Applicants to an MBA / MS program surely have their work cut out for them. Coming up with an impressive application would definitely be a priority at this stage, however give a thought to how you intend to manage the financial aspects as well.
Compare this with an entrepreneur with ambitious plans for a five star hotel, but clueless on how to finance such a mega project!
A post-graduate masters degree from an international location, especially an MBA, can be a very expensive proposition, so explore the various funding options for higher education and chalk out a financial roadmap well in advance.
Scholarships are a great way to reduce your financial burden though not every applicant would be lucky enough to bag one. If you do fall in that list, you may find yourself in one of these 3 situations by the time you have got the application results from all the business schools you’ve applied to.
What’s your Admissions / Scholarship Status?
1. Admit with full scholarship
The best possible scenario would be to get a free ride. In this case, there’s no point in negotiating with the admissions office to give you more. However, note that these are normally tuition waivers, which means that the living expenses and other associated costs would not be covered.
2. Partial scholarship offer(s)
The scholarship amount may vary ranging from a few thousand dollars to covering a substantial part of the tuition.
The partial scholarship offer may evoke a mixed reaction. Some may feel ecstatic about being considered for a scholarship.
However, there may be others who’d hold a grudge as they feel that they deserved more. If that’s the case, you need to be assured that there is definitely scope for discussions. Though you cannot be sure your efforts would pay off, you can surely make an attempt to increase the amount of scholarship awarded.
3. Multiple admits with or without scholarships
An even more tricky situation is when you receive admits from more than one school. Read some applicants who’ve done that:
Some of the schools may have offered a generous scholarship, while perhaps your dream school may not have done so. How do you handle such a situation?
On the one hand, you feel the urge to approach your dream school and negotiate with them for more financial aid, however you’re concerned that this approach may not be appreciated by the school.
There have been instances where some schools have increased the scholarship amount to match it with that of a competition school as each school is on the lookout for the best possible candidates. Each school would handle this situation differently. Some may be more flexible and open to discussions than the others.
How to ask the college for more scholarship and financial aid
Here are a few basic tips and guidelines that can help you during the scholarship negotiation process.
1. Work on your negotiation pitch
If you’re asking for additional scholarship, you need to be able to justify your claim. Give yourself enough time to structure your thought-process.
Scholarship may be merit-based or need-based. If your profile is in the top 20-25 percentile of the incoming class, the school too has an incentive as it’s in their interest to make their class profile look impressive.
You should be able to highlight anything that sets you apart from the rest. If you can justify how you can add value to their program, you may have a chance of bagging additional scholarship based on your profile strength. However, you need to be very clear about how you would go about it and be well-prepared before you begin the process.
If you approach the school for need-based scholarships, you need to provide facts and data to back your claim for additional funding. Convey your dedication and enthusiasm. Let the school know that you’re very keen to be a part of their program.
Discuss your financial situation and point out the problem areas and how additional funding could make a huge difference, help bridge the gap and allow you to be part of their program.
2. Adopt the right attitude
You need to be aware that your request for additional funding would not be the only one the school receives. There would be other highly qualified and well-deserving admitted candidates waiting to hear back from them. So, always be very courteous during your interactions. You could begin with a polite email from your side.
Always maintain your humility. Be professional and respectful in your approach. Any arrogance on your part and you’re very likely to offend them. A lot depends on your tone, attitude and approach and how your handle the discussions.
3. Follow up
Make it a point to follow-up, if you haven’t heard back from them in a reasonable time-frame. But don’t overdo on this aspect by continuously nagging them for additional funding.
A gentle reminder would be good enough to keep you on their radar. The college would have its own reserve for scholarships. If there are admitted candidates who’ve not accepted their offers, you may be lucky enough to receive some additional funding.
4. Apply early
Applying in the earlier round can always improve your chances of getting a scholarship or negotiating the scholarship amount rather than applying late when several scholarships are already given away.
5. Use diversity and differentiation to your advantage
A lot of MBA programs have been inclined towards promoting diversity by increasing the number of incoming women students as they form the under-represented group. They have an advantage in terms of scholarships too as there are scholarships reserved for women candidates.
Other scholarships reserved for the under-represented groups are based on ethnicity, residency or natives of a particular country. There are few scholarships for those pursuing their studies or career in certain specific fields.
If you’ve had no luck increasing the scholarship amount through your school, you may look out for scholarships available through independent external sources. Have a thorough research done to explore all avenues so that any opportunity is not missed out and the applications are made on time.
To See the List of Scholarship Options Available for International MBA Students Please Click Here
How to increase your chances of getting a scholarship
Here’s the not-so-good news. When you find yourself in a situation where you have to negotiate a better financial deal, the odds are less likely to be in your favour. Think about why the school would want to backtrack on their original decision after putting in all that effort earlier.
A more effective way to get bigger and better scholarship offers is to start working on it before you submit your application. Here’s what you can do.
- Adopt a well-though-of application strategy to improve your chances of being awarded a scholarship. Give yourself enough time to build your application.
- If you think your profile is impressive, the essays/SOPs need to reflect that and highlight the various traits including leadership, teamwork as well as your personal, academic, professional achievements or community involvement.
- Let the essays be as concise as possible. Some school essays may include a scholarship essay as well. Be well-prepared for the interview.
Do your best and keep your fingers crossed!
At LeapQuest, our MBA consultants have helped a large number of applicants convert their dream of attending top schools around the world. Send us an email if you’d like some help with business school selection and application reviews.
