Lesson Learned After Being Rejected by 7 Scholarships

I am completely familiar with the bitter feeling of rejection. Angry, disappointed and confused. And I have been experiencing this for 7 times, until the moment that even I kept doubting myself of not deserving any scholarship.

I kept trying to apply schools and scholarships for two years, but no one was successful. Until I finally got accepted to Chevening to study in the UK, on my eight trial. There are perhaps other people who have tried much more than me, longer time than me, which I really appreciated. So for you, who have been trying to apply for scholarship, keep fighting!

It’s funny how I used to doubt myself to apply for Chevening because of its reputation for global leaders; their alumni in my country are brilliant. For the first two years of my hunting, I never dare myself to apply Chevening.

But one crucial thing that I learned:

Never underestimate yourself; always believe in the power of your dream

I almost gave up after I got rejected by the seventh scholarship to the extent that I’ll just earn money and fund my study abroad by myself later in the future. Some of my closest friends were also encouraging me only to pursue a master in Indonesia, where I could keep my earnings and gain a degree at the same time. I remember the moment I burst out my tears because some of my relatives told me to just give up on my dream studying abroad. Even my parents were also doubting me. (But I get it, they just want their daughter to live sufficiently and away from sadness).

But in the eight trial, I got it. With the remaining energy and fresh wound from the rejection, I kept going. The picture below is really represented how I was at that time.

Here is the image’s source.

Anyway, here is a list of scholarships that I’ve applied to:

1. LPDP — failed twice
2. Swedish Institute Scholarship (Sweden) – failed
3. Copenhagen Business School Excellence Scholarship (Denmark) – failed
4. Australia Award Scholarship (Australia) – failed
5. Invest Your Talent in Italy (Italy) – failed
6. UvA Excellence Scholarship and Orange Tulip Scholarships (Netherland) – failed
7. StuNed (Netherland) – failed
8. Chevening Scholarship (UK) – yaay!

Reflecting on my scholarship hunting journey, I can now share what I think went wrong, and my lesson learned to make a successful application

Administration

I know the administration is the “basic” thing that would bring us to the next stage. It is basic but compulsory, like there’s nothing I can do to make this work: I have to pass this. Usually (but not always), some necessary administration work for the scholarship are: Bachelor degree and GPA, IELTS/TOEFL, reference letter, letter of acceptance and working experience. As the only requirement I haven’t secured was IELTS, I made sure to put efforts to get the sufficient IELTS, although my calculation was incorrect.

For Chevening, what went wrong a bit as I did not prepare the IELTS in advance. I actually already had an IELTS test result before my application submitted to Chevening, however, the score was insufficient for the first two campuses that I would apply. As I was aware that taking the test would cost me almost 3mil Rupiah, I don’t want to bet anything unless I get a confirmation that I got accepted. By making that decision, I also aware that I only have approx. a month to take the test and it HAS to be an insufficient result if I were accepted by Chevening.

In the end, when I got conditionally accepted by Chevening, I was quickly booked a test to get the result (it takes two weeks to get the result). Then, handed it to Warwick University and thankfully they responded my enquiry to release my final LoA; hence I can be confirmed for Chevening award. I was fortunate that my IELTS result was exceeded the minimum score and Warwick Uni’s staffs were handing me the final LoA in just 2 days. What happened if I didn’t score well? I wouldn’t be a scholar for that year.

Lessons learned from this is to be prepared in advance. If you know you want to apply for a scholarship, just prepared far advanced, especially for the administration. Invest your time to study and practice. I should have got the satisfactory result before they announced the conditional acceptance. That way, it would be far more “peaceful” knowing that I don’t have to clear another requirement to be unconditionally accepted.

Essays

I would say the essay is really really important. Before Chevening, I have applied to other 7 scholarships (meaning other 7 essays) and frankly speaking, the message was all the same. However, for Chevening essay, I wrote the same story differently. How different was it?

First, write congruently and coherently.

Now that I can look back to other previous 7 essays, I guess some of them were too “dramatic”, I’d say, where I kept telling my successful experiences in my leadership with less information about what I did and contribute to the successful project? The next missing link that I did not answer was so what? So what then if I achieve that success? I didn’t elaborate it enough why I deserve a place for a scholarship. There was no clear link between what I have achieved in the past to action plan of what I want to do in the future. I feel like those essays did not show my human side, imo. 

To make the story harmonious and coherent, I started to use STAR structure. Read about how I apply STAR structure in my Chevening essay here. The structure helped me a lot to entail the detail steps I took in my Chevening essay. Besides that, I started to make the story flow. The introduction was not directly mentioned about who I am and my past achievements, but I built a background story about me before I finally highlighted my successful projects. I also said a tough experience (I don’t want it to be seen as a sad one) where I could show my human side; I am a learner, and I’ve never quit.

Talking about the background story, I started this by answering these 4 questions as a foundation for me in writing the essay:

• Who am I?
• What is my passion/concern?
• What problems do I want to solve?
• How will I solve the problems?

Answering this question helped me to outline the bigger picture of my essays. My version was like this:

• Who am I? — A start-up’s early employee
• What is my passion? — early venture development
• What concerns me? — the high rate of start-up failure rate
• How will you solve it? — a degree in innovation and entrepreneurship and followed by action plans.

As you can see, these questions serve as “frame” for your essay, now you need to put details on your experiences using STAR structure.

Second, proofread.

Have current awardee to proofread your essay. This is really important to stay you out of biased. Sometimes once I finished writing my essay, I feel like it’s the greatest essay and I’m sure I could get accepted. But no, hold that thought. Instead, my final essay for Chevening was the fourth version I have created after getting feedback from my friends. Other 7 essays, I usually only revised for maximum two times before I submitted, some of them were the first draft. They play a critical role not only to check my grammar and spelling but my logic as well.

Interviews

The two scholarship that I made into interview stages were LPDP (only the first application) and Chevening. So now I realised that writing an excellent essay was the key to be summoned for an interview (and the truth that my essays were not that astounding). Anyway, talking about these two experiences, it was indeed really different. On one side, the level of my preparation was different. On the other hand, the questions and environment were also different.

First, as cliche as it is, but it spoke its impact: practice makes perfect.

I should admit, my preparation interview for the LPDP interview was not as solid as I did for Chevening. I don’t know, maybe I was too sure about this LPDP interview? My preparation for LPDP was merely a practice with myself. I talked in front of the mirror and did a lot of self-interview.

Then I realised that this was not enough.

Some of the preparation that I did for Chevening was mock up interview with other people. I did practice with an awardee through Skype call. This helped me a lot because I’ve got insight on what should I do in the real interview as they’ve been in the same situation. I could also get the expected questions. Besides that, I recorded my interview and listened to it to see if I have any mispronunciation or unclear meaning. I also did a mock up interview with my friend (not an awardee), to ensure that she understands what I say. My friend doesn’t have a passion for start-ups, a high chance that my panellists are too, so I need to ensure that the interview could go along. I also did practice in front of the mirror. An excellent method to enjoy that I could pay attention to my mimics, face expressions and gesture when I do the interview.

Second, join a group chat to get information about sudden expected question.

I was really lucky that since the early days of my Chevening application, I always tapped with current awardee. He helped me to proofread my essay too. After I got notified for an interview, he invited me to join a group for fellow interviewees. There, we shared insight about the interview: the environment, preparation tips and type of questions. The group was mixed between some of the current awardees and fellow interviewees, the awardees shared the questions they faced last year.

Some interviewees were also kindheartedly shared their questions to the group, so the rest of interviewees can use it for preparation. And you know what, the questions that asked to me were accurately the same as the previous interviewees/awardees had. As I have been consistently practicing, it helped me a lot. I only got one different question, but lucky me, someone shared that question in the group just a day before my interview. I practised to that question as well. So, whoever and wherever you are, thank you mbak!

In terms of environment and questions, LPDP and Chevening had a different style, I’d say. As I have been informed that the expected questions in LPDP could be personal (and they did ask me whether I have a boyfriend or not), I was quite surprised that it was a different case with Chevening. What they asked was totally about my essay. I would say it made the whole environment different. It was more chill for Chevening interview, but maybe because of my good preparation as well. Anyway, regardless of the situation or environment, lesson learned is to prepare the interview as much as I can.

Others

This part is really just my personal views. But I always believe in God’s timing is always better than mine. Getting a scholarship is not merely depending on my efforts. Many variables are playing the dice. One of them is the timing, at least that’s what I believe. For the two years of my hunting process, apparently, I realised that it would be best for me to stay around, finish what I started and keep learning. At that time, I had a pretty setback at my work and I kept thinking that taking master would be really great to “away” from that. But my failure taught me to keep survive, stretch my comfort zone and finish what I have started. Had I gone that time, I also wouldn’t be able to work in the coolest startup-going-corporate and learned from brilliant minds.

God is never late, He is always right on time

And during 2017-2018 (before my departure) I have one of the most precious experiences for my entrepreneurial journey, my emotions were matured, my skills were shaped, my self-confidence was tested. And these experiences contributed to making my background story firm, stronger and congruent.

Another thing that I believe is a parent’s blessing would make your journey smooth. In 2017, after 7 rejections that I got, I just found out that my mom didn’t entirely want me to stay abroad; saying that she’s not ready to release me. I was really disappointed at that time since she didn’t tell me directly, but in my Chevening application, I really asked her true blessing. And she gave it by started to pray for me. And I know when she did so, at least my way to achieve the scholarship would be smoother.

Lastly, lastly, I believe in managing my expectation. Chevening was the scholarship I applied with the spirit of nothing to lose. As long as I tried my best (and I did) I shouldn’t worry about the result and why would I bother? I’m not losing anything, and I can always try next year too, right? But once I get the interview, I know that I should chase the opportunity of getting accepted by being really well prepared.

When you live in expectation, you became a victim of circumstances

Brodie Whitney

I guess, when you start to surrender and just live the way it is, the universe would begin to show their power to get you closer to your dream.

Good luck, keep fighting and believe in yourself!