Four tips for applying for female STEM scholarships

Cultivating expertise, having a clear plan about the field of study and making a real impact are the keys to helping Tu Anh win the "Women in STEM" scholarship.

"Women in STEM" is a scholarship launched by the British Council in 2020 to promote opportunities to study and work in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math for female candidates.

Ms. Le Thu Hien, Education Program Manager at the British Council, said that scholarship winners will be able to cover tuition fees, stipends, travel expenses, visas and health insurance, equivalent to £35,000. one billion dong) for a year of study in the UK. In the previous two seasons, 9 Vietnamese candidates received this scholarship. This year, the latest application deadline is April 30 for the master's degree and May 31 for the postdoctoral internship program.

Receiving the "Women in STEM" scholarship in 2022 to pursue a master's program in Sustainable Development, Entrepreneurship and Design at Brunel University, London, Ms. Bui Tu Anh shared four experiences when applying.

First, Ms. Tu Anh believes that candidates need to accumulate experience from their professional fields or interests.

Ms. Tu Anh came to the scholarship quite by chance because her previous background was not related to STEM. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, she worked at a garment manufacturing company. In fact, she realizes that customers are increasingly demanding for environmentally friendly products as well as requiring businesses to show social responsibility.

Therefore, Ms. Tu Anh constantly cultivates her own experience in the field of sustainable development through her work and participating in training courses of the company. According to her, that helps candidates have a solid professional background, making their profile competitive when clearly showing the direction they pursue.

Tu Anh (far right, right) with international friends in a Sustainable Development, Entrepreneurship and Design class at Brunel University, London, 2022. Photo: Provided by British Council

In the second step, candidates search for a course by visiting the university's website, finding out the details and determining which program is right for them in terms of knowledge, experience, and orientation.

The third step is to prepare your application to the university. Ms. Tu Anh said that in order to receive a conditional admission letter from a university in the UK, applicants need to submit transcripts, diplomas, resumes, essays and letters of recommendation. In the essay, the candidate should clearly state the reason for choosing the school and major; relevant skills, experience and future career goals.

Candidates need to highlight their own strengths and experiences, showing that they are suitable for the scholarship. In addition, Ms. Tu Anh believes that it is necessary to show the goal of inspiring women and children to pursue STEM majors in Vietnam.

In the essay, Ms. Tu Anh said that after returning home, she would attract female workers at her old company to realize the importance of science and technology and sustainable development in production. From there, they are motivated to take classes to improve their skills. Through seminars and community activities, she also hopes to close the gap in gender inequality in society.

After submitting the application, depending on the university, the candidate can go through the fourth step, which is the interview. In this round, the examiner will ask deeply about the expertise and stories that have a strong impact on the candidate.

During an interview with Professor Edwin Routledge, Dean of the School of Environmental Sciences at Brunel University, Tu Anh received the question "What makes you different from your friends or colleagues?".

Quite unexpectedly, Tu Anh thought for a moment and replied that she was no different from her friends or colleagues in terms of physical appearance, also working 8 hours a day. However, the opportunity to interact and meet people with experience in advanced education has motivated Tu Anh to "swim to the big sea". She believes that education will help each person open wider doors.

Ms. Tu Anh once met the professor privately to ask why he chose her in the past. The professor replied, although Tu Anh's academic average score is not too high - at 3.7/4, IELTS 6.5, but she has shown that she has professional expertise suitable for the field of sustainable development. This is a fairly new industry and has a positive influence on the development of any country.

According to Ms. Tu Anh, he assessed that she had shown her pioneering desire to make an impact when setting realistic and unambiguous goals and plans. She affirmed that when she returns home, she will continue to work at the old garment company with more than 8,000 employees in order to apply her knowledge and skills on sustainable development in the projects she manages.

Ms. Tu Anh said that if the candidate receives an acceptance letter from a university in the UK, the candidate will proceed to the selection round of the "Women in STEM" scholarship. The universities send the list of candidates expected to receive the scholarship, the British Council at the UK headquarters will participate in the final review.

"In Vietnam and some developing countries like India and Nepal, the role of women in STEM is still not appreciated. husband", Tu Anh said, when she enrolled in the UK last year, she noticed that all the girls were good at technology and computers, "very cool, still very feminine".