Scholarship Success

I have been the Head of Talent Acquisition for 15 years and also worked as a Senior Recruiter, and I have personally reviewed hundreds of resumes, most of which have been for very competitive graduate programs and corporate bursaries. Although I have never served on an academic scholarship committee, the basic principles of evaluating candidates … Read more

In my career of evaluating candidates for graduate programs and corporate bursaries, I have detected a lasting and costly fallacy of bad judgment: the idea that the keenest competition is for the most famous, most important scholarships. While it is a fact that they are very competitive, the real advantage lies in another direction. The … Read more

During my career as a placement manager for the placement of foreign talent into graduate programs and as a reviewer of applications for corporate bursaries, I noticed a very important trend. Most of the successful applicants coming from countries other than the U.S. not only excel academically, but they also understand that winning an American … Read more

Over fifteen years of reviewing scholarship applications (and countless corporate placement reviews), I have developed a keen eye for spotting obvious red flags, even when a candidate has incredible achievements. I believe that reviewing scholarship applicants and reviewing corporate placement applicants share many similarities. While committees do not intend to find a reason to eliminate … Read more

I have been able to see, in my years as a global talent acquisition specialist, that there is an expensive and repetitive trend. Women in STEM scholarships candidates tend to miss opportunities for strategic funding due to a lack of advertising. As a former manager of graduate recruitment and corporate bursaries, I have seen the … Read more

In all fifteen years of my involvement in global talent markets, I have continually noticed that one of the most successful career decisions made by candidates has been to relocate geographically. A tuition-free bachelor’s or master’s degree in Europe or South America is not merely a financial decision; it can serve as a career accelerator. … Read more

In my fifteen years as a headhunter and manager of graduate programs, I’ve seen a pattern: the candidates landing choice jobs are not blindingly brilliant often. They’re shrewd. They understand that timing is not just a date on a calendar; it is a competitive weapon. And so it is with scholarships. Most students treat money … Read more

Having read thousands of applications for graduate programs and corporate bursaries, I can tell you that the essay is where the decision is actually made. The CV gives me the facts of your journey; the essay gives me the story behind them. It’s your one chance to provide context, convey character, and articulate a vision … Read more

I have experienced firsthand the ability to identify a particular type of candidate through my experience working with the best of the best in the talent acquisition field. I can recognize a candidate who was involved in a superior-quality scholarship program. For example, when I see a Rhodes, Chevening, or Fulbright scholarship listed on a … Read more

In my fifteen years evaluating candidates for highly competitive roles and corporate bursaries, I’ve learned that the most compelling applications tell a story. Your motivation letter is not a list of achievements; that’s what you insert in your CV. It is your personal pitch, a strategic document that connects your past experiences to your future … Read more