By Macaulay Babajide Milton
We are in the season of scholarship applications; therefore, I have decided to disclose TWO recurring MISTAKES that Nigerian scholarship applicants make, which I have constantly observed in the last 4 years.
Consider this as a FREEBIE on behalf of iLLUMANIA. 😊😊😊😊
Alright, let’s go.
1) THE USE OF INCOHERENT VOCABULARIES a.k.a ‘BIG BIG GRAMMAR’:
Biko, who una dey blow big big grammar for? U wan blow English for those who get the language? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 It's not going to help you o, especially when you don’t even know how to combine them coherently.
You can’t be doing ‘Patrick Obahiagbon’ in your Personal Statement or Scholarship Application forms? 😂😂😂😂 Who get time to dey open dictionary to crosscheck the meanings of your ‘unusual expressions’? Is it when a scholarship application reviewer has 100 applications to consider, that he will now pay attention to one confusing his medulla oblongata?
Abeg, keep it simple! Keep it concise and simple! Simplicity is the most appealing expression of intelligence – take note. Blowing big big grammar no go make them hail you o say u sabi speak English o.
Okay let us take for example, this paragraph below wey person send to me some months ago for review. It was drawn from a Personal Statement:
“I have been a well enthusiastic individual with dynamic ability in primary and general knowledge. Haven completed my secondary and tertiary education with good grades, it will be at reasonable interest to further my education with the essential availability within my capacity. However, after the information of highly persuasive and encouraging invitation of your foundation to participate in scholarship, I am enthusiastically ready to dive in. In this letter of intent, I will stipulate my penchant and verve and excitement and resilience to win. My neonate career requires a mega boost and your funding will provide me escalation to attain my dreams.”
Even though this paragraph above 👆👆👆👆 is not the worst I have seen, it was very badly constructed. It looked like the applicant was trying so hard to please the reviewers with too many adjectives and needless vocabularies wrongly positioned. Bikonu, you guys need to be very careful, mbok. Keep it simple. Simplicity is bae!
There are better and simpler ways of expressing the same paragraph, for example:
“I am a highly enthusiastic individual with an impressive adaptive nature. Having completed my first degree with excellent grades, I am inspired to advance my knowledge to postgraduate level, as I am so eager to satisfy my scientific curiosity. The opportunity of full funding for my postgraduate programme provided by your organisation, will help bring my academic dreams to reality.”
Can you see what I did there? The idea is the same, but it is better constructed; more comprehensive and even shorter in length (from 102 to 60 words), giving you enough room to mention other vital things.
Okay let’s look at the second common error.
2) APPEAL TO PITY/SPEAKING ILL OF YOUR COUNTRY:
Now this error here is a more common one compared to the first. Most applicants think that by revealing the magnitude of difficulties they face in their daily lives, the souls of the reviewers will be touched deeply; thus, improving their chances of winning. Na OYO una dey o!
You think reviewers will give you a scholarship just because you are suffering? Ah! Make I no deceive you, dem go just toss your application to one corner. EXCEPT THERE IS A SECTION OF THE SCHOLARSHIP FORM ASKING YOU TO DISCLOSE THE DETAILS OF YOUR FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES (e.g. as you have in the Mastercard Scholarship application form), YOU MUST NOT FOCUS ON IT.
Reviewers are after those who have the CAPACITY to COMPLETE a postgraduate degree abroad – a feat that is not a walk in a park, trust me. It is very challenging!!! So if you like, say you sleep under the bridge and eat only once a day; it won’t touch any portion of their soul.
Why?
Because scholarship sponsors are NOT NGOs rendering humanitarian services. They are looking for competent and talented protégés to arm with transferrable skills and valuable knowledge.
Therefore, what you should do is to MARKET YOURSELF – reveal what makes you better than other applicants. This is what will touch their hearts and convince them of your capacity to deliver if given the opportunity.
Don’t also make the terrible mistake of rubbishing your country.
Let’s take a look at another example below, from an applicant who sent his Personal Statement to me earlier this year:
“My desire to study Molecular Biology began when I realised that my country, Nigeria, lacks what it takes to make me a renowned Molecular Biologist. There is no stable power, no equipment, no resources, even many of my lecturers are unfit to deliver the knowledge. The environment is harsh and not conducive. We are forced to cram theoretical ideas with no practical display of how they work. It is annoying and frustrating to remain in my country to practice my dream course; hence, the application of a scholarship.”
While this applicant’s write-up above 👆👆👆 is clear and comprehensible, the person lacks tact! Putting down your country or lecturers in such a crass manner, will ruin your chances.
Some of you might say, ‘No, the person just revealed the truth and nothing more.’ Well, while I agree that there is a lot of truth in that paragraph, there are better ways of expressing it without being uncouth and irascible!
The fact is that many of these scholarship providers know the problems of your country better than you. This is why many scholarships are targeted at applicants from Developing countries. Therefore, stop telling them what they already know; just reveal to them HOW YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD YOUR COMPETENCE INSPITE OF THE HARSH REALITIES AROUND YOU.
I hope this my small contribution wey I take sama una this Sunday afternoon, make plenty sense? 😁😁😁😁
I wish una all the best!
For iLLUMANIA
(www.illumania.org)
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