarily fluency or a perfect accent.  Better to speak slowly and be understood, than try to speak with the speed of a native and say the wrong words!

Qualities of a Successful Interviewee

-Confidence.  If you’ve made it to the interview, you have every reason to be confident.  Convey confidence in your body language and the tone of your voice.  Sit up straight but not stiffly.  Place your hands in your lap.  Make eye contact with the committee members when you meet them, and then individually as they ask you questions.  Don’t fidget and avoid nervous habits.  Make sure you enunciate your words properly and speak with an even tone. Don’t shout and don’t mumble.

-Enthusiasm.  Don’t forget to smile! You should be glad to be there, and excited at the prospect of the award and your project.  If you don’t show enthusiasm for your proposed research, you can’t expect the scholarship committee to be very interested in it.

-Knowledge.  This is where your preparation comes into play.  Show off what you know.  (But don’t come across as a braggart.  Remain polite and humble.) Speak intelligently and avoid slang.  But don’t use overly specialized vocabulary and risk alienating your interviewers (unless someone from your field is part of the committee and asks you a specific question that warrants it).

-Respect.  Listen to what your interviewers have to say.  Even though you’re in the hot seat, you don’t have to dominate the conversation.  Don’t forget to say thank you when the interview is finished.  The end of the interview will probably be signaled by one of the committee members asking you if you have any questions for them; don’t prolong the interview, just thank them for the opportunity and leave.

-Professionalism.  Depending on the level of the interview, the dress code may be more or less formal, but it’s always better to be too dressed up than not enough.  You should be given instructions about dress, if the occasion is more formal (such as the reception on the pre-interview evening for Rhodes).  You want to look nice, but still be comfortable, so make sure that you don’t wear a brand new suit that doesn’t fit well.  Don’t take anything extra with you into the interview room, such as your backpack, a notebook, or (especially!) your cell phone.

Be Yourself 
The interview is a conversation, not an examination.  It’s better to pause and consider your answer, rather than immediately begin talking and give a poor response.  It’s also okay to say, “I don’t know” rather than make something up. The committee will see through that, anyway.

 

Work Consulted:

“The Campus and National Interviews.”  The Overseas Resource Center Stanford University.  Available Online:  http://www.stanford.edu/dept/icenter/orc/scholarships/RM_4_Interviews.pdf