My Rhodes Scholarship Journey

Suzy Kassem once said, ‘Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.’ Doubting my abilities almost barred me from attempting the Rhodes Trust Scholarship. Thankfully, I had an amazing classmate who pushed me to try.

One day, as we sat idly awaiting a lecturer, the classmate came to my desk and wrote a website address on the back of my exercise book. This was 2014, I was in my final year of undergrad. He told me to check out an interesting scholarship listed on that website called the Rhodes Scholarship. I was restless for the rest of that class. I couldn’t wait for the lecture to end so I could check the website. After the class, I hurriedly made my way to the university pavilion (the only place with reliable internet connectivity on campus) to check out the scholarship. I had never heard of the Rhodes Scholarship before. Once I visited the website, it didn’t take me long to realise the scholarship was quite prestigious. What dimmed my excitement, though, was that the scholarship is only taken at the University of Oxford. Even if I secured the scholarship, did I have good enough grades to secure admission at the University of Oxford? I didn’t think I had a chance.

After weeks of relentless pressure from my classmate to give it a try, I buckled. After all, what did I have to lose? Nothing. The journey of applying for the Rhodes Scholarship began. I collected all the required documentation, obtained letters of reference, and casually submitted my application. The hardest part of the application process was preparing the personal statement —an essay that answers questions like: Who are you? What matters to you? What are your aspirations/dreams? I could convincingly talk about my achievements and make a case for why I was the best candidate for the scholarship. However, I struggled when it came to putting that same story down on a piece of paper. Most of my application time was spent preparing the statement. I combed the internet, reading countless publicly available personal statements. Then I spent several weeks drafting, editing, and proofreading the statement till I got a reasonable final product that I used for the application.?

This is a message of encouragement to any student who is doubting themselves and hesitating to apply for the scholarship. You might be the next scholar! But you will never know if you don’t try. Put your best foot forward, prepare to your level best, submit, and leave the rest to the selection committee.?All the best to all of you guys applying this year??

Here are some resources:

1. Personal reflection and tips to help you stand out: https://youtu.be/58cfo4KTzf4?si=FWIJe-qYF6QUovDR
2. An edited recording of the Rhodes Scholarship information session: https://youtu.be/RC6Dy6ihQUY?si=BZGa6ZbG2rIfg2yY
3. Tips, and practical examples, to write a stellar personal statement: https://youtu.be/5vMjOei0wM8?si=jmABYWRIwoCmmfiM
4. Tips to write an outstanding resume: https://youtu.be/1uDNBq90l8A?si=pfQ4XdCQZliKc4Ru
5. Ace your interviews: https://youtu.be/JZHQvPUTgoU?si=kf5IRHkPLsX1deq2