MBA SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDY IN THE USA
Let’s be realistic, becoming an MBA student for an American citizen is hard enough, and so for an international student from Kuwait, you know that the odds are stacked against you. However, there is hope, as there are numerous scholarships available to students from foreign countries. You are going to have to hit the ground running, really put your best foot forward, and do some hard work if you want to secure the best scholarship to pay your way through graduate school.
This article will provide you with a list of MBA scholarships that will fund your study in the USA, as well as some helpful hints and tips to catapult you ahead of the competition.
You want to present yourself as an outstanding candidate, who is a cut above the rest; basically, instead of you begging for a scholarship, you want the scholarship providers to beg you! In order to do this, there are some strategies that you will need to implement.
Graduate schools in the United States require that you take a standardised exam referred to as the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). As with any examination, if you want to do better than pass, you are going to have to study extensively. There are several GMAT courses in Kuwait that will assist you in getting the best grades. The bottom line is that Graduate Schools want the most intelligent students; high pass rates make them look good, and attract more students. Your main priority in the beginning stages is to get a good GMAT score. The good thing is that if you don’t get a good score the first time around, you can take the test again. Actually, you can take the times as many times as you wish. However, I wouldn’t advise this, since the test is not cheap. Once you have the best score, coupled with stellar undergraduate results, you are armed and dangerous.
You will now need to find a school that not only provides a scholarship, but that also has a good reputation. There is no point in attending a university that provides the best scholarship, but after graduation you are unable to find a job because your school has no ranking.
After choosing your school, you will need to submit an application. This process can either make or break you. You may have the best GMAT scores, as well as the highest honors in your undergraduate degree, but make the mistake of saying something completely ridiculous in your application form, that puts your name at the top of the reject list.
Do not allow anyone but yourself to write your admissions essay, you want to be as authentic as possible. You can get help, or a third party opinion, but the goal is, that the university that you are applying to gets a feel of who you are, and not the literary skills of your best friends neighbour!
Here is a list of some of the best schools in America that provide scholarships.
Harvard: Out of the top 25 graduate schools, Harvard provides one of the most extensive supplies of scholarship funding. Out of the students attending Harvard University, 65% receive financial assistance. Awards are based on need, and range from $5000 to full fees, as well as a monthly allowance.
Wharton: The Wharton Graduate School awards their scholarships based on merit. They are available to all students enrolled onto an MBA program. They provide a wide range of funding programs, targeting students from all backgrounds. Tuition fees are provided in the range of $20,000 up to full grants, as well as room and board.
Stanford: The Stanford Graduate School provides scholarships based on need. Candidates are assessed according to income and available assets. Grants are awarded between the amounts of $10,000 up to full school fees, as well as living expenses.
New York University: New York University provides scholarships for full time MBA students. Applicants are awarded grants ranging from partial to full tuition.
Willamette University: The Willamette University provides scholarships for full time MBA students. They award grants anywhere in the region of $21,000 to full a scholarship.
So now that you have something to work with, you can start crafting those applications. Whether or not you choose to apply for one of the scholarships from the list provided, be sure to conduct enough research so that you know what is required of you when making an application. I would even suggest calling the schools, and speaking to a representative on their admissions team, who will be able to provide you with some valuable advice.
As with everything, persistence is key, you may receive several rejections before you get a “yes.” As the saying goes “rejection means the wrong direction,” in other words, it simply wasn’t meant to be, there is something better waiting around the corner.
