Scholarship Interview Questions with Answers to Study Abroad

Scholarship Interview Questions: There are a number of scholarships that students can avail to ease the financial burden of the yet rewarding journey of studying abroad. Students can leverage either with university, government or external scholarships. However, to analyse that you are worthy of these scholarships, several scholarship committees may conduct an interview with you. 

It’s not always that you are called for a study-abroad scholarship interview. The scholarship awarding committees usually decide on your eligibility and candidature for a scholarship from your application and the attached documents. However, sometimes, the committee need to know more about you personally rather than just going through your scholarship application. 

For this reason, some scholarship applicants may get connected for a scholarship interview. The scholarship interview questions abroad are open-ended and are intended to know more about you. Based on your answers to these unique scholarship interview questions, the awarding members decide whether you deserve to be awarded the scholarship or not. 

In this article, we have covered some common and unique scholarship questions abroad for students with answers. Students can also download the scholarship interview questions abroad PDF by clicking on the “Download Guide” button in the top right corner of this article. 

Also Read: 

• Scholarships to Study in the USA
• Scholarships to Study in the UK

5 Common Scholarship Interview Questions Abroad 

Below are some common scholarship interview questions and answers. These questions remain the same irrespective of the type, amount and purpose of the scholarship that you have applied for. 

Question 1: Tell us About Yourself.

This is the most simple yet tricky question of the whole scholarship interview. Even though the scholarship awarding committee has your application with your complete details and several documents to speak on your side, they ask this question to know about certain strengths of yours and your personality.

To answer this question in an impressive way, you can refer to the following sample answer-

Sample Answer- "Hi I'm [your name] - a [Year] student at [your school]. I'm majoring in [your major] because I have remained fascinated by field [Area of Interest] and that is what that drew me to [Specific Program/Field] at [University Name]. Outside of academics, I'm passionate about [Your Hobby], which actually connects to my interest in [Connect Hobby to Study Abroad]. I believe this experience will allow me to [Desired Outcome from Studying Abroad]."

Question 2: Why are you interested in studying abroad?

This scholarship interview question is intended towards knowing your true intent of studying abroad - whether you are serious about making a successful career after completing your studies or you are going just to experience the diversity, culture and different landscape that comes with studying abroad. 

Also Read: Bursary Vs Scholarship: Definitions, Types and Benefits

Sample Answer- "Studying abroad at [university name] is a priceless opportunity within the field [your field]. The program's focus on [aspects] aligns perfectly with my desired academic and career goals [your goals]. Furthermore, experiencing [cultural aspect of host country] will give me a deeper understanding of [Why Cultural Immersion Matters]."

Question 3: What are your expectations from your chosen program?

Your answer to this scholarship interview question must lay out a plan of what you expect to achieve as a result of completing this course and your career aspirations from the same. You might also include how this scholarship will help you and what would you do after completing your college/university journey abroad. You may also share who inspired to take this career route and what are your long-term objectives from this. 

Sample Answer: "I'm particularly interested in the [Specific Program Name] program at [University Name] because of its focus on [Specific Coursework or Faculty Expertise]. My background in [Your Relevant Skills] combined with the program's emphasis on [Program Strength] will allow me to [How Program Helps Your Goals]."

Also Read: Top Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students to Study Abroad

Question 4: Have you ever travelled abroad before?

The scholarship awarding team asks this question to know whether you can manage to live on your own in a foreign country. Answer this confidence with great confidence and genuinely answer the answer to this unique scholarship interview question. Express your expectations and plans for your trip to study abroad. 

Sample Answer: "Yes, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to [Previous Travel Location] for [Reason for Travel].  This experience helped me develop my [Skills Learned] and showed me the importance of [Lesson Learned from Travel].  While I haven't lived abroad before, I'm a quick learner and eager to immerse myself in the culture of [Host Country]."

Question 5: How will you overcome the challenges of living and studying in a new culture?

With this question, the awarding committee wants to know about how you stick to overcoming challenges. Studying abroad can be a roller coaster ride for some students who have never experienced a more diverse social and physical environment other than their home country. So, this question helps the scholarship committee to analyse whether you are strong enough to deal with the challenges that come along with the benefits of studying abroad. The possible answer to this question may be:

Sample Answer: "I understand there will be adjustments, but I've already begun researching [Host Country Culture] and learning basic [Language Phrases].  I plan to join student organizations to connect with locals and participate in cultural events to gain a deeper understanding.  I'm also a flexible and adaptable person, so I'm confident I can navigate any challenges that arise."

Also Check: What are Need-Based and Merit-Based Scholarships for Studying Abroad?

5 Strong Scholarship Interview Questions 

While most of the scholarship interview questions are simple and open-ended. A few questions can be tricky as well. A list of such top 5 strong scholarship interview questions is given below. 

1. Why do you deserve this scholarship?
2. What are your biggest strengths/accomplishments?
3. Do you participate in extra-curricular activities? Which activities do you like?
4. How will you finance your study abroad program beyond this scholarship?
5. Why did you choose this university?

Must Read: 

• Indian Government Scholarships for Studying Abroad
• UK Scholarships for Indian Students in 2024
• Google Scholarships 2024 for Indian Students

This was all about the scholarship interview questions and answers. If you have any doubts, feel free to drop your queries in the comments below.