5. “Why do you deserve this scholarship?”
I have to admit that this was my least favorite question during scholarship interviews, but it always came up. And to be quite honest, there really is no perfect answer. There are, however, some things you should definitely not include in your response. Don’t brag about your GPA or how many clubs you belong to at school. The majority of finalists will all have similar academic accomplishments, so it’s not worth repeating. It’s also not a good idea to declare that without the scholarship you’ll be unable to attend college. In most cases, that will be untrue. Yes, you may be unable to afford your dream college, but I assure you that there are other less expensive alternatives to earning your degree. Instead, be honest with the committee and acknowledge that there are other worthy candidates that probably deserve the award as much as you do, but remind them that your work ethic and past accomplishments are a good indicator of your future success.