Failing is not always a Failure, but a Priceless Learning!
My Experience of being a Global Rhodes Scholarship Finalist 2021
By the end of January 2020, I had completed my undergraduate studies at University of Colombo and was fortunate enough to right away start working in the corporate sector. While I always had the passion to study and learn more about my domain, I was also curious to explore the applications of what I’ve learnt during my 4 years in university. So, even though I wanted to go for higher studies, I thought of giving it some time.
Somewhere around early June last year, we got this email from the head of the Department of Statistics, requesting for nominations for Prestigious Rhodes Scholarships for the PhD placements at University of Oxford. This was the first time I heard about Rhodes. At a glance of it, this seemed impossible because after all it is UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD which is no easy game.
However out of curiosity, I just googled about it to get an idea on Rhodes Scholarships.
What are Rhodes Scholarships?
Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world. Established in 1902 by Cecil Rhodes, this scholarship enables outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford.
As soon as we hear scholarship, we think it’s just Financial Support. Reading through the stories of past scholars it appears that Rhodes offers a lot more than financial support. Rhodes has provided each and every scholar with a unique life changing experience and an opportunity to stand up for the world in their respective domains.
Every year, Rhodes Trust provides 100 scholarships across the world to individuals from over 20 constituencies each of which has a specific quota. A Rhodes Constituency is a country, a group of countries, and/or territories, and/or states for the purposes of administering scholarships. The application process differs from one constituency to another.
Hence, to learn more about the application process, I went through the list of constituencies more than 10 times, trying to spot Sri Lanka in that list. At one point I thought, maybe it’s not open for Sri Lankans. But then I came across the Global Category. The Global category basically represents the rest of the world who are not included in any of the other constituencies. And guess what ? Only 2 scholars will be awarded with the scholarship from this category. Thought to myself that I was right, this is so impossible for me to make a move.
You can find more details about the Rhodes Scholarships here.
Where it all started!
Although I was sure that I would pursue higher studies at some point in my life, I did not have a clear vision or a plan on how to work towards that goal. I simply didn’t know how to start. Even though Rhodes seemed impossible from the start, I thought it would be a great starting point for me to plan on my journey for higher studies. So, rather than being afraid of winning I thought of the slightest ever possibility of getting in and submitted my CV along with a cover letter to enter the University of Colombo nomination process.
After about 2 to 3 weeks, I received an email from the International Office of University of Colombo, for the final interviews of nominations. We were supposed to do a 3-minute presentation using only 3 slides pitching ourselves and why we deserve to be nominated. On July 16th, 2020 I arrived at the college house for my presentation and to my sight was outstanding students from each and every faculty waiting with their medals and certificate files for their turn at the hallway. At this time, neither did I have any kind of academic medal nor a single publication of my research. All I had was a file full of certificates for Music, Speech, Drama and Swimming. I found a huge panel of interviewers in a literally big round table as I entered the room, including the Vice Chancellor of the University and Deans of all Faculties. Having had the experience of public speaking since I was small, I unfolded my story within those 3 minutes and answered the questions with so much confidence.
The next day, I heard that I’m one out of the three nominees from University of Colombo and was so overwhelmed to get through that intensive process itself. Leaving all my thoughts about impossibility aside, I was inspired and motivated reading what Rhodes Scholarships are, who are former recipients of the scholarships, what does it take to be a Rhodes scholar and how is the application process.
I started my application process right away as I only had 14 days left to craft my entire application.
The Application
Applying for a Rhodes Scholarship is a complex process that varies by constituency. For the Global Category, applicants are required to submit the following documents:
- Documents to prove the age requirements (such as NIC or Passport)
- An official Academic Transcript from the university
- Evidence of English Language Proficiency
- Nomination by the University
- A full Curriculum Vitae which should include details about academic qualifications, prizes, scholarships, positions of leadership, employment positions, involvement in student, voluntary, community or political activities and any cultural, musical or sporting accomplishments.
- An academic statement of study of no more than 750 words,
- A personal statement of no more than 1,000 words
- Five letters of recommendation (3 Academic Referees, 2 Character Referees)
Further Information about the entire application process for Global Candidates can be found here.
Upon reading the instructions, I narrowed down my tasks:
- Developing a strong personal statement
- Identify 5 strong referees
- Answering other short questions and uploading supporting documents
“ Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail”
I knew even to get shortlisted it called for a very strong application. I sat back, took my notebook, and planned to craft each and every document setting my own deadlines. All throughout the 14 days I worked on each task in the early mornings (which is my most productive time of the day) before office work. All tasks were proofread and corrected on the same day night with the help of my boyfriend. During each and every free time I had, I made sure to improve what’s been written making it more unique and meaningful.
The Personal Statement
I believe this is the most important part of the entire application. It actually is a difficult task which requires a lot of thought. It’s not like you can write and finish it off within a day. I perfected adding different components every single day and took all 14 days to complete my personal statement.
Few tips from me to craft a good personal statement:
- Sit back freely and assess yourself, look at what you’ve done so far and where you wanna go. You don’t need to have a very precise plan for the rest of your life, but compile a good plan for the next 5 to 10 years and how studying at Oxford clearly furthers your way
- Ask your friends what your strengths and weaknesses are. They might help to see yourself in a different way
- Ask yourself why and to what extent do you deserve this scholarship (Try to think about how everything you have done so far led you to apply for the scholarship and pursue in your research)
- Express your ideas in your own words and own perspective. (Don’t make it a detailed version of your CV, but try to explain the things which are not included in your CV)
- It’s not just your academics, it’s about your story, including your life experiences (either good or bad) and your passion. (Be clear about your Passion)
- There’s no specific structure to a personal statement. It should enable anyone to understand who you are as they read it. So, make it as unique as possible.
- Get the statement proofread by a few people. I sent mine to two of my closest friends and one of my seniors who currently studies in Oxford.
Letters of Recommendation
Having strong and genuine letters of recommendation is a key component of the entire application. It’s vital to identify 5 individuals who you have interacted with at different instances who can explicitly say who you are and why you are a potential Rhodes Candidate. Initially identify 7 referees and keep 2 as backup. It’s always good keep contingencies in place during these unprecedented times.
I chose three lecturers from university that I closely worked with, including my undergraduate research supervisor as academic referees, my current employer and a head of a youth organization I worked in, as character referees to cover my professional and extracurricular backgrounds.
Likewise completing all requirements, I submitted by application a day before the deadline.
The Interview(s)
On the 9th of September (After about 1 month upon submitting the application), an email popped up in my inbox. I had been selected for the second round of selections ! And all those efforts have finally paid off. I was even more excited to hear that I was the only Sri Lankan to reach this stage. The excitement led me to start off preparations for the next stage, on the same day I received the email.
I researched to understand the structure and content of Rhodes Interviews. I came across that some constituencies have mock interviews and experience sharing sessions from past Rhodes Scholars. I googled to see if there are any past Sri Lankan Rhodes Scholars who could help me with this and I found only two of them.
- Mr. Chula De Silva — Sri Lankan Lawyer and a Politician
- Prof. G.L Peiris- Current Minister of Education , Sri Lanka
Reading through their profiles was intimidating. But I didn’t give up! I prepped as much as I could alone and did mock sessions with my boyfriend (who wasn’t a Rhodes Scholar but had a good idea about the scholarship as he has been helping me with the process since the inception).
Few tips from me to prepare yourself for the interviews:
- Compile a list of self exploratory questions and think how you can answer them.
- Do Practice interviews as much as you can with yourself, with friends or with anyone who is willing to help you.
Accordingly, I completed this stage after facing an online interview with a panel of two interviewers which was challenging yet it was more like a casual conversation which focused more on my research area, my undergraduate thesis and future plans.
On the 13th of October, I got the Invitation to the Final Interview of the Global Rhodes Scholarship 2020 (Yayyy !) I was tearing with excitement and was so proud of myself for coming this far with my first ever scholarship application.
Generally, the final interviews of Rhodes Scholarships are conducted at University of Oxford followed by a reception. But unfortunately, due to COVID 19, this year’s interviews were conducted virtually through zoom. The final interviews were conducted over two days. I had my individual interview on the 13th of November following the Virtual Social engagement event on the day before. The Social Engagement session was very casual where I got to interact with the rest of the 12 finalists and the judges. It was an amazing experience where I got to know a lot of inspiring stories about other finalists and was a platform to share our ideas on different aspects.
Final Interview the next day was quite rigorous. It was a 30 minutes interview with a large panel from different domains. They were moving from one question to the next so quickly and tested how fast I could think on my feet. It was a mix of technical and non technical questions. In a nutshell, the entire interview was focused on my aspirations and how they could possibly create a positive impact. They referenced every aspect I included in my CV, may it be academic or extracurricular.
My only tip for the Final interview:
“Be clear about your Passion and Just be YOU! Show who you are and make the conversation enjoyable !”
I received a phone call two days after my final interview and was informed that I couldn’t make it to the top 2 out of 13 Global Rhodes Scholarship Finalists.
It was not a FAILURE!
I didn’t fail, I moved forward in each and every stage successfully and just missed it by one step. I was the only Sri Lankan to make it to the Finals and was one out of 13 finalists of the competitive Global Category.
I couldn’t become a Rhodes Scholar, but this entire process over the 5 months was a huge learning experience for me. An experience which is one of a kind. Rhodes enabled me to explore myself, my values, my strengths and discover what I am passionate about. It provided me the platform to see the world in different ways and interact with a diverse group of people. The skills you gain putting together a Rhodes application are undoubtedly transferable. And the Learning Experience you gain during the entire process is indeed priceless !
My Advice
“ Do it even if you think you don’t have Chance”
- Have a clear plan and strategy from the start. Try to make your application standout and prepare yourself to give it your best shot.
- Don’t forget to make every step a learning experience.
- Trust yourself. Don’t ever try to fake it. The Rhodes committee is interested in knowing you and your story with both strengths and weaknesses.
Rhodes Scholarship Applications for 2022 are now open !
If you have excelled in your academics, have diverse talents, outstanding intellect and character, have instincts to lead and above all have a heart to serve, it is your time to become the next Rhodes Scholar!
Feel free to contact me if you need any help in the process of applying. All the best !
