With one of Australia’s most generous scholarship programs, the number of scholarships on offer at Bond University can be a little overwhelming. How do you know which one is best for you, and how can you put your best foot forward when applying?
We spoke to the experts – our admissions team – to get their best advice for all students considering applying for a scholarship.
1. Search for the scholarship that suits your strengths
Use the scholarship finder tool to search Bond’s range of scholarships and find the ones that best suit you. There are a range of scholarships on offer depending on your country, desired study area, study level and certain criteria, including sport, academic, leadership and entrepreneurship. Take note of the application opening and closing dates, as no late applications will be accepted. And remember – you’re able to apply for more than one scholarship.
You will need to complete your study application before you begin the scholarship process. It’s a simple online application and is free to complete.
2. Use your past experiences as examples
Bond’s scholarship assessors are looking for well-rounded individuals; students that will thrive at Bond and help to enrich the student experience and campus life in some way. So, they want to know about your leadership experience, service to community and any activities or achievements that represent who you are. When you’re preparing your application, think about the experiences you can use as example. They don’t have to be school examples, so if you’re a mentor in your music community or a coach at a soccer club, you can include those examples. The main objective is to clearly showcase your potential and ability.
3. Keep it concise
One of the most common mistakes applicants make is not keeping their answers clear and to-the-point. With word limits for each application question, it’s important to get your key points across quickly and effectively, within the word count.
Remember – the assessors read a lot of applications. Think carefully about what you want to say, and how you can best say it.
4. Think about what makes you stand out
What are you truly passionate about? What makes you the best candidate for the scholarship? Let your personality and passions shine through in your application. If your application includes an essay style question and answer, or extended response, this is a great opportunity to show the assessors what makes you unique and how you could contribute to the Bond experience.
What’s next?
These four tips will help you prepare your application, and ensure you’re giving yourself the best opportunity for success. If you make it through to the next round for your chosen scholarship, here’s what you can expect.
- Vice Chancellor’s Elite Scholarship: The second round is a video interview and the final round a selection weekend.
- Vynka Hohnen Scholarship: The second round is also a video interview and the third a face-to-face interview.
- Sports scholarships, Transformer Scholarship and Indigenous Scholarship: If you progress to the next stage it will be a face-to-face interview.
- Excellence and Leadership Scholarship: Selection is mainly based on the application submitted and supporting documentation.