25+ Tips: How To Win The Launch.ed Enterprise Scholarship
Out of hundreds of students that applied for the launch.ed enterprise scholarship 2015, only 8 were picked. I’m glad I was among those, 5 of whom were undergraduate students.
Also, winning the launch.ed enterprise award automatically qualified me to attend the 2015 3 Day Startup at Edinburgh University.
What is launch.ed enterprise scholarship?
It is a scholarship awarded by University of Edinburgh and Launch.ed, the University’s free support for start-ups.
It aims to award £1000 to any student who is able to demonstrate exceptional entrepreneurial skills and ambition. The award can be used to help pay tuition fees, living expenses or entrepreneurial activity.
I used a major part of my award to buy a new laptop as my old one was getting weary.
In this post I’d share some tips on how you can win the launch.ed scholarship and maybe use the money to buy a new gadget like I did.
Disclaimer: The tips I would share in this post are not guaranteed to make you win the launch.ed enterprise scholarship. But I believe they’d go a long way in helping you to prepare a strong application.
Passing the first phase
To apply for the launch.ed enterprise scholarship, you are required to fill an online application.
At the final stages of the application, you will be asked to submit an essay about your past achievements, ambitions, and why you need the scholarship.
It’s your duty to make this essay as awesome as possible. But don’t exaggerate–those who would review your application are not fools.
A sample of my launch.ed scholarship essay:
So, from my successful sample essay above, you can see you need to follow these to present a good essay:
- Hook readers from the beginning
- Talk about you achievement in entrepreneurship.
- Talk about your background in entrepreneurship.
- Show your readers that you are financially literate (show them you know about market research, etc).
- Talk about your future goals with respect to entrepreneurship
- Talk about your current project
- Talk about what motivates you to be an entrepreneur
- Talk about why you need the scholarship
- Keep your essay concise
- Mention figures
- Keep it short and classy
- Obey the rules
- Don not forget to edit your essay properly. I used the help of some editing softwares, as well as the help of a friend at Columbia University to review my essay.
Passing the second phase
If you’re selected to be among the finalists, you’d be required to submit a video pitch.
I am not going to post my video pitch here, but I would share some video pitch tips with you.
Plan your video
Proper planning is key to presenting a solid video pitch.
Use a script
It’s important you know what to say at each time of your recording. Be sure to write out a video script that will allow you to come across professionally and hit important key points.
Practice
Practice before your final recording. Record yourself as a form of practice and then review the footage to see how you can improve the experience for your audience.
Capture the audience from the beginning
Your audience are those who would review your video.
Trust me, they would make their decision within 30 seconds of watching your video. So don’t make your opening boring.
Maintain a positive body language
- Don’t fidget.
- Don’t put your hands in your pocket.
- Look directly at the lens of the camera when talking.
- Stay calm and do your thing.
Be mindful of your voice
- Speak with authority and confidence. Do not be too fast, or too slow when speaking.
- Take short pauses after making important points to allow them to sink in the minds of your audience.
Be concise
- Be straightforward.
- Hit the key points.
Speak about your achievements
I know you have a lot of achievements, but only pick the best and most relevant ones.
Speak directly to your audience
Instead of saying: “So, if somebody asks me how much I charge…”, rather say: “So, if you ask me how much I charge…”
Show don’t tell
Back your claim with a proof to impress.
So if you say: I interviewed “XY” person, add a screen shot of the interview and if possible the link.
Video quality
Upload your video in HD format.
Avoid dark or noisy background.
Obey the rules
If you’re required to upload a 2-minutes pitch, make sure you don’t exceed this length.
Talk about how the scholarship would help you
For me I said it’d motivate me to do more.
