Finally the scholarship essays are done. I managed to apply to 6 though I qualified for around 8 or 9. But no point in being too greedy. The focus has to be on the quality of your essay rather than the quantity of essays.
Though the greed is just a natural phenomenon with INSEAD offering a multitude of scholarships but a student can be awarded only 2 by law and only 1 really by tradition. I suppose they try their best to spread the money over as many students as possible.
INSEAD is also one of the few schools that doesn't offer scholrships along with your application. The school makes you work hard for your money by doing innumerable essays for each scholarship. Somehow though even the thought of cash and less debt is not very motivating.
here's my grouse with the whole system -
a) The questions for most of the scholarships are so vague and open ended that you dont know where to begin
b) every website, essay writing service, students, etc etc warn you not to keep talking about yourself - keep the I, me, My less. But what do you do when most of the essays simply ask you - Why do you think you deserve this award? hello, I don't know why, I just want it thats it plain n simple
c) the process expects you to grade yourself against your classmates but how do you compete with ppl you don't know jack shit about? I mean I don't know why I'm such a creative hot shot or diverse candidate if I have no clue who's in the class with me...
Anyways I'm done with them and thats all. I still think I have a fair chance at bagging one and I guess we'll know by July if i'm right. My evaluation is purely based on the fact that my gender, geographical location, job background and life goals will all come together to make me sound rather award worthy...keeping the fingers crossed but who's to know if there isn't someone absolutely brilliant, beautiful, gifted who saved the whales & the tigers in their spare time who I'm competing with.
