I was a recipient of a Chevening scholarship in 2017/18 and completed my MA in Media Practice for Development and Social Change at the University of Sussex. This year I participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship, where I met many brilliant young Africans who asked for tips and guidance for applying for a Chevening Scholarship. With Chevening applications now open for intake, I have decided to share my key tips for a successful application. My approach emphasizes understanding your story and making a compelling case that you are a leader and that the Chevening award contributes to your career plans and vision.
1. Clearly
articulate your vision, plans, and accomplishments
The Chevening scholarship awards scheme is for people with
leadership potential and leaders are people who have a vision that they are
working towards! Because Chevening applications are so competitive, potential
alone without evidence of concerted steps and a concise plan towards attainment
of the vision is inadequate. There is also a need to highlight the key
accomplishments and milestones you have made towards achieving your goals,
evidence that you are not only a dreamer but a person of action. Consider the
following points:
- Your
vision should be of gain to your community or country for it to count.
Chevening is seeking individuals who will return home and give back to
their community and country. A vision of personal fame and fortune will
not cut it!
- It may
be useful to divide your career plan into a short-term plan (1-3 years), a
medium-term plan (4 – 6 years) and a long-term plan (7 – 10 years). Your
plans could relate to specific projects you want to embark on, personal
development plans or future career changes. Examples of these could
include enrolling in an education course, coaching or mentoring younger
people in your field, running for political office or starting your own
organization. The list is endless.
- Clearly
articulate your accomplishments or impact as a leader in your field. This
could include successful campaigns for a better community, development of
products that improve society, groundbreaking research on an issue
affecting the community, founding a successful start-up or non-profit
organization, improving the lives of disenfranchised people etc. Back up
your successes with clear evidence, and where possible quantify your
impact, e.g. number of people impacted. Use clear examples in your essays!
2. Show how a
masters degree in the United Kingdom will contribute towards achieving your
goals
A successful application will require you to show how a
masters degree in the United Kingdom will contribute towards achieving your
goals. To do this effectively you need to research the standing of the United
Kingdom and your chosen universities in the area you are interested in. For
example in my application I argued that a Masters Degree in Media Practice for
Development and Social Change from the University of Sussex would equip me to
better achieve my dreams of contributing to Zimbabwe’s democracy and
development since Sussex University is the best university in the world for
development studies and since the United Kingdom is a leader in global media through
institutions such as BBC and Sky News. I also argued that the presence of
International Development Institutions headquartered in the United Kingdom
would offer me opportunities for networking and learning.
3. Understand your
story, personalize it and tell it with confidence
The Chevening application asks you to make your case in only
four essays of 500 words each! You, therefore, need to decide how you will frame
your application, develop a particular narrative and articulate it with
confidence. You can’t include your entire life story but need to pick specific
things that strengthen the argument that you are a leader.
Also, do not be afraid to talk about yourself. Since this is
your application, you are the star… Show your growth as a human being, your
vulnerabilities, your weaknesses, and how you have conquered them in the quest
to achieve your dreams. This is how you establish a connection with the
application reviewers, and later with the interviewers.
Once you complete these three steps you will know if you are
ready for Chevening, and if Chevening is what you need at this point in your
life. You will also be able to effectively respond to Chevening application
questions on your leadership potential, networking skills and career plans. In
short, everything else (which is spelt out in the application guidelines
anyway) will fall into place!
Good luck!
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