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Presidential Scholarship Interview
You will soon receive your national exam scores, so I want to give some advice and
guidance to the students who have maximized and will interview for Presidential
Scholarships
...
I am also giving advice about what answers the abazungu
want to hear
...
If you practice and are prepared, your
interview will be more successful
...
com
...
Good luck!
General Tips
a
...
b
...
If you are late, they will think you are lazy and not serious
...
Show that you are friendly by smiling when you are introduced
...
Show that you are confident by using eye contact when talking
...
e
...
If you have
poor English, you cannot hide it, so don’t even try
...
f
...
If the
interviewer is speaking too quickly, ask him to speak more slowly
...
Always ask for help or clarification if you need it
...
g
...
Give a complete explanation
...
h
...
They do not want to give
scholarships to people who only think of improving their own status
...
During the interview
you must prove that you have good character and are passionate about
improving your country
...
Abazungu value differences, so you should all have different answers to
the interview questions
...
Always be positive and emphasize your strengths
...
You should know that you cannot study medicine for your Bachelor’s
degree
...
If you have high marks in your Bachelor’s degree,
then you may study medicine
...
Other schools require students to study
physics for their Bachelor’s degree and then get a Master’s degree or PhD
in engineering
...
Interview Questions
1
...
This will be one of the first things that the interviewer says to you and it is very
important
...
a
...
Be specific
...
Maybe you have even thought of projects or research that you would like
to perform
...
For example, you may say “I am interested in combining the fields of biology
and engineering to solve health care problems in Rwanda
...
Students use the rain water to bathe and brush their
teeth, but they sometimes become ill because the water tank contains algae,
insects, and bacteria
...
Unfortunately, I was not able to complete this project because of a lack of
money
...
b
...
These are considered lazy activities by most people so it is best not
to talk about them
...
Do talk about your talents and what makes you unique
...
Some people are leaders, some are teachers, some are writers, some
are scientists, some are diplomats, etc
...
For example, “I am interested in the role of journalism in development
...
Now I have my own blog
and I continue to conduct research and write articles about issues that are
important to me
...
d
...
The
interviewer assumes that you are a hard worker and that you are sociable
...
e
...
Abazungu
are giving Presidential Scholarships because they want you to become
educated so that you can help develop Rwanda
...
Instead, you may say “I want to study biology and m edicine in the US
because Rwanda needs better doctors
...
In addition, Rwandan doctors often give poor
customer care to their patients
...
A US
medical education will give me the practical experience and good customer
care philosophy that I need to improve healthcare in my community
...
f
...
If a muzungu
asks a student what she wants to study in the US and the student answers “I
can study anything”, that student will be left in Rwanda! Abazungu want to
bring passionate students to the US because they know that passion is one of
the keys to success!
g
...
For example,
“I live in a village with my mother and 5 brothers and sisters
...
” This statement shows that you are
responsible, work hard, and care about other people
...
Do not lie about your family situation
...
If you lie
about such a subject to a muzungu and your lie is discovered, you will be
considered like a thief who cannot be trusted
...
What can I tell you about our college?
Ask some intelligent questions about the universities
...
Maybe you want to know if the school has a football team or
if you can take Japanese language classes
...
3
...
Identify a few real, historical, and fictional
characters you admire, and be prepared to articulate WHY you admire
...
Why do you want to major in ?
If you say that you want to study engineering or medicine, give a specific reason
why
...
Then explain how
studying this faculty will help solve the problem
...
What will you contribute to our campus community?
Think about what is unique about you
...
You
also have your specific talents
...
Tell me about a challenge that you overcame
...
When
confronted with a challenge, how do you handle the situation? College will be full
of challenges, so the college wants to make sure they enroll students who can
handle them
...
7
...
The interviewers want to hear answers like write articles or
poetry, play football, study Japanese, or another activity that is ACTIVE and
PRODUCTIVE
...
What do you see yourself doing 5 year from now or 10 years from now?
You don’t have to have your entire life figured out, but you should have solid
goals for your future
...
If you want to study medicine,
you may say that your goal is to get very high marks in your Bachelor’s degree so
that you can get a scholarship to study medicine or public health in the United
States
...
If you could do one thing in high school differently, what would it be?
Don’t talk about all of your regrets
...
For
example, “I wish I had the chance to be in the Media Club or Traditional Dance
Group in high school
...
”
10
...
If you had a job, tell them about your job
...
Show them that you are active and productive with your time
...
What do you do best? What are your strengths?
The interviewer wants to know what you think your greatest talents are
...
12
...
Do you want to continue with your studies? Would you like to work for
the government or a non-profit organization? This is similar to the question about
your 5 and 10 year goals
...
Why do you want to go to college?
Do not say that you want to get a good job and make a lot of money
...
14
...
In a developing country with a lot of poverty, money is
usually the first concern
...
Instead of defining success by money and status,
think of another definition of success
...
Take some time
to think about your own definition of success
...
Who do you most admire? Who is your hero? What historical figure do you
most admire?
This question isn't about who you admire but why you admire someone
...
For
example, “I admire President Kagame because he does what he thinks is right
for Rwanda even though Rwanda is small and poor and Kagame is often
criticized by richer, more powerful nations
...
This shows
his integrity and it is the reason why Rwanda is developing quickly in many
areas and has less corruption than many other African nations
...
What is your biggest weakness?
This is a common question
...
Do not give a character flaw as your biggest weakness
...
Instead, you
may say that your English is your weakness because English is something that
can be improved
...
” Or
you may say that you do not have much laboratory practice experience, IT
experience, or typing skills
...
17
...
Your answer will show your attitude towards your family and your attitudes
demonstrate your character
...
For example “My father works at a
bank and used to help me with my mathematics homework
...
He is the reason that I
maximized on the national exam
...
Because we are a big
family it is sometimes difficult to find money for everything we need, but we still
enjoy spending time together, singing and laughing and going to church
...
What makes you special? What makes you unique?
Playing a sport or getting good grades is something that many students do, so
such accomplishments aren't necessarily "special" or "unique
...
19
...
Maybe you want to continue
activities that you participated in at Musanze, such as karate, choir, or football
...
20
...
If you use boring words, you will seem boring
...
21
...
Say why the
experience was important (what you learned or how you benefited)
...
If you had a thousand dollars to give away, what would you do with it?
Your answer tells what your passions are
...
23
...
24
...
25
...
Do not say that
your teachers were stupid and lazy
...
26
...
If you could talk with any one living (or deceased) person, whom would it be
and why?
28
...
How have you impacted or changed school for the better?
30
...
If you get the opportunity to study abroad, what will you bring back to
Rwanda?
32
...
What challenges do you expect to encounter in a foreign country and how
will you adapt to these challenges?
34
...
What are you interests and passions?
36
...
Why does Rwanda need people who are educated abroad?
38