I remember it was this time last year that I was more than a quarter done with my Chevening application. For those who are planning to apply this year, some of you may be on the same boat with me a year ago, and some may have just started theirs. No matter how much you have done so far, or what phase you are in right now, just continue.

For the past weeks, I have been receiving messages from a couple of people asking for tips with regard to Chevening application. Having applied for Chevening twice, I honestly believe that I do not have a lot to share. So, I asked out some Chevening scholars this year to share their “ultimate tips” when they were applying for Chevening.

Be prepared (in advanced)

Take advantage of the 3-month application period. Applications for Chevening runs from early August to early November yearly and I think that it is enough time to produce well-written essays and collect important documents. Chiara Zambrano, a Chevening scholar from the Philippines taking up Documentary by Practice at Royal Holloway, University of London, shares that it would be helpful to request necessary documents in advanced and create an accessible e-copy. According to Jam Usman, another Filipino Chevener taking up Islamic Finance and Management at Durham University, it is also important to be mindful of the deadlines [as there will surely be no extensions]. To know the deadlines by heart and try to work backwards for your timetable. By doing this, you would know and somehow track the progress of your application. It will also give you enough time to troubleshoot any problem that you will encounter along the way and improve your essays. Jam also suggests taking your IELTS [or any language test] as [early as possible]. Do not wait for the Chevening results before you take your language test. Having your language test result with you on the time of application will give you confidence. It will somehow increase your chance to get unconditional offers from universities. Taking the language test is quite expensive, so it would be better if you think about this fee as an investment.

Start your university hunting early on

Chevening provides its scholars a chance to study in a UK university for a taught postgraduate degree of their choice. In the application, you will be asked of your three university choices and the programmes you want to pursue. Renee Karunungan, a Filipino Chevening scholar doing Media and International Development in University of East Anglia suggests that it is better to enquire and apply to your prospective universities early on. Looking for universities in the UK is overwhelming because there’s a lot of choices and interesting programmes. Surely, you have a lot of considerations too such as the place, cost of living, ranking, programme, and so on. Try to rank these considerations before you start your hunting spree. When I applied for my universities, I considered the programme, the student satisfaction, and the place. Do your research and visit their websites. Most universities in the UK provides a lot of information in their websites so take advantage of these. Email programme coordinators and ask about your course of interest. This will help you when your write your essay about your university choice. University rankings are also helpful as it will help you match your chosen university to your past academic and work experience. One thing I learned from my university application is to categorise my university choices as “dream university” – those with high requirements, “chosen university” – those that matches your academic and work backgrounds, and “safe university” – those with lower requirements compared to your qualifications. Lastly, do not limit yourself from applying to only three universities. Apply to a couple more, just in case you need it.

Be succinct, coherent, substantive, and clear

The meat of your Chevening application are your essays, so try to focus and work hard on these. In the online form, you will be asked to write about your leadership skills, networking skills, university choices, and your career plan. For Geisha Sanchez, a Filipino scholar taking up Sustainable Development at University of Sussex, you should construct your essays in a way that they are a pleasure to read. Five hundred words is just enough so you should know what gems to include and to exclude. You should do this in a way that your essays will still be impressive enough to stand out. Remember that your essay is your initial weapon to be shortlisted for the second round of the application process. According to Omar Ammar, an Iraqi Chevening scholar taking up Human Clinical Embryology and Assisted Conception in University of Dundee, you also [need to] get your [essays] proofread [so it will be free from grammatical errors]. [Try to] make it informative and provide relevant facts and examples about your [skills and] qualities. Your essays are not stand alone so it would be great if you’ll present it by creating a clear storyline of your past background, current experiences, and your plans for the future.

Build your network

For Michelline Rama, a Filipino scholar taking up Social and Public Communication in London School of Economics, building a mini-Chevening network whilst preparing for your application will help you out and at the same time, keep you sane. She suggests connecting with friends who are also applying, past Cheveners, and even those who were rejected in their previous application. Their tips and experiences will encourage you to go on with your application. During my application, I connected with a lot of previous scholars and applicants worldwide who have provided me with tips and shared their stories. Honestly, these made my application easier because I felt I was doing the right way. I also suggest looking up for groups in social media with people who are also applying. These groups are wonderful spaces to know people from different countries and learn from their experiences. Take advantage also of educational fairs in your country. Most of the time, there are booths set up by the British Council, UKEAS, Study International, and the British Embassy that provide loads of information about UK university applications. Who knows, you might meet your “Chevening buddy” within that network!

Create a support system

Scholarship application can be both exciting and excruciating. Most of the time, you will experience mixture of anxiety, hopefulness, joy, rejection, and a lot more. So be prepared to have a roller coaster of these emotions. Tell your friends that you are applying and ask for their support. Request them to proofread your essays and comment on it. This support system will be your go-to people whenever you want to share something about your application – may it be a story of success or rejection. According to Ben Kalaw, another Pinoy scholar taking up Public Policy and Management at King’s College London, it also helps to get references from those people who believe in you and sees your potential. When I applied, I was blessed with great support systems who provided me with the moral support that I needed. I call them my #TeamCloseFriends and #TeamPrayerAngels. There were also my family, university professors, and workmates who uplifted my spirit all the time. These people were with me from start until now. I owe a part of this Chevening award to them.

Have a goal supported by a well-defined plan

Chevening scholars are known for having a clear vision for their country. This vision should be supported by a defined and thought out plan. It would be an advantage if you will be able to reflect these on your application essays. Geisha and Laura Simonyan, suggest that your vision and plan should be clear and should reflect yourself and your dream for your country. You should determine what you really want to do, to focus on one goal, and ponder on how it will be beneficial for your country. You should also think on how studying in a programme in the UK will help you achieve this goal. Lastly, clarity of thought is also important for Chiara who also pushes you to know why you want [the Chevening scholarship]. According to her, you have to show that you have a dream and a plan, and why Chevening is that one big step that could lead you to it.

Assess yourself

When I applied for Chevening, my first self-assessment question was “Am I ready?”, followed by “Why do I want this?” Your Chevening application will bring you to a different dimension of self-assessment and self-exploration. Personally, it helped me to know myself more and to stretch my limits, or even go beyond it. On the other hand, Ben suggests that when you apply for Chevening, you should not think of what you need to do to get an award. Rather, reflect and answer the essays as sincere as possible. [I]n doing so, you’ll discover if you have an idea of where your career and advocacy [would] take you.

Have a selfless purpose

For Bam Baraguir, a Pinoy scholar taking up Conflict Resolution at University of Bradford, [Chevening] scholarship is not for you but for your country. Amar also shares that you should not make everything only about yourself, that you should show how your country will benefit [from the scholarship]. This is true because Chevening scholars are expected to go back to their countries after a year of studying in the UK. They are expected to apply whatever they learnt for the development of their nations. Ananda Nidhi also suggests that you should be able to show that through Chevening, you can make a more positive difference in your country, and not just improve your career. Santiago Esquivel, also shares that Chevening is an international strategy of the UK government [to build stronger bilateral relations with different countries], so you should focus your interest around what UK is already doing in your home country. I once said that my scholarship is not just for me but for the Filipinos, and I am just representing them in this journey to help them achieve their dreams too. Whilst doing your application, try to understand that you are doing this for your country, because you love your people and you want to help them.

Be ready for the next step

No one knows the outcome of your application until they make the announcement in mid-February for the interview shortlist and in mid-June for the final results. But after sending your application in November, try to be positive and prepare yourself for the next step. Prepare for both outcomes – of not being accepted or being accepted. If you are shortlisted for the interview, Danilo Vidad, another Pinoy scholar taking up Security, Peace-building, and Diplomacy at Loughborough University London suggests that you should prepare well for the it. Be credible and back up what you have written in your essays with clear and detailed facts. If ever you will not be accepted for the second round, stay positive and just carry on.