How to write a winning scholarship essay - Gen Tanabe, Kelly Tanabe 2018

Transform any interview from an interrogation into a conversation
Winning interview strategies

The reason most people volunteer to be scholarship judges is because they are passionate about the organization or award they support.

Being an interviewer is hard work. In most cases, interviewers have a few questions to begin with but then hope the interviewee can help carry the conversation and direct it into other interesting areas. In fact, it is very difficult to interview an applicant who quickly and succinctly answers the questions but offers nothing else to move the conversation forward.

As the interviewee you are an essential part of determining where the conversation goes and whether or not it is easy or difficult for the interviewer. Your job is to supply the interviewer not only with complete answers but also with information that leads to other interesting topics of conversation.

It helps to know something about the interviewers. One thing you know is that they care about their organization. They may be members of the organization or long-time supporters. The more you learn about the organization and its membership the better idea you’ll have about the interviewers and what interests them.

This knowledge is useful in choosing how to answer questions that require you to highlight a specific area of your life or achievements. It will also give you a feel for topics to avoid and questions you should ask.

Before every interview, do homework on the award and the awarding organization, which includes knowing the following: purpose of the scholarship. What is the organization hoping to accomplish by awarding the scholarship? Whether it’s promoting students to enter a certain career, encouraging a hobby or interest or rewarding students for leadership, every scholarship has a mission. By understanding why the organization is giving away the money, you can share with the interviewers how you meet their priorities.

criteria for selecting the winner. Use the scholarship materials to get a reasonable idea of what the selection committee is looking for when choosing the winner. From the kinds of information they request in the application to the topic of the essay question, each piece is a clue about what is important to the scholarship committee.

background of the awarding organization. Do a little digging on the organization itself. Check out its website or publications. Attend a meeting or speak with a member.

From this detective work, you will get a better idea of who the organization’s members are and what they are trying to achieve.

Knowing something about the organization will also prevent you from making obvious blunders during the interview.