- Tell us about yourself. …
- What is your greatest strength/weakness? …
- Why do you deserve this scholarship? …
- What are your career goals? …
- Who has been a role model for you? …
- Tell me about a mistake you made. …
- Why did you choose this school?
SCHOLARSHIP Interview Questions And Answers! (How to prepare for a Scholarship Interview!)
Get ready for the interview.
Prepare yourself and make sure you know the interview time, location, and how to get there. If possible, ask who might be interviewing. Act out your upcoming interview. Ask a teacher, counselor or friend to read through a list of potential questions with you and practice stating your answers. Lastly, pick out a nice outfit to wear the day of the interview. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt to the interview may not be a good idea. Instead, wear something you might wear to a job interview.
Research the scholarship online to see what you can find out ahead of time. Having knowledge about the scholarship and sharing what you know during the interview could be positive with the selection committee.
A list of sample questions that might be asked during the interview.
Who are you?
Interviews help to sort out the person from the resume or application, especially in the questions that get at your core personality and behavior. These indicators can help the interviewer determine if you’re the right person to represent the scholarship’s ideals and if you’re likely to succeed in college.
1. Tell us about yourself.
This may be the simplest but most difficult question of all in terms of expressing an answer. If you can’t think of how to describe yourself, ask others to describe you. Take notes and highlight the positives in your reply. Don’t dwell on the negatives.
Good: “I’m very social and a good athlete,”
Bad: “I’m a partier.”
Good: I enjoy playing and excelling at sports.
Bad: “I’m more focused on basketball than my classes.”
2. How would a friend or family member describe you?
If you ask them, request honesty and don’t be defensive if the responses aren’t what you want to hear. Take what’s valuable to help describe your best qualities and run with it.
3. What’s your greatest strength?
Don’t be shy when talking about your strengths. Choose one or two qualities that show you can be successful in college and, if possible, relate to the ideals of the scholarship.
Example: “I can recognize when to step up and be a leader, and when to follow someone else’s lead. That has aided me when doing community service, as it helps me to work well with a team to achieve our common goals.”
4. What’s your biggest weakness?
We all have weaknesses. The interviewer wants to assess your self awareness and see whether you have taken the time to reflect on areas where you can improve. You can still put a positive spin on this by mentioning any steps that you’re taking to better yourself in this area.
Example: “I think my biggest weakness is my fear of public speaking. I get very nervous to speak in front of others and worry about how I will be perceived. However, I am working to overcome this fear by participating in my school’s debate team.”
5. Leadership experience is important. Tell me about your experience.
Some people have direct leadership experience, such as being class president or the captain of a team. If you don’t, you might mention being a role model for siblings or other students, or discuss your ability to lead by example through demonstrating specific qualities.
6. Tell me about a big mistake you made during the past few years, and describe what you learned from it.
The important part of the response to this question is how you recovered, corrected your mistake, and learned from it.
7. Describe a situation when you faced an obstacle or adversity and overcame it.
Respond similarly to the question above on mistakes.
8. Describe a personal achievement or proud moment.
Relate your choice back to an event that connects to the scholarship’s ideals, or a moment that points out good qualities in you.
9. Were you involved in any activities, clubs, or sports at school or in your community?
Provide a few key activities but not a long list of everything you’ve ever done. Think of activities that show service, leadership, teamwork, and professional and academic interests.
10. What is your favorite book/movie/song?
11. What book, teacher, or class has changed the way you think? How?
Be positive in your response.
12. What are your opinions on topic X (X means they provide the topic)?
Stay away from controversial stands unless they would appeal to aims of the scholarship.
13. Who is your role model or someone you look up to, and why?
You can choose someone personally or professionally connected to you, as long as you choose to say something that reflects your best self and aspirations.
14. Describe a person or an event in your life that shaped you somehow.
You can choose a positive experience that shows a sudden change or shaping over time, or a negative experience that made you change for the better.
15. What have you learned from someone who is very different from you?
This is a question to really think about beforehand. A great answer showing flexible thinking and the ability to learn from anyone can really impact the interviewer.
16. What do you consider the most urgent problem in the world today? Why?
Try to avoid very controversial or political topics unless those topics fit the ideals of the scholarship. If the interviewer expresses an opposing viewpoint, listen with empathy and without arguing.
17. What languages do you speak? Write?
18. Have you traveled outside of your home country? Where have you visited?
Tell about your experience in another country, focusing on what you learned. What cultural, linguistic, historical, or other elements did you learn while you were there? Think about what may most apply to the ideals of the scholarship. If you haven’t had a chance to travel abroad, share what you hope to learn from traveling someday.
Ditch the Nervous Habits
If you’re feeling anxious, you are not alone. “I was so nervous,” Minnaar said. “I think I hyped myself in a negative way.” Minnaar and Toth recommended that even though you feel on edge, you should not act jittery. Keep your hands in your lap, and make sure you are not tapping your foot or other nervous habits.
While the interviewers will know that you are anxious, it can help both them and you feel at ease if you find ways to calm your nerves. “Every single person that walks into those interview rooms is nervous,” Toth said, “but if you give yourself a leg up by focusing on the little things and being able to present yourself as professional, it’s going to be more impressive.”
When put on the spot, it may be difficult for you to come up with answers to the interview questions. To help prepare for this challenge, Minnaar and Toth both said that practicing beforehand is one of the key scholarship interview tips. One way you can do this is by looking up practice questions online.
Minnaar practiced with her mom, who would ask her random questions that made her think critically about how to best represent herself. “Normally it takes me a long time to think, but practicing random questions helps you think on the spot,” she said.
FAQ
How do you stand out in a scholarship interview?
How do you answer why should we give you this scholarship?
Why are you the best candidate for this scholarship?
- Explain how the scholarship money would contribute to your long-term goals. …
- Focus on the purpose of the scholarship. …
- Don’t be afraid to promote yourself. …
- Use a thesis statement, just like you would with any other essay.
What is your greatest strength scholarship interview?
Do you have any questions for us scholarship interview?
