How to Win the Gates Scholarship – There are many different kinds of scholarship that is available for the students. But let me tell you that there is one thing that is common in every scholarship like the application method, writing essays etc. and so on. Plus, one of the most important thing is the personal essay. So, make sure that your personal essays are sui generis (unique), because most of the time people are selected on the basis of their work and academic score and personal essays that stands out. Today in this guide, you are going to know everything that the Gates scholarship is offering. So, continue reading to know more about the Gates scholarships and what all is needed.
Gates scholarship is one of the best and the biggest scholarship that students always look out for. This post guide will cover all the details regarding the gates scholarship and what all you should do to make yourself or to get selected in this scholarship and win it. It is a kind of scholarship that is 20,000 private scholarships available every year to students. If you are interested in applying for other kinds of scholarship also apart from the Gates scholarship, then you can apply at buchananreform You can get the world’s number one scholarship app online also.
Now, let us take a look at what is Gates scholarship and how can one win it ?
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What is the Gates Scholarship?
In order to ensure that the children and young aspirants become successful in their career objectives and goals and are able to achieve it, that is why the Gates Scholarship has been introduced for them by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,. One of the pivotal objectives of this foundation is to remove poverty and also people should get access to high quality healthcare and also education. Before the year 2017, the Gates scholarship was known as the Gates Millennium Scholars, that had given scholarship to more than 20,000 students.
Now, the new Gates scholarship has come up which aims to cover the minority students having Pell (300) grant and they also aim at helping the undeserved students by encouraging them to reach the maximum potential in their life. This program aims to help the students for 10 years and completely fund the education of around 3000 students.
To know more about the Gates Scholarship here , you can also find more information about the Gates Scholarship student FAQ page. It is recommended that you read everything before applying for the scholarship, So that your confusions are removed.
What the Gates Scholarship Provides ?
So, what does a Gates scholarship winner actually win?
Through this scholarship, the students can get complete full funding for their education. Now, there are many scholarship where there is no full funding given. Through, this funding you can also renew your scholarship for up to 5 years. This means that the students can now complete the full education i.e. undergraduate program.
Apart from all of these, the Scholarship also offers various kinds of online aid that includes mentorship, other gates scholars’ network, and career counseling etc. It is a pretty good deal and the students should avail the online services and take help.
Plus, the most important part i..e the COST of EDUCATION it comprises of the following like tuition fees, textbooks, room and board, commutes and other cost associated with the college. In other sense, the Gates Scholarship is a huge win and the best scholarship that any student can apply, win or get.
Eligibility for the Gates Scholarship –
There are certain eligibility criteria and they are as follows – This is the newest eligibility guidelines. –
- You should be a high school senior
- You should be a minority student which is this case refers to being one of the following ethnicities: African American, American Indian/Native Alaskan, Asian/Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American
- You should be eligible for a Pell grant,which are awarded to undergraduate students who qualify for financial aid
- You should be a citizen of the US, national or permanent resident.
- You should have a good academic standing with a GPA of 3.3 out of 4.0 on a cumulative, weighted scale
Here are a few more key facts about eligibility:
- If you received a GED instead of a high school diploma then you are not eligible to apply.
- If you are attending an accredited, 4-year college/university ion the US or anywhere in US and community colleges are include, then you should prove that you are enrolling as a fresher in a 4-year program.
- In case of transfer of an associate’s degree from 2 year college to 4 year university, then you are not eligible.
Application Steps for the Gates Scholarship –
Now, if you are eligible for the gates scholarship then there are few steps that you have to follow, they are as follows, – This steps are necessary steps.
1. Gather the following information:
Your current academic information –
- your high school name and address
- your transcripts
- Your GPA,
- Your class rank
- SAT and/or ACT scores
Your college information –
- your acceptance letter
- your financial aid award letter (btw: in order to receive financial aid you will need to fill out a FAFSA. Check out our complete guide to filling out your FAFSA for help). Note that if you haven’t been accepted anywhere yet, that’s okay. But by the final stage of the application process, you’ll need to provide this verification.
You family’s financial information –
- your dependent or independent status and your parents’ or guardians’ personal gross income for the previous year
You extracurricular information –
- employment
- sports or clubs,
- community service,
- Leadership roles, etc.
Therefore, it is important that you collect all this information before hand, including the names, dates and descriptions and keep ready all the documents.
2. Create a TGS profile
You will have to create a TGS account and also start a personal profile. This portal is the only way through which you can submit everything. You will have to create an account and login. When you reach on the first page, then you should choose ‘student’ option from the drop down menu, then select, and confirm password of your choice. The process for the creation of the account is very simple and easy and this is the only way from where you can apply, you cannot apply through other sites or portals.
3. Familiarize yourself with the application phases
When you login into the site, you will be directed to signing up all you need to do is answer some questions about yourself. This is also a very simple and easy step and it should not take you long to enter the answers and fill out the form. If you have been selected for the phase 2 then it’s a good thing. There are 2000 students who are selected at this point.
Then there are some additional applications that you will have to fill out, the questions that will be asked will be a bit detailed one that you will have to answer. It will also include things like submit your updated transcripts, provide letters of recommendation (typically 2), and complete several short essays. But the unlucky part is that the essay questions change annually and are not released till you make it to this 2nd phase step. But in this guide you will get to know about the essays part also.
If you have been successfully able to complete the 3rd round then it’s a good thing. This means that you are a finalist and you can give interview with the selection committee.
The Gates Scholarship Timeline
The timeline for this scholarship is as follows –
In the month of July, the Gates Scholarship application opens. Then in the month of September there is application deadline for phase 1. Then, in December, Semi-finalists are announced and the phase 2 application opens for all those who are progressing as semi-finalists.
In the month of January, the Application deadline for phase 2. Then, in the month of March, the Finalists are announced and interviews are scheduled. In the month of April the Scholarship winners are announced. Then in the month of August/September i.e. the fall the scholarship money is disbursed to all winners.
For knowing about the dates and more about the scholarship time you can also check the previous timeline here.
This is the right time to start preparing for the scholarship, for the next application season.
Tips and Strategies for Winning the Gates Scholarship –
The scholarship explains what is the ideal student whom they select, like the students who gets an outstanding high school score, like the GPA, class ranking in the top 10% etc. etc. Plus, the students who consistently shows good leadership qualities through community services and extra curricular activities etc. Additionally, the students should also show emote maturity, motivation, perseverance regardless the challenges that they face and the setbacks also.
Get a Jumpstart on Everything
This scholarship is super competitive and wining this scholarship is like a big change in life. So, if you want to win this scholarship then you will have to fight and make a winning application. Plus, your academic scores should be good and you should have high grades and it should be in your high school career early.
And because the GPA is involved, it becomes tedious for the students to change the years that they have passed. So, make sure when you are in your fresher years of the school or colleges, you make an attempt to get a good score including the GPA for all the 4 years that should be high.
Early bird catches the worm. So, start the process early. big fans of starting an application as soon as it becomes available. Apart from that reviewing, the application gives time in making any kinds of changes and gets the technical support that is needed.
So, make sure that you start as early as possible, even if it is making essay, in the phase 2. Therefore, start writing a good essay and drafting it as soon as possible to give plenty of times for editing and uploading the essays.
Give Back and Demonstrate Leadership
This scholarship likes to rewards the people who believe in giving back to the society what they have taken. Or the students who are concerned with the well-being of others and those who take action to make the necessary changes in the world.
So, always mention the list of extra curricular services and volunteer activities that you have taken part in in your resume. Plus, in the rounds 2 and 3 you will have to give a in depth detail about the extra curricular activities and the causes and what all community services and other extra curricular you have taken,.
So, it is important that you be enthusiastic for such extra curricular activities, since the beginning of your studies that is when you are a fresher. You can try to find out about the community services of various kinds. Like are you passionate about saving the environment and planting trees. Try to search for the communities and group in the school and get involved. If you don’t know then you can also try to talk with a teacher or a counselor to know more.
Always try to stick to one of these or any activities and then proceed with it for years then you will be able to show consistency. And when possible make sure that you take up leadership roles for the community services or any kind of jobs or activities that you are involved in. The only way your application can stand out is when you are able to be in a position of leadership.
Emphasize What Makes You Unique
There are total 300 students who win Gates scholarship per year, which is good thing. The application pool of the scholarship is huge and there are no definite number. The semi-finalist are alone 20,000 students each year. It means that 1.5% of students who make it as far as the semifinalist phase will win.
So, it is very important for you to and you’ll need to stand out. In your essay you have to purely focus on the areas that makes you unique and will want to focus on things that are different. You can also include other things like background, your interests and passion, hobbies, your identity etc. these all things are also important.
If you have become a semi-finalist then you will want to spend time reflecting on your future aspirations including your goals too. Make sure that you make your applications more specific. Like make sure you specify your career goals aptly like whether you will like to become a nurse and serve the people or you would like to become a advocate or as the case may be.
Make sure that you don t give lengthy details about the same on the subjects and during the initial process of application.
Get Strong Letters of Recommendation
Once you become a semi-finalist you will have to give the letters of recommendation. So, make sure that you provide a strong letters of recommendation from your tutor or your counselors or people who know you. Plus, it is also important that you submit your letters of recommendation as early as possible. Plus, make sure that as soon as you get selected as a semi-finalist you ask the mentors to write a letter for you, so that they get time to write the letters by thinking clearly about you and other sides of you etc. They should be able to write thoughtful and reflective essays, so that you win based on the letters too.
Make sure that your teachers or counselors are people who know you well and can write genuine letters for you, people who know your potential and other things about you. The more the mentors /recommenders know you, the more the better letter for you.
Check out this guide on how to ask for a letter of recommendation that will help you receive the best letter possible in a timely fashion.
Slay the Essays
The most important part of your application is that your essays. It is only through a essay that you will be able to create a appealing and complex picture of what you are and what makes you stand out. It is also strongly recommend that you look at this piece on how to write a scholarship essay, that can help you to win the scholarships.
Here are some of the Best Tips for you –
Go through each and every questions nicely and try to understand what it exactly means, even if you read out loud its ok, but actually you will understand the questions and what is needed to be answered. If you don’t understand then you can break down each question into part, try to re-read, and understand. Then, you can respond.
Make sure that you trim your essays like removing the unnecessary words and other words that are not needed. Make sure you remove all the phrases and other words and make it to the point.
Always try to be yourself. And write everything honestly. Don’t be afraid to write in your own language and your voice. Just imagine how would you answer your teachers naturally, the same way is this scholarship application, you need to be natural and unique.
Proofread your essay! It is one of the most important things that you should proofread your essays. For that, you can use scholly editor or AI powered editing tool, that improves your spelling, grammar and many other corrections are done.
Some of the common themes regarding the essays –
- Your goals for the future
- How you intend you make your dreams a reality
- Your strongest qualities and how they serve you and others
- What winning the scholarship would mean to you and how it would change your life
- Your strongest values
- Aspects of your identity (e.g. your race, class, gender, etc.) that have shaped your life
- How you’ve overcome certain hardships in your life
- An event or circumstance that has had significant impact on your life and shaped who you are
- Reflecting and taking some notes on some or all of these topics will be incredibly helpful if you become a semi-finalist!
Next, is that you should prepare for your interviews which will be held through video chat or in person. You will be told months in advance. Here you can get good scholarship interview tips to keep in mind.
“According to one Gates Scholarship winner, he was asked about his extracurricular activities in depth and was also asked “Is there anything you’d like to add that was not reflected in your application?”
That applicant says he believes his overall passion about his interests and focus on his innovative nature is what landed him the scholarship. In his recounting of his interview, he shares that he explained in detail to the interviewer how he improved the design of the school newspaper and built out the school’s tennis team substantially.”
Beyond the Gates Scholarship: Want Even MORE Scholarship Opportunities?
Hopefully, now you know how to win the Gates scholarship and what are all needed. If you are eligible then you can easily apply for this scholarship. But also note down a point that there are hundreds of thousands of other scholarships out there for you!
see more about how to graduate debt free and win other scholarships like the National Merit Scholarship and the Dell Scholarship.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide has helped you to know about the gates scholarship. So, the most important thing in winning this scholarship is that you need to make a very strong application, that has to stand out and also mention about your academic scores which needs to be high. Apart from that you should be able to display leadership qualities and also mention about the cases or the extracurricular or community services where you have shown such leadership qualities. This scholarship mainly requires students who are emotionally strong and have faced challenges in their life, and have something good to share. But that doesn’t mean other students are not chosen, it depends on factors like your application, essays, scores, etc.
