I went from a suffocating childhood just outside of Baltimore city to becoming a “Million Dollar Scholar”, Ivy League grad, and world traveling educator…And I’m revealing ALL my secrets to show how YOU or your student can be transformed into a HUGE scholarship winner too.
This is my Story. I hope it inspires you and motivates you to take action NOW!
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The truth is the more scholarships you have won in the past and win in the present will lead you winning more scholarships in the future. , Watch this video to learn why and to learn how you can start this cycles of scholarship winning.
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A Ph.D. student recently reached out to me; he needed advice on how to best apply for the CLS scholarship.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with CLS, it’s a scholarship program geared towards increasing the number of Americans studying what the U.S. government considers critical languages. These languages include Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu.
Proficiency in one or more of these languages opens up opportunities in a variety of international and Foreign Service careers. Learn more about the Critical Language Scholarship program here.
Fortunately, I was able to give the Ph.D. candidate some concrete advice that was given to me before I submitted my own CLS application a couple of years ago.
Before I even knew about the CLS program, an Arabic student and CLS recipient on campus told me that I should apply to the program in order to supplement the Arabic curriculum that was used at Cornell. Along with encouraging me to apply, he gave his best advice and told me what he did to improve his chances of winning the scholarship.
Here’s what he told me….
“Make sure you emphasize how you will continually use the language in your future studies and career. Show them (the selection committee) that the target language is instrumental to your future academic and career goals. And give specific examples on how you plan to use the language, paint a clear picture for them.”
I took his advice and proceeded to construct the strongest application that I could. I was awarded the scholarship and studied in Oman in 2013. Afterward, I knew that taking his advice and combining it with my already proven scholarship winning strategies was the key to my success.
Like my fellow CLS alumnus told me, you should definitely emphasize how you will continually use the language and how it’s instrumental to your career and academic success.
But, make sure to also…
1. Show how you will better serve others with the language skills you will gain through the scholarship program. Remember, service to others is what really makes your scholarship application memorable. The selection committee usually doesn’t want to dole out money to self-absorbed students; they feel more comfortable giving money to those who show they will carry on the scholarship’s tradition and share what they’ve gained from the scholarship. For example, I had established an Arabic tutoring club on campus after I came back from my first study abroad program in Jordan. In my CLS application, I expressed my need to better master Arabic in order to be a better resource for the students I was already serving on my campus.
2. Highlight all your activities and goals centered on the language. Have you participated in any clubs dedicated to the target language? Any volunteer work where you’ve had to use the language? Have you done any research using the language or about the language? Are you working towards undertaking any of these types of activities but need additional support? All that information is relevant and should be reflected in your application.
3. Clearly convey how you will use the target language in your current and future work.Are you studying the target language independently because courses aren’t offered at your university? Are you studying (or plan to study) the language in order to better prepare yourself for future academic work? How do you plan to use the target language in your future career? Think about these questions and include this information in your essays.
4. Identify instructors, professors, supervisors, or any other people who can speak about your relationship with and dedication to the target language. Contact your recommenders early and provide them with a resume/CV outlining your relevant experience. This is a type of coaching your recommenders need to write and construct the best recommendation letters possible.
It’s important to keep in mind that CLS is a competitive program and the selection committee considers many factors before making their final decisions. I’m sharing these strategies and advice in hopes that you’ll use this information to increase your chances of winning the scholarship. So keep these tips in mind while applying and put your best foot forward. You got this, you’ll be fine, and always remember that if you don’t get it the first time, you can try again.
Oh, just a quick tidbit, CLS not only covers all travel, accommodation, and academic expenses, it also gives students a stipend (which is something like an allowance) which students can save and manage on their own! So, if you needed an another reason to push you to apply for the program, here it is.
Someone recently asked me about funding for a PhD/doctoral degree and the question was...
"What's the best way to get funding and scholarships for a PhD/Doctoral degree?"
Here's my answer...
Your best bet would be to contact each university directly to ask about their specific funding, scholarship, and fellowship opportunities for PhD candidates.
It’s worth mentioning that if you plan on getting a PhD in any of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) Fields at a university in the United States then you most probably won’t have to worry about funding. Most of these programs fully fund their PhD students for 5 years, but of course there are always exceptions so make sure you do your research. Many PhD programs also allow students to get a Masters degree while they are working towards getting a PhD (these types of combined Masters and PhD programs usually last for 5 years or more).
When it comes to getting a PhD in the United States, the hardest part is actually getting admitted into a program. After you’re admitted, the university/department usually funds you and fully takes care of your costs to attend the university. A PhD student’s tuition is usually covered and she/he is usually given a living stipend/salary as long as she/he provides intellectual labor via teaching and research assistantships.
I’ll tell a short story to show you.
I have a friend who scored an internship with the United Nations in Jordan during her junior year of college. However, there was one problem; the internship was unpaid. She didn’t have enough money to support herself and work for free abroad.
Determined to take advantage of the great opportunity, she asked a professor from our major department (we were both Near Eastern Studies majors) about funding available for students. The concerned professor went out of his way and lobbied for her. He made sure she got a piece of department funding so she could do the internship.
Without this positive relationship with her professor, she likely wouldn’t have asked him for support when she needed it the most. With out that relationship, she might not have been awarded extra funding from our major department and would’ve ultimately been unable to take advantage of that great opportunity!
It goes to show you that building meaningful relationships with your professors can pay—literally.
Professors that know you well will also be more inclined to recommend you to scholarships, fellowships, grants, internships and other types of educational funds. This is because many professors are just helpful people who like to support their students andbecause they’ll know enough about you (your academic major, campus activities, etc.) to be able to guess which programs you’d be eligible for.
Here’s a personal example— teachers, professors, and academic advisors would always tell me about scholarships and other funding programs that few students knew about. They would even sometimes volunteer to write my recommendation letters for the application. This absolutely gave me a huge advantage and a better chance of being awarded as the competition wasn’t so steep and great recommendation letters strengthened my applications.
Alright, to bring the message home, let me say this again. Relationships with your professors, teachers, advisors, and guidance counselors MATTER when it comes to finding alternative ways to fund your education.
Don’t believe the hype that tells you that you have to be valedictorian in order to get higher education for free. Finding money for your education isn’t necessarily about being the “smartest” student. It’s often about doing what most students won’t do or what most students never think to do.
So here’s a task for all you students out there. Start building better relationships with your teachers and professors by….
Being more engaged and active during class/lecture: Ask questions, share your opinion, etc.
Asking professors for their advice about doing well in the course. You can literally ask “what’s your advice on how to do well in this class?”
Attend office hours or out of class activities or sessions with your professors. Don’t be shy! Mix and mingle, start a conversation about ANYTHING if you’re nervous at first. You’ll see that your professors and other university faculty members will be happy to engage with you.
Writing a great scholarship essay can be challenging but following these 5 steps will surely make you stand out from other applicants.
So, while you are writing your scholarship essay, make sure you...
Tell your story- People love stories and good stories catch massive attention quickly! In your story, answer these questions: What has happened in your life up to this point to make you want this scholarship? What have you done in your life to be worthy of this scholarship? In your essay, demonstrate with examples. Use anecdotes.
Show how you will better serve others with the resources and skills you will gain from the scholarship program- Remember, service to others is what really makes your scholarship application memorable. The selection committee usually doesn’t want to dole out money to self-absorbed students; they feel more comfortable giving money to those who show they will carry on the scholarship’s tradition and share what they’ve gained from the scholarship. For example, while I was applying to the State Department’s Critical Language Scholarship for Arabic, I wrote about how I established an Arabic tutoring club on campus after I came back from my first study abroad program in Jordan. In the application essay, I expressed my need to better master Arabic in order to be a better resource for the students I was already serving on my campus.
Highlight all your activities and goals relevant to the scholarship’s mission or theme- Have you participated in any clubs dedicated to the scholarship’s mission? Participated in any volunteer work related to the scholarship’s mission or theme? Are you working towards undertaking any activities related to the scholarship’s mission but need additional support? All that information is relevant and should be reflected in your application.
Clearly convey how you will use the scholarship in your current and future work- Are you studying the target language independently because courses aren’t offered at your university? Are you studying (or plan to study) the language in order to better prepare yourself for future academic work? How do you plan to use the target language in your future career? Think about these questions and include this information in your essays.
5. Get the essay/application proofread and edited- Go to your school’s or college’s writing center and get your essays edited and make revisions. Visit the campus career center or your school’s guidance counselors’ office to get your essay/letter in great shape. If you aren’t able to find free writing services and counseling resources at your university or school, ask a teacher, professor, or fellow student to help you proofread and edit your essay and application.
