The Top 10 Tips for a Successful Job Interview
September 15, 2009 — Togap Siagian
Category: Careers (AB8)
Originally Submitted on 9/12/96.
Job interviews in many organizations are getting sophisticated these days. Psychological tests, role plays, and challenges to one’s “quick intelligence” and street smarts are often part of the package. While it’s impossible to anticipate everything you may encounter, here are ten tips that will help you negotiate the interview process successfully.
1. Prepare and over-prepare.
It is assumed that you don’t go in with egg on your tie, spinach in your teeth, or without a thorough knowledge of the organization and position for which you are interviewing. Beyond that, there’s an important principle that will enable you to be much more confident. It’s called, “over-preparing.” It goes like this: Plan your strategy–your answers to all the possible questions you may be asked or the challenges that may be thrown at you–and then practice, practice, practice. Role play and repeat your best responses until they are entirely natural, until they simply roll off your tongue with the apparent spontaneity that comes only with successive repetition.
2. Be particularly clear on what you know and what you want to achieve.
If your interview is resume-based (you’ve had to supply a resume either before or concurrently), have the facts of your stated objective, relevant experience, education, etc. thoroughly memorized and mentally supported. As to your job objective, be clear on what you want, as well as what you don’t want. There’s little room in the job market for the applicant who’s willing to take anything; he or she will usually get nothing!
3. Make sure your responses match your claims.
If, for example, you’ve taken extra coursework to qualify for a particular position, license, or certification, tie it into your narrative, e.g., “When I took my coursework for my CPA, I learned that …” Build on your resume, but don’t refer directly to it (assuming the interviewer has it in his or her possession); make sure the connections are there, but do it subtly.
4. Be clear about your strengths.
You’re almost certain to be hit with questions pertaining to your strengths and weaknesses. Know your strengths and emphasize those that relate specifically to the position for which you’re being considered. If, for example, you’re applying for a sales position, you might describe one of your strengths (if it’s true) as follows: “I’ve made a study of personality types and I’ve learned to quickly type people in terms of the kinds of approaches that might best attract them.” Be prepared, in this case, to back up your claim if the interviewer suddenly asks: “What type would you say I am?”
5. Describe your weaknesses as strengths.
This is tricky, so let’s think about why the question is asked. The interviewer probably wants to learn several things about you with this question, such as: whether or not you are arrogant (“I really don’t think I have any weaknesses”), whether you know yourself (“Well, I’ve never really thought about that”), and finally, what you are doing to eliminate your weaknesses. Here are two ways to answer this question so that you leave a positive impression in the mind of the interviewer: (a) Show that, in overcoming a weakness, you’ve learned. If, for example, there’s a period in your chronology that just doesn’t fit (say that you took a job selling cars between jobs as an accountant … it happens!), you might tell the interviewer: “One weakness, which it took me some time to overcome, wasthat I really wasn’t sure that I wanted to be an accountant. For example, in 1988-90, I worked as a car salesman. I did so because I couldn’t decide if I wanted to make accounting my career. That experience taught me that I really didn’t want to sell products, and that I was much more challenged by the opportunity to solve client problems. (b) Pick a weakness that is really a strength. If, for example, you’re interviewing for a job in an organization you know is hard-charging and unforgiving of average performance, you might say, “One of my weaknesses is that I tend to be impatient with people who aren’t willing to pull their full weight and give 110%.” In this case, your “weakness” may help you get the job.
6. If you’ve been fired, be forthright about it.
So many people have been laid off through no fault of their own in the past ten years that it’s no longer a stigma to have been fired–unless it was for justifiable cause (e.g.,- you socked your boss). Answer directly, but without a “charge” in your voice. Expressing your bitterness over being let go tells the interviewer (rightly or wrongly) that you can’t accept the realities of modern free enterprise — that downsizing is acceptable and often necessary.
7. Be clear where you want to go.
A standard question which has all manner of variations is: “Where do you want to be five years from today?” Only today, the answers are different. Unless you plan to inherit Dad’s company, your answer is apt to be a lot more general than it might have been a decade ago. Why? Because the economy and nearly every industry are changing so fast that specificity with respect to the distant future is extremely difficult. So, instead of responding to the question with, “I plan to be in a position of senior leadership in this company,” you might want to say: “I plan to become qualified in every phase of this industry.” The exact response depends upon the specifics of your job hunting campaign, but the principle is: be specific while allowing yourself the flexibility which suggests that you understand the complexities of the business you’re applying for.
8. Have clear personal standards.
This is a sleeper because, on the face of it, the question doesn’t seem to have much to do with the immediate interview. Today, however, many organizations are looking for people who DO have standards regarding their personal and professional lives, who can articulate them clearly and concisely, and who live by them. In this case, the briefer, the better. “I delegate my weaknesses.” “I don’t take on projects unless I can give them 100% dedication.” “I respond in specifics and avoid meaningless generalities.” “I am committed to life-long learning and growth.”
9. Interview the interviewer.
The applicant who will take anything offered is unlikely to win any but the most temporary of positions. A competent interviewer (there are some) will respect your efforts to assess the organization and the position in terms of whether or not it meets YOUR requirements. And you owe it to yourself to have defined before hand, what you ideally want and what you are willing to settle for, under certain conditions. For example, you might really want a salary of $75,000 to begin with, but you’d be willing to take less if the opportunities for growth are clearly in the picture.
10. Don’t allow yourself to be badgered by the salary issue.
Even today,it’s still not uncommon to hear the old refrain: “Our policy is not to pay a new employee more than X% higher than he/she is currently making.” Sorry, that doesn’t fly. The real issue, and the only one at stake here, is whether or not your prospective employer is willing to pay WHAT YOU ARE WORTH. And, your worth is a function of the job itself and your capability and willingness to perform it. In most organizations, there are clear parameters for a given job, a range of salary that is adjustable depending upon the market and the applicant’s experience. In most cases, unless you are very good, you will have to work within those limits. But, within the limits, what you are worth is a matter of mutual agreement based on your own knowledge of your worth and your ability to convince those interviewing you. So, to sum it up: Know the range of compensation for the job you’re seeking, make your own realistic determination of what you’re worth, and then be prepared to stand your ground.
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Financial aid administrators offer advice to students
September 15, 2009 — Togap Siagian
Families often hear about the millions of scholarship dollars that go unused each year, an anecdote that has been repeated so many times that it is accepted as fact. Unfortunately, this pot of scholarships at the end of the rainbow is a myth: While some scholarships go unused, much of the money included in that figure comes from employers’ tuition remission programs. There are scholarships out there, however, and you can increase your odds of winning one by following these eight steps:
1. Consult the financial aid office: The largest amount of financial aid comes from federal, state, and institutional grants and tuition discounts. Your financial aid office can help you find information on available scholarships, grants, and loans according to your needs and background.
2. Contact your academic department: If you have already decided on a major, your academic department may be aware of awards designated for students in your area of study. The student aid office does not always have information on these highly specific programs, so be sure to check both.
3. Use a free scholarship search engine: Ask the student aid office to recommend free scholarship search sites other students have found useful. Online searches let you focus on scholarships that fit your personal characteristics, helping you target your search to only those scholarships for which you are most likely to qualify. Some sites bombard users with promotional scholarships that may turn out to be advertisements in disguise, however, so make sure you know what you are signing up for when and if you give out your personal information.
4. Never assume: Don’t believe that because you don’t have straight A’s and can’t shoot a 3 pointer, there’s nothing available to you. There are scholarships available based on hobbies, interests, background, financial need, etc. According to FinAid.com, there’s even a $1,000 scholarship for a left-handed student. Seek out local and national organizations and associations in your areas of interest to see whether any scholarship opportunities exist.
5. Write the essay: No one likes to write essays, so use that fact to your advantage. Scholarships that require essays receive fewer applicants, giving you a better chance of qualifying. Keep copies of all the application materials you submit; often essays and other application materials can be tweaked and used again for future applications. Be sure to thoroughly proofread before submitting each application.
6. Stack up the small scholarships: Studies show that families often overlook scholarships that are less than $500. You may be thinking that these awards won’t even make a dent in your college costs, but adding up multiple small awards can prove to be a benefit in your scholarship quest.
7. Apply early: The best time to apply is NOW! Waiting too long will result in missed deadlines. Seniors should start filling out applications to meet the early or mid-fall application deadlines. Don’t wait to be accepted to a college to research and apply for private scholarships. If you don’t receive a scholarship the first time around, don’t get discouraged. Most scholarships are not limited to freshmen; you may have better luck the following year.
8. Don’t get scammed: The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers about scholarship scams, which promise that, for a fee, they can help the family access more student aid. Similar scams charge students high scholarship search or application fees. According to the FTC, “[M]ost scholarship sponsors do not charge up-front fees to apply for funding, and no legitimate scholarship sponsor can guarantee that you will win an award.” The financial aid office at your school can help you apply for student aid, and free scholarship searches are available online.
Even without scholarships, families can still find ways to afford college. Start by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and contact your school’s financial aid office to find out what federal, state, and institutional aid you might qualify for. Finding money for college is a lot like taking classes: The way to succeed is to do your homework.
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Upping Your Odds of Winning
September 15, 2009 — Togap Siagian
Service clubs, companies, and charities hand out more than $2 billion in private scholarships every year to more than 1 million college undergraduates. That means 1 out of every 13 students wins an outside scholarship to help defray tuition. And it’s not chicken feed: The average award totals about $2,000.
But millions of other students slave over essays and applications for naught. Scholarship America, the nation’s biggest manager of scholarship programs, says that, on average, for every one of the scholarships it hands out, three or four applicants are rejected. Worse, several hundred each year lose money to fraudsters who charge application or processing fees-something no legitimate scholarship does. Scholarship judges, fraud investigators, and previous winners say a few simple techniques can boost your chances of winning money.
You’ve got to play to snag scholarship dollars
By Kim Clark
Posted 9/10/06
True: There is a lot of private scholarship money available for smart, hardworking students willing to seek out donors and enter contests. False: There is so little competition for those scholarships that it’s easy to collect thousands of dollars in unclaimed awards.
Don’t bother with any offer or contest that requires you to pay money or that even just asks for a credit card or other financial number to “hold” the scholarship. Scholarship America says legitimate scholarships never do this. While many scholarships require proof of financial need, such as that provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), there’s no need for any scholarship to have your bank account or credit card information.
Don’t trust any pitch that says a scholarship is “guaranteed” or indicates the student has been preselected or is a finalist in a contest he or she hadn’t entered, says Gregory Ashe, spokesman for the Federal Trade Commission.
Don’t copy previous winners. Too many entrants in the $3,000 Duck-brand contest to make prom outfits from duct tape simply tweak the designs of previous winners, says Bethany Schmotzer, a Duck Products executive. This year, the judges eliminated prince-and-princess-style costumes because that kind of design won in 2004. Schmotzer voted for the 2006 winning couple (Holly Nelson, 18, of Willington, Conn., and Bing Xu, 18, of Ashford, Conn.) because their “snazzy” outfits surprised her with creative ducttape hats and other accessories.
Don’t waste a lot of time writing new essays for different competitions. Try instead to rework essays already written for courses or college applications, says Ben Kaplan, author of How to Go to College Almost for Free.
Follow instructions and do a spell check before sending your entry. Judges in the OP Loftbed $500 essay contest say they can discard about 60 percent of entries for not following contest rules. Then they ditch almost half of the rest for bad spelling and grammar.
Zig where you expect your competition will zag. Lesley Wainwright, who won one of the prestigious Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation scholarships in 1994 and has been a judge for the $20,000 top prize, says prize judges “know the canned answers.” When she applied, she had to answer the question, “If could you could go back in history, what one thing would you change?” She figured everybody else would write about saving the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. or John F. Kennedy, or perhaps abolishing slavery. She wrote instead about something she’d just studied: She said she’d prevent the burning of the library in ancient Alexandria.
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Scholarship Essay
September 15, 2009 — Togap Siagian
Now we’re in the most anxiety-producing part of the application process – writing the essay response. We know that many people struggle with the writing process. We also know that the requirement to respond to an essay question that:
Might require research, e.g., the National Fire Sprinkler Association requires you to do research on a specific law then state an opinion.
Seems like one more school assignment in an already crowded calendar, e.g., the Signet Classic Annual Essay Contest asks you to read “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde and answer a question such as:
Lord Henry Wotton is attractive to almost everyone in the novel from Dorian Gray, who becomes evil, to Basil Hallward, who remains principled throughout. What kind of person is Lord Henry? Why is he so appealing to the other characters? Support your answer with specific references to the novel.
Asks you to talk about yourself in some broad or narrowly defined way such as the all-ink.com $1,000 scholarship contest that requires a 50- to 200-word essay on who has had the greatest impact on your life, and a 50- to 200-word essay on what you hope to achieve in your personal and professional life after college.
Developing an essay can be intimidating. Anne Lazaroney, Guidance Counselor, says that students don’t know how to begin writing essays and they are intimidated by the competition, figuring that they can’t possibly write well enough to win anyway, so why bother?
Let’s look at the facts. You are graduating high school, right? Some set of educators apparently believe that you are capable of putting together coherent thoughts on a piece of paper. Plus, we already know that 90% of the people who apply, valedictorians, creative writing gurus, school paper journalists and just plain folks, have already failed to get to the finalist circle because they messed up the application. This information suggests that you probably have a decent chance at winning a scholarship if you put your mind to it.
Before we go any further, we should be clear on one point: regardless of the theme of the essay, Dorian Gray or fire sprinklers or anything else, the essay is really about you. Clearly, The NFSA wants you to learn about fire sprinklers and Signet wants to encourage enjoyment of the classics, but more than anything else, the judges want to know about you, your thoughts, your beliefs and your ideas.
Most Students Don’t Know How to Start the Essay…
Guess what? Getting started is sometimes the most difficult part of writing for professional writers as well. However, never starts writing without doing a couple of things first.
Understand the Purpose of the Writing and the Motivation of the Askers
Analyze the question or topic
Write down the essay question. How many parts does it have? Does the question suggest a structure or order, such as first describe your role in… then tell why it had the following effect… and what you learned from it….
Do you have to do research first or is this a question that is strictly about you that will come from an analysis of yourself?
Why have the judges asked this question or posed this topic? Recognizing that all essays are about you, how are the judges planning to get to know you through this essay?
Analyze the Organization
What is this scholarship about? Who founded it? What is the mission of the organization? Why are they providing scholarship money? Who are the judges? What special points of view do they bring to the judging?
How do you find out this information? Usually, you can find a great deal of background from the scholarship website or the printed material provided by the scholarship group. Dottie Theriaque from the Community Foundation says that if you have a question about purpose or anything else, call and ask. Funders are eager to help applicants; that’s what they are all about.
In a phone call with Josh Barsch , founder of the Dale Fridell scholarship, he was very clear in his explanation that his scholarship group does not believe that only valedictorians or super jocks or Ms. “I Belong to Every Club” should get help going to college. Josh notes that once you leave school, the only person who will care about your GPA is you. You will success will be based on what kind of person you are, how you approach challenges and what your work ethic values are. Your GPA may be some indicator of your potential, but you will have to figure out how to reach that potential and it’s that process that will set you apart. That’s why the Fridell scholarship doesn’t request GPAs and SATs and club lists. Kind of levels the playing field, doesn’t it? Plus, if you are the valedictorian or the super jock, the only message is that you are not solely defined by that honor or activity. You are much more and Josh’s contest asks you to go beyond the usual high school achievement trappings and reveal more about yourself.
Create goals for the writing
For example, your goal in responding to an essay might be to:
Demonstrate personal traits in myself that are similar to the personal traits of the person for whom the scholarship is named. (The Brower Youth Award is given in honor of David Brower, to “honor his lifetime of bold action, inspiring mentorship, and principled effectiveness which helped give birth to the modern environmental movement.”)
Use present tense and optimistic phrases to show that I am an active, vibrant, can-do person.
Show how my strong family support contributes to my success.
Emphasize my sense of balance in academics and family life.
Do these goals sound so generic that they could be written for any essay? That’s not necessarily true. An essay for a scientific award may not want to portray a person as vibrant and can-do (and possibly lacking in the self-discipline necessary for rigorous scientific study) but instead as a diligent, highly curious person with a passion for understanding why things work and the patience to test all of the variables in order to come to a valid conclusion.
Depending on the award and the personal circumstances, a goal of the essay might be to demonstrate a commitment to succeed despite unstable family circumstances such as living in a variety of foster homes. Or, using a different approach, a conscious choice to forego balance between academics and family life to pursue a passion for learning about gene mapping in order to search for a cure for the multiple sclerosis that has made a family member an invalid.
3. Develop a Theme
Some may argue that you should develop a theme for your essay and then write goals. We believe that the opposite is true. When you read an essay question, it may be immediately apparent to you that the theme, or the message that you want to convey, has to do with your commitment to the healing profession as an extension of your desire to better people’s circumstances. Wonderful! However, if the theme of your essay is not immediately clear, break down the work by establishing a set of goals based upon your understanding of the essay’s intent, the mission of the funding organization, etc. These goals may lead you to one or more themes for your essay. In the set of goals above, the theme that may be emerging from the goals is an appreciation for the family or the team as a cornerstone to individual and group success. You can use your experience as a club leader in developing a team approach and your decision to ask members of your family to be on your college team to proofread, edit and search for opportunities as ways to show that you value working relationships and your leadership style will be successful in inspiring group success.
No matter which approach you take, goals first or theme development first, the important take-away is to establish a theme and goals and to be sure that the theme and goals relate you as a person to the subject you are writing about, even if the subject is a character in an Oscar Wilde novel or a pending piece of legislation.
Outline Your Response
Many people write by beginning anywhere with a free flow of ideas that they then mold into an appropriate order. Yes, that can work; you can occasionally start a project by writing down random thoughts. However, we recommend that you try very hard to approach your essay by writing an outline of what you want to say. The outline will assure that you have the right order and that you will cover all of the points you want to cover. Outlining does not necessarily mean that your essay goes into a required chronologic order, for instance. Some stories are best told by starting in the middle, then describing how you got there and how you are going to go forward. The outline will make it easier for you to move around the timing of various parts of the story to get the most dramatic effect.
There is a downside to the outline, we think. Sometimes it is difficult to make the transition from one section of the outline to the next, making the essay sound like explanatory words hung on a frame, very skeletal in effect. That’s why later in this chapter, we will pay special attention to transitions so that your essay flows well.
It’s Time to Write
Now it’s time to fill in that outline and tell your story. We have chosen not to give you a lot of new rules and directions in this section because we want you to simply get the story out on paper. You already have the basics- a theme in mind, a set of goals to meet and an outline to work from. Do your best and we’ll meet you in the next section to talk about it.
It’s Time to Re-Write
Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo made dozens of sketches before embarking on their masterpieces. Read the biography of any writer and discover that everyone, yes everyone, needs to re-write. You must do so because this is not an e-mail or a last minute book report, it’s a ticket to money if you do it right.
Show, don’t tell.
Go back through your essay. In every sentence where you have told the judges something, is there a way to show by example? Consider the following.
My family does not have a lot of money. I worked my way through high school at Wal-Mart.
This is a good piece of information to share. However, the message can be made more vivid by sharing more detail.
My family does not have a lot of money. I worked at the local Wal-Mart most evenings and did my homework on the bus ride home or after work.
Much better. Now the judges know that you were very busy and can feel the squeeze of needing to earn money and still get your school work done. One more time.
My family does not have a lot of money. We work together on a schedule so I can earn money for college and stay on top of my school work. Most weekdays after school, I attend one of my club meetings then catch the late bus home. I usually finish my math homework on the ride. I get home in time to grab supper ahead of time (Mom always has something ready on the stove) then work on other homework until Dad drives in at about 5:35pm. We pass each other in the driveway, transferring keys and information. (“I aced the math test”; “It needs gas on the way home”.) The fifteen minute drive gets me to Wal-Mart in time to punch in for the 6pm to closing shift. On nights that the family needs the car, Dad drives me both ways. I’m home again by 9:30pm, in time to chat with my folks and watch thirty minutes of ESPN before going to bed.
Now this is a cool guy in a great family. Everybody participates, everybody cooperates. You can feel the close timing involved in making this situation work. You can hear the easy interaction of people who like each other. You know that this guy is not a robot because he needs a little human interaction plus a little TV before starting over. We like him, don’t you? We’d like to help out this family; they deserve it. Bingo!
Present Tense, if Possible
The present tense allows people to live the information with you. It’s not always possible, but it’s a great strategy when it can work. The above paragraph could have been written in past tense, e.g., “Dad drove me both ways.” It’s still a powerful sentence but it’s already over. When Dad “drives”, we’re right there in the car.
Kill the Adjectives and Adverbs
In his marvelous book about writing, The First Five Pages, by Noah Lukeman, he suggests that you go through your first page of writing (your whole essay, in this case) and circle every adjective and adverb. Then see if you can use a more descriptive noun or verb to make your writing crisper. He uses examples like substituting “he was a tyrant” for “he was a brutal man” or “he was sprinting” for “he was running quickly”. Try it. Your writing will be immediately refreshed by using fewer words to do the job efficiently.
Make the Introduction Inviting
The introduction invites your reader to keep going. This is not the place to summarize – why read the rest if you get the picture in the first paragraph? Instead, tantalize and encourage the next step. How? Use emotion, raise a question, create surprise with a surprising fact.
Here is a possible opening for a discussion of a student’s work with a literacy program.
I am a literacy volunteer. I did not decide to do this work because studies report that 21% of adults (over 40 million) in this country are functionally illiterate or because 43% of people with reading deficiencies live in poverty or even because 70% of people with reading deficiencies have no job or only a part time job. My reason for becoming a literacy volunteer was much simpler. My Dad couldn’t read.
Okay, I’m hooked. I didn’t really know how bad the literacy problem is but, even more, now I need to know if this person was able to teach her Dad to read and how this person, with an illiterate parent, made it to the point of applying for a scholarship and heading for college.
Create Workable Transitions
Transitions are hard whether you are writing a speech, composing an essay or trying to get your little brother to go to bed. The trick is to show your reader where they are going next and why it’s a logical next step. Try not to use standard transitional phrases like, “Secondly” or “As a consequence”. Try repeating the prior thought and connecting to the next task. For example, “Once I learned how to scale rocks on the artificial rock face, I needed to try out my skills on a real mountain.”
A Compelling Conclusion
As in the introduction, don’t summarize. Essays are too short to need a review at the conclusion. Instead, re-emphasize the main point or circle back to the beginning and tie the loop. Consider the literacy introduction. The body of the essay should have been about the student, her efforts as a volunteer, her feelings about the difficulties faced by those who can’t read, her recognition of the gift that reading is and her decision to pursue a teaching career as a result of her experience. This story begs for a conclusion that answers the question, “Did her Dad learn to read?” Some possibilities.
Dad may never read Dostoyevsky but we are both thrilled that he can now read his sister’s letters from his hometown in Romania and doesn’t have to pretend to read the newspaper anymore.
Dad never did learn to read. But through his struggle, I learned that I want to give the gift of literacy to others, the gift that no one has been able to give to my Dad.
Very different endings but in each, we hear the effect that the experience has had on the writer. That’s the point. We gained insight into this woman’s life through her writing.
Take a Breather
After you write and revise your essay, you need to take a break from it so that you can return with a fresh set of eyes. It’s amazing how the sparkling prose you thought you wrote turns out to need a lot more work once you’ve gotten a little distance. Even more amazing is the realization that some of your writing is actually much better than you expected, now that you’ve followed some very standard writing rules.
Use Outside Readers
Ask people to read your essay and help you with honest feedback. Ask them what they liked most and least. Ask if the essay is written in a logical fashion with reasoning that is supported by examples or other proof. Ask your readers to correct typos, grammar, etc. Every new pair of eyes helps.
I’m Not That Interesting!
You don’t need to have an illiterate father or wage a battle against cancer to write an interesting essay. The guy who is working at Wal-Mart probably feels that he doesn’t have time to be interesting; he’s too busy working! Everybody’s life has interest and every essay topic can be made compelling by looking at how that topic affects the human condition and how you fit into that human condition.
Congratulate Yourself
The essay is by far the most difficult part of the application. You have overcome the biggest obstacle to applying for a scholarship.
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Scholarship Essay Two
September 15, 2009 — Togap Siagian
Scholarship Essay Two
WINNING NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR ESSAY
Nothing in all the world is comparable to reading Ayn Rand beneath New York’s skyline or to studying Nietzsche atop a mountain summit.
Since childhood, the studies of philosophy and science have interested me profoundly. Having read many books on relativity, quantum mechanics, existentialism, religion, capitalism, democracy and post-Aristotelian philosophy, my quest for knowledge has only intensified. Certainly, the purpose of my life is to discover a greater understanding of the universe and its people. Specifically, I plan to better grasp the interrelationship among forces, matter, space, and time. In addition, I hope to find a unified field theory and a convincing explanation for the birth of the universe.
During the summer of tenth grade, I took a number theory course at Johns Hopkins University with students from Alaska, California, and Bogota, Colombia. My attendance of the New Jersey Governor’s School in the Sciences is another accomplishment that exemplifies my dedication to knowledge. During the summer following eleventh grade, I took courses in molecular orbital theory, special relativity, cognitive psychology, and I participated in an astrophysics research project. For my independent research project, I used a telescope to find the angular velocity of Pluto. With the angular velocity determined, I used Einstein’s field equations and Kepler’s laws to place an upper bound on the magnitude of the cosmological constant, which describes the curvature of space and the rate of the universe’s expansion.
In addition to learning science, I recently lectured physics classes on special relativity at the request of my physics teacher. After lecturing one class for 45 minutes, one student bought many books on both general and special relativity to read during his study hall. Inspiring other students to search for knowledge kindles my own quest to understand the world and the people around me.
Also, as president of the National Honor Society, I tutor students with difficulties in various subject areas. Moreover, I am ranked number one in my class, and I am the leading member of the Math Team, the Academic Team, and the Model Congress Team. In the area of leadership, I have recently received the Rotary Youth Leadership Award from a local rotary club and have been asked to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and the Constitution in Washington D.C. Currently enrolled in Spanish 6,I am a member of both the Spanish Club and the Spanish Honor Society.
As student council president, I have begun a biweekly publication of student council activities and opinions. Also, the executive board under my direction has opened the school store for the first time in nearly a decade and is finding speakers to speak at a series of colloquia on topics ranging from physics to politics. Directing fund raisers and charity drives also consumes much of my time. For instance, I recently organized a charity drive that netted about $1,500 for the family of a local girl in need of a heart transplant.
Consistent with my love of freedom and my belief in democracy, which is best summarized by Hayek’s Road to Serfdom, I have recently initiated an application to become the liaison to the local board of education. Also, in keeping with my belief that individuals develop strong principles and ideology, I teach Sunday school three months a year and have chaperoned for a local Christian school.
Outside pure academics and leadership roles, I lift weights five times a week for an hour each day. In addition, I play singles for my school’s varsity tennis team. Because I find extraordinary satisfaction in nature and have dedicated my life to its understanding, I enjoy mountain climbing. Among the notable peaks I have reached are Mt. Washington, Mt Jefferson, Mt. Madison, Mt. Marcy and Mt. Katahdin. Unquestionably, my life’s aim is to dramatically raise the height of the mountain of knowledge so that my successors may have a more accurate view of the universe around them.
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Scholarship Essay One
September 15, 2009 — Togap Siagian
CRABIEL SCHOLARSHIP WINNER – won $3,000 scholarship
Like Mr. Crabiel, I literally work tirelessly in many academic and leadership roles. I sleep no more than six hours a night because of my desire to expertly meet my many commitments. Throughout my life, I have worked as long and as hard as I possibly can to effect beneficial changes in both school and society.
During the summer of tenth grade, I took a number theory course at Johns Hopkins University with students from Alaska, California, and Bogota, Colombia. Similarly, during the summer following eleventh grade, I was one of ninety students from New Jersey selected to attend the Governor’s School in the Sciences at Drew University. At Drew, I took courses in molecular orbital theory, special relativity, cognitive psychology, and I participated in an astrophysics research project. For my independent research project, I used a telescope to find the angular velocity of Pluto. With the angular velocity determined, I used Einstein’s field equations and Kepler’s laws to place an upper bound on the magnitude of the cosmological constant, which describes the curvature of space and the rate of the universe’s expansion.
In addition to learning science, I recently lectured physics classes on special relativity at the request of my physics teacher. After lecturing one class for 45 minutes, one student bought many books on both general and special relativity to read during his study hall. Inspiring other students to search for knowledge kindles my own quest to understand the world and the people around me.
As president of the National Honor Society, I tutor students with difficulties in various subject areas. In addition, I am ranked number one in my class with an SAT score of 1580 and SATII scores of 750 in math, 760 in writing, and 800 in physics. In school, I take the hardest possible courses including every AP course offered at the high school. I am the leading member of the Math Team, the Academic Team, and the Model Congress Team. In the area of leadership, I have recently received the Rotary Youth Leadership Award from a local rotary club, have been asked to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and the Constitution in Washington D.C., and wrote the winning essay on patriotism for South Plainfield’s VFW chapter. Currently enrolled in Spanish 6,I am a member of both the Spanish Club and the Spanish Honor Society. In addition, I recently was named a National Merit Scholar.
Besides involvement in academic and leadership positions, I am active in athletics. For instance, I lift weights regularly. In addition, I am the captain of my school’s varsity tennis team. So far this year, my individual record on the team is 3-0.
Working vigorously upon being elected Student Council President, I have begun a biweekly publication of student council activities and opinions. Also, the executive board under my direction has opened the school store for the first time in nearly a decade. With paint and wood, we turned a janitor’s closet into a fantastic store. I also direct many fund raisers and charity drives. For instance, I recently organized a charity drive that netted about $1,500 for the family of Alicia Lehman, a local girl who received a heart transplant.
As Student Liaison to the South Plainfield Board of Education, I am working to introduce more advanced-placement courses, more reading of philosophy, and more math and science electives into the curriculum. At curriculum committee meetings, I have been effective in making Board members aware of the need for these courses. In addition, my speeches at public Board meetings often draw widespread support, which further helps to advance my plans for enhancing the curriculum.
I have also been effective as a Sunday school teacher. By helping elementary school students formulate principles and morals, I make a difference in their lives every week. The value system that I hope to instill in them will last them their entire lives. I find teaching first-graders about Christ extremely rewarding.
Clearly, I have devoted my life both to working to better myself and to improving civilization as a whole. Throughout the rest of my life, I hope to continue in this same manner of unselfish work. Just as freeholder Crabiel dedicates his life to public service, I commit my life to helping others and to advancing society’s level of understanding.
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Scholarship Tips
September 15, 2009 — Togap Siagian
There is no magic formula for applying for and receiving a scholarship. But these tips can start you on the right foot.
* Be organized. Stay on top of deadlines, gather all pertinent documents, and make copies of everything you submit. It is a good idea to send your applications by certified mail to ensure receipt.
* Be honest. Don’t exaggerate your grades, memberships, skills, or qualifications. It is better to focus on the scholarships for which you might be eligible.
* Follow instructions carefully. Some scholarships require you to write an essay; others may want letters of recommendation. Send in what is requested and proofread everything. Typos and missing materials can cost you a scholarship.
* Proofread your application: Review everything. Typos are a sure way not to be considered for a scholarship. Consider asking a parent, teacher, or friend to read your application.
* Keep copies of everything you send: If your application is misplaced, having copies will make it easier to resend your information quickly.
* Send your application packet by registered mail: Many sources offering scholarships will not confirm
* receipt of your application. Consider sending your application via USPS registered mail so you know your
* materials arrived safely.
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Scholarship Myths
September 15, 2009 — Togap Siagian
Myth
You must be an “A” student to win a scholarship.
Truth:
Having an “A” average alone will not guarantee you a scholarship.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation conducts one of the largest
corporate-sponsored scholarship programs in the United States.
Although a good academic record is a contributing factor, having
an “A” average exclusively will not qualify a student as a Coca-Cola
Scholar. Coca-Cola Scholars are well-rounded, unique, and
independent individuals.
Myth
Billions of scholarship dollars go unused every year.
Truth:
Although some scholarship money is unclaimed each year, this
money is often earmarked for students with very specific
qualifications such as a particular last name or some unusual
characteristic. For instance, students who are Catholic and have
the last name of Zolp may be eligible for a full-tuition four-year
scholarship at Loyola University. For more information on unusual
scholarship opportunities including those for students who are
short, tall or overweight, review Chapter 15 of Winning
Scholarships for College.
Myth
B or C students have little opportunity to win scholarships.
Truth:
B or C students still have opportunities for scholarships. If you are
a B or C student and you have a history of participation and growth
in extracurricular activities as well as involvement in your
community, you have an excellent chance of winning scholarships.
Highlighting your participation and involvement in a student
résumé and an essay will help you be successful. For more
information, read Chapter 9 of Winning Scholarships for College,
“Grade’s Don’t Mean Everything – Standing Out in a Crowd” and
Chapter 11, “Writing Perfect Essays.”
Myths
You cannot win a scholarship if you do not have financial need.
Or, middle class students cannot get money for college.
Truth:
Middle class students can win money for college. Although they
may not be eligible for some need-based scholarship programs,
they still have numerous opportunities to win merit scholarships.
For more information, read Chapter 9 of Winning Scholarships for
College, “Grade’s Don’t Mean Everything – Standing Out in a
Crowd.”
Myth
Grades and SAT scores are the only factors you need to worry
about for winning scholarships.
Truth:
Having good grades and high SAT scores are definitely important.
However, you still need to have a history of participation and
growth in extracurricular activities as well as involvement in your
community to win scholarships. Also showcasing your
participation and involvement in a student résumé and an essay
will help. For more information, read Chapter 9 of Winning
Scholarships for College, “Grade’s Don’t Mean Everything -
Standing Out in a Crowd” and Chapter 11, “Writing Perfect
Essays.”
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What Makes a Highly Successful Scholarship Winner?
September 15, 2009 — Togap Siagian
What Makes a Highly Successful Scholarship Winner?
Review the following habits of scholarship winners for tips on how you can
make your scholarship quest successful.
Successful students always remember the five P’s – Prior
preparation prevents poor performance. Prepare for the scholarship
search early. Do not wait until your senior year.
Successful students do not rely on their parents to do all the work.
Successful students vigorously avoid mistakes on their essays and
applications. They always spell-check, proofread, and allow one
other person to proofread their applications and essay for errors.
Successful students do not ignore scholarships that may be local or
those for small amounts. Scholarship amounts, even as small as
$50, can add up.
Successful students do not rely on only one source such as the
Internet for their scholarship search. They use many resources.
Many scholarships on the Internet or in the free scholarship
searches that you find on the World Wide Web are nationally known
and are harder to win due to greater competition. Local and regional
scholarships are not found as easily through an Internet search,
although they may be easier to win because the applicant pool is
smaller. You have to use a combination of resources to find as
many scholarships to apply for as possible.
Successful students market themselves well. In their applications,
they highlight positive aspects about their lives, especially
community involvement.
Successful students do not apply to one or two scholarships and
wait for the best. They apply for all scholarships they are eligible to
win. They keep applying until the total they have won exceeds what
they need to pay for the college they want to attend or until they
graduate with a degree.
Successful students are organized. They keep track of deadlines
and materials required to complete an application.
Successful students are well rounded. They participate in
extracurricular and community activities. They write about these
activities in scholarship and college essays in a descriptive
manner. They try to benefit others as well as themselves with the
extracurricular and community activities in which they are involved.
Successful students understand that SAT scores and grades alone
do not win most scholarships. Scholarship programs look at many
factors such as community activities, leadership, presentation of
your application package, special or unusual talents or skills, etc.
Successful students do not look for the easy way out. It is harder for
them to believe in a scholarship scam that promises to do all the
work for them. They understand that those things for which we work
hardest often bring the greatest rewards. Hard work in the
scholarship process as a high school student could result in an
easy college life without work later, or a loan-free life after college.
Avoid These Most Common Mistakes Made on College and Scholarship
Applications
1. Not following directions
2. Missing the deadline
3. Not typing your application or sending in a sloppy application
4. Forgetting to spell check and to proofread after you spell check
5. Not including information such as a transcript or recommendation
6. Not answering the essay question or another question asked.
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Scholarship Recommendation Letter Sample
September 15, 2009 — Togap Siagian
Friends and relatives who attend college often seek scholarships that will help with college expenses, and one may ask you to write a letter of recommendation to help him or her win a scholarship. Such a letter can be a deciding factor in whether a friend is able to complete a college education. This sample letter of recommendation for a scholarship provides a general format that you can use to help you write your own letter.
Name
Street address
City, State, Zip
Date MM/DD/YYYY
Dear Scholarship Selection Committee:
As a friend of his family, I have had the pleasure of knowing [Name] since he was born. He has been an outstanding student since the first grade. I strongly recommend him as a recipient of your scholarship award.
I am sure that [Name] will continue to succeed in his studies. He is a dedicated student, and his grades have been consistently exemplary. He always shows great initiative and diligence; he is able to develop intelligent plans and implement them successfully.
He has demonstrated admirable leadership skills. Many new students in his school have sought his advice, and many have shared with me their appreciation of his pleasant, encouraging attitude.
For these reasons, I highly recommend [Name].
Because of his drive to succeed, proven abilities, and impressive academic achievements, [Name] is a worthy candidate for the scholarship. If you have any questions regarding [Name]’s character or achievements, please contact me.
Sincerely,
[Name]
TIME menobatkan Barack Obama sebagai 