So you want to see if a scholarship is an option? But you have no idea what to do, or where to even start. You have landed on the right page. Let's get you up to speed on what is involved in the process and how to maximise your chances of being successful with your application.

The Great Australian Dream - A Scholarship?

With school fees sky rocketing, many Australians are being priced out of exclusive private schools. The fees seem to be increasing quicker than Bitcoin. You may have even resigned yourself to just sending your son or daughter to the nearest public school.

However, not all is lost. You still have the option of potentially applying for a scholarship to your dream school.

And it is not just a raffle - you can greatly increase your chances of you do do the following:

Practice the interview

Many parents think that scholarships are handed to the students that get the highest marks on an academic exam. Wrong.

Sure, the academic exam is important, and in some cases may be the most pivital part of the process. But not all.

In fact, many of the exams are designed to create a shortlist of students who then progress to the interview stage. And this is where you can really shine, even if your academic application wasn’t the best.

You should practice your interview skills in a way that broadens your appeal, and makes you sound less like an academic robot with no substance. The school wants a high achivier academically, but it wants a fully rounded person too.

For example, the interviewer may ask a candidate what reward they would request from their parents if they get the scholarship. Rather than say “no reward is needed” or “more books for education”, say something that gives you broader appeal. I.e “A new surfboard!”.

Now the interviewer is seeing you as more than just a great “exam” performer, but a student who is keen to explore other aspects of life.

Say the truth

Another trap for scholarship hunters is to try to predict the right answer to question during the interview phase. I.e try to say what they think is the right answer.

This is a huge mistake.

Some questions are designed to weed out the students who are just trying to say what the interviewer wants to hear.

It is much better to answer honestly. Even to a question that may seem like it should be answered in a certain way.

For example, they may ask “Do you enjoy doing homework?”. Beleieve it or not, answering “Not really!” to this question is a better way to go than saying “Yes, I love it”.

Similarly, saying you want to be a Doctor or a Lawyer may not be the best way to go either. You should be much more specific, I.e A global human rights lawyer. Just vaguely saying you want to be involved in a certain profession won’t sound authentic, and the interviewer will see right through it.

Ask THEM a question

Finally, the best way to make an impression on your scholarship interview is to come loaded with your own question for them. It may be something like “What do they like most about this school” or even more unique if things are going very well, “What’s their favourite food in the canteen”?

This will make you memorable.

On the balance of probabilities, there is always going to be a large percentage of applicants who perform better on the academic exam. Where you can make your mark as a huge point of difference, is in the interview phase.

Good luck, and remember to check the Scholarships section for the latest.