Always Bet on Yourself: Advice from a Recent #Gilman Scholarship Awardee #HogsAbroad

So, this summer I'll be focusing on solidifying my basis in German by staying with a host family and also taking courses in German. Ultimately the goal being to see if the language is really going to be a good fit for me in the future, as I do plan on making it a supplement to my career as a mechanical engineer. I think I provided variety to the pool of Gilman candidates as a STEM student. Brian at the Study Abroad Office mentioned that STEM was generally underrepresented so I think providing a solid application highlighting my STEM background made me a good candidate.

The process was stressful, as any application process tends to be. Especially considering the large amount of money involved and the overall legitimacy of the program made this one of the heavier applications I had to submit. Figuring out what to include in my statement of purpose was probably the most time-consuming part of all this.

My follow-up project will be a basic exposition mission for STEM students who aren't always aware that studying abroad doesn't always have to be major related and that resources are available outside of their department. Presentations and maybe a short video will help show that we engineers can really stand out if we highlight the right things.

I think in general applicants struggle with highlighting what makes them unique. While everyone has something, they don't always recognize it or don't to "brag" on themselves, preferring to let their GPA or extracurricular activities speak for themselves. Despite this, it's vital to overcome that discomfort and really highlight what you can offer by being accepted. If you're on the fence about applying, just know that applying and being rejected will hurt a thousand times less than never applying at all. You need to serve yourself the chance to succeed.

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About the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program)  offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.