Making a strong scholarship application

Your guide to scholarship applications

Farhana is part of the Student Money Advice and Right Team (SMART).

Each year, the team reviews hundreds of scholarship applications, and so she knows exactly what makes a strong application.

Here, Farhana has put together her top tips for making your application stand out.

Student advisor for SMART team, Farhana Ali, sitting in front of a computer.

What we look for in a strong application

Absolutely make use of examples in all of your answers. For example, if you have undertaken any voluntary work, tell us what your impact was and what you got from the experience.
Our application will ask you about the past (your experiences), the present (where you are now) and the future (where you want to), and so it is handy to highlight these elements in your answers - paint a full picture of who you are and who you want to become through studying at UEL.
Bring your experience to life - for example, talk about your past achievements or activities, and how these have developed you as a person.

How do we score your application?

The team will score your application anonymously, based on the examples you give, general merit and construct. The more you bring your application to life with examples, the stronger we can score you.

What should I put in my application?

There's no right or wrong answers here, but we do encourage you to read the question carefully and write concisely with your response, in order to meet the word count.

Please explain what you will contribute to the UEL community?

Here, I might research UEL's vision 2028, paying particular attention to what the University stands for and where it wants to be.

Think about the values of UEL, how this aligns with you, and how your personal values would contribute towards the community at UEL.

How do your academic achievements demonstrate you are a suitable candidate for this award?

For this answer, we love to see how your past academic achievements have influenced your decision to continue into Higher Education.

You will score well for this question if you are able to explain what sets you apart as an applicant, and also how you see your degree influencing your future career goals.

What is your most meaningful non-academic achievement and how has it influenced your development?

Academic achievements are important, but we also like to get a view of you as a person. This could come from your experience in volunteering, events organising, charity work, leadership roles, prestigious awards etc.

For this answer, you will score highly if you are able to talk about your extracurricular activities or accomplishments which sets you apart. Do elaborate on the impact of your contribution to society and your own personal development.

What has inspired you to enter your chosen field of study and how this will support your career path?

This is your opportunity to tell us all about your passion for your chosen subject area. – what makes you want to study it at UEL, and more importantly, how will this help you on your way to your career path. For this answer, it would be useful to have researched career routes from your degree.

How do you plan to use the scholarship money, if awarded, to further your education?

For scholarships supporting financial need, this is where you can outline any mitigating personal financial circumstances you have, the steps you have taken to overcome these barriers and what you have done to ensure you can finance your education. Then, tell us how you feel the scholarship would help you financially.

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Making a strong scholarship application