Be sure to read the information about

● University and its history

● Country and its president/ ambassadors
● Major and its clear meaning
● Study plan and some subjects from it

General tips for scholarship interview

Have Someone Interview You - Practice interviews are a good way to hone your skills
before you face the scholarship review board itself. Have a family member, friend or trusted
teacher walk you through a mock interview, asking the type of questions you will be given
during the actual interview process.

Be On Time - This can not be stressed enough. The review board's first impression of any
applicant can color any subsequent interview. Being late to the interview only shows a lack
of respect for the interviewer, and a lack of interest in the scholarship being offered. Allow
plenty of extra time to arrive at your interview, and try to be a few minutes early.
Professionalism is the key.

Be Conscious of Your Behavior - Interviews of any kind can be nerve wracking, but it is
important to appear calm and self possessed while speaking with the review board. Try not
to fidget or appear nervous. Sitting still, making eye contact and maintaining good posture
gives you the appearance of a calm, collected and professional student. Be confident in your
answers, avoid sounding indecisive and speak clearly and to the point when answering the
questions that are put to you.

Dress Appropriately - First impressions are important, and as the saying goes “you don't
get a second chance”. Dress presentably for all of your interviews. While it is not necessary
to dress formally, semi-formal attire is appropriate for all scholarship and college board
interviews. Men should consider slacks and a dress shirt, or even a suit and tie, and should
be well groomed and professional looking. Female students may want to opt for a dress or
business style suit when attending their interviews. The important thing here is to appear
professional, able and earnest.

Know Yourself - Beyond being aware of your posture and your appearance, be conscious
of what you say. Be clear and concise in your answers to the interviewer, and avoid wavering
from the point. A rambling interviewee may seem charming, but he or she does not impress
the review board. Stay focused, and keep your answers pertinent and on topic.

Some little preparations

● Review the scholarship program information & the organization who is providing it
● Learn about current affairs by reading national newspapers
● Be yourself & stay confident
● Take care of your body language - try not to show signs of nervousness
 ● While getting questions fired at you that you have no answer to, ask the judges to
clarify the question
● Sit straight when you face the judges, make eye contact
● Don’t do any unnecessary movement
● Don’t fold your arms
● Speak clearly, and slowly
● During the scholarship interview, take your time responding to questions; don’t rush
your answers

Prepare a monthly expense report

Sometimes the interviewers have no idea about the expenses students have for travel,
accommodation, meals, study materials, learning equipment and for other things. Therefore,
it is good to prepare a monthly expense report. A simple break of your expenses, activity
after activity, day after day will be helpful for you

Questions About College & Course:

1. What graduate schools/programs have you been accepted into?

2. What influenced your choice of this major?

3. Why did you choose this college?

It is better to explain why the college’s features are important to you. Walk the interviewers
through the thought process you went through when selecting the college. This will help
them understand what is important to you and it will also show them how seriously you
considered your choice of a college and the education you hope to attain there.

4. What is your favorite subject in school and why?

If you say that your favorite subject is English, you can speak about a writing competition
that you won.

5. Why do you want to enter this career?

6. Share your inspiration for wanting this career.

Name a few well known alumni or personalities who achieved big success in your interest
field. For eg. In Mathematics: Name a few scientists or mathematicians.

7. Is there anything else you want to add?

The last impression you leave is often the strongest. If you think you’ve already left a strong
impression during the scholarship interview, then you don’t have to say anything. But if you
think you need to reemphasize an important point, this is the time to make a final statement.
Admission - Interview

Introduce yourself. How would you describe yourself? Describe your personality in
three words. I’m a student at … . I’ve been passionate about … and its impact on human
life since my early childhood days. Over the past few years, with the help of my parents and
teachers, as well as movies I managed to explore this passion by taking up extra courses
and reading some articles. My hobby is … .

Were you involved in any activities at school/ university or in your community? Yes, at
my school/ university I am a volunteer. As a volunteer, I coordinate other students, as well as
participate in the official events of our school/ university. Additionally, I am involved in …
team. I enjoy having a balance between physical and intellectual activities because they
keep me active in different ways.

Tell us about your greatest strength and greatest weakness. My greatest strength is that
I am able to prioritize what needs to be done first today and which tasks can wait until
tomorrow. This allows me to be efficient with my time management skills so that I am able to
succeed in school/ university and my extracurricular activities. However, my greatest
weakness is that I can become too focused on one task and forget about other assignments
or projects which need attention. I’ve been working on this by setting reminders in my
calendar throughout the day.

What are your biggest achievements and mistakes? My biggest achievements are my
academic scores and the pride of my parents. I don't think that I have made so many
mistakes, but I would like to be more active, because of my schedule sometimes I look like
an unsocial person.

Tell us about your leadership and teamwork experience. I have organized some
meetings and events about … . This experience has taught me how to effectively manage a
team and meet multiple deadlines in an organized manner. I would like to note that I have
positive feedback about my leadership and communication skills from my professors and
groupmates.

What is your favorite book and why?

What subject was your favorite in school/ university?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Describe your long and short-term goals. I love
… . I love studying how the ... works and would like to work in …, specifically in … . This
career attracts me because it is fast-paced but also has great growth opportunities within the
company. I also plan to actively work towards development of this area in my country.

Who do you look up to? Who is your role model? What motivates you?

How did you choose your major? Simple theoretical questions can be asked about
your specialty. That's why you are expected to be familiar with simple terms and
concepts!!!
Why are you applying for a Bachelor/ Master degree? After reading books and materials
about … I realized that I want to make global changes in this area not only in my country,
but in the whole world. I am aware that global digital progress is continuing to fundamentally
impact people's, enterprises', and institutions' lives, bringing billions out of poverty, boosting
overall prosperity and wellbeing, and creating new ways for governments and citizens to
interact. It's also making the world a more connected place and promoting globalization by
giving people more access to free markets, democratic systems, prosperity, and innovation.
Based on all of the above, as well as my interest in this area, I believe that this program is
one of the best options for my development.

What are your expectations concerning the ... programme? What theoretical and
practical knowledge and skills would you like to acquire during the bachelor/ master
course? Unfortunately, although I study this area in Azerbaijan, I gained academic
knowledge and practice only with the help of my own research and enrolling in various
courses. My main expectation from the ... program in … is to gain more knowledge in the
field of … and its relation with society, as well as attend classes such as … .

How did you find out about … university? I was looking for programs related to …, and
found this program. I immediately realized that this program was created for me, as it covers
topics that interest me. To be precise, I found the program through the website about
universities in … . You can answer here that the fact that the university is in the top
ranks and the city where the university is located is more suitable for me - and these
are some of the factors influencing my choice. It is sufficient to say that the university
environment is diverse, multicultural and you will get a better education here. It is a
good indication of the reason for your choice of faculty, for example, that you have
good results in any of the specialties included in it and you want to increase your
knowledge. Also, when you choose this faculty, you may have to complete any article
or project as a result of the knowledge you will gain.

How will you benefit your country?Do you plan to return to your country - Azerbaijan
after graduation? Thanks to the experience and knowledge gained there, you will
return to your country as a more experienced citizen in your field. And you will apply
what you learned in Azerbaijan. You are expected to give this type of answer!!! Of
course, when you study abroad under the conditions created by the state, you are
expected to return and contribute to your country. If you say that you will return and
that you intend to apply what you have learned in Azerbaijan, this will give you an
advantage.

Language - Interview

This interview is rare. These interviews have 2 types of questions. The first type is questions
about your motivation, about your hobby, etc. The second type refers to questions that only
check the degree of your English language. For example: What is your favorite weather/
meal/ book/ movie/ country/ city, etc.
Visa - Interview

Why are you going to … ?

What will you specialize in for your degree?
What will be your major?
Who is your current employer? What do you do?
Why are you planning to continue your education?
Why is a Master 's degree important for you?
Can you not continue your education in your home country?
How will this study program relate to your past work or studies?
What was your previous GPA?
How will you manage the cultural and educational differences in … ?
How good is your English?
Why not study in other countries?
What do you know about ...'s schools and universities?
Can I see your high school/college diploma?
What is your monthly income/sponsor’s annual income?
Do you have a copy of your bank statements?
You can say that this process is ongoing.
Do you have relatives or friends currently in … ?
What are your plans post-graduation?
Do you have a job or career in mind after your graduation?
Do you plan on returning back to your home country?
What are your plans after graduation?
Are you sure you won't stay in … ?
Will you continue to work for your current employer after you graduate?

Scholarship - Interview

"I believe that I am one of the best candidates for this scholarship because I clearly know the
problems in my country, as well as in the global arena, and I believe that all the resources
that I will receive from you will go to good causes and development of the field of ... . I really
need your grant because I don't have enough finances to study in … . I hope that my high
school's grades/ bachelor degree's grades, academic knowledge, certificates, awards,
experience and most importantly motivation will play a huge role in your choice. Thank you
for this opportunity… "

Soft skills questions can be asked at interview:

What you have to say / What you have to avoid when you answer / Examples

Question 1. Introduce yourself/ Tell us about yourself

Talking non-stop, long and too fast/slow - this can overwhelm the interviewer and lead to
distraction from the interview; Unnecessary and inappropriate information sharing; Sharing
too much personal information - remember, the interviewer is not interested in your life story;
Do not tell exactly all the information given in the CV; To provide information about all
general characteristics and abilities
What you have to say and take into account at the answer:

Provide brief information about the past experiences that may be related to the applied
scholarship and university profession, mention their names; If you are a student and have no
work experience, it would be beneficial to highlight your past volunteering activities;
Emphasize the characteristics and abilities that may be relevant to the profession and
scholarship you are applying for and, if applicable, briefly describe a situation in which you
applied these abilities in your past experience; Speak with passion and desire to show how
much you are interested in this work

Answer example:

If somebody is answering this question and she is interested in business, she might say: "I
have a passion for understanding why people make the purchase decisions that they make
and I am very passionate about business and how business relates to people decision
making.The experience I have is that I am one of the founding members of our school's
business club, I started a business club with 2 of my friends in school and we built that club
to have 40 members.We have an online store and we had a business model we sell
everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs to anything that has our school logo on it and that
business now has $10,000 worth of revenue annually.That shows my passion for business
now what I want to do next is that I want to study business at the university of my choice and
that university is the one I'm interviewing for".

Question 2. Tell us about your weak(est) point

I don't have any weak points or weaknesses. This answer shows that you are not aware of
your weak points and are not open to innovations and development. All listed on CV. This
answer directly sends a message to the other party, "You don't see what's on your CV, look
again" and avoids the real answer, which completely prevents you from passing the
interview. A characteristic that is personal and not related to work.For example, saying that I
am very fond of my dress and style will be considered negative as a meaningless answer
because it is not work-related and is not a weakness you can develop. Classic answers that
every applicant will say. If you are asked this question in the interview, it is very likely that the
applicants before you will be asked as well. Saying "I work hard" in response won't make you
stand out from the crowd. Be different and give a unique answer. A feature that is very
difficult or impossible to develop. I think we can agree that it is much more difficult to
overcome impatience, or to develop patience, than to develop the ability to type quickly on
the keyboard. Therefore, try to name one weak feature that you can eliminate over time.

Tell a real weakness that can be positive - By saying it is real and positive, a trait that can
be overcome, you show that you are aware of your weaknesses and are working on them.

Emphasize what steps you have taken to overcome this weakness - The fact that you
want to overcome weakness is a sign that you are prone to development and open to
innovation.
Tell how you can overcome it - The fact that you overcome your weaknesses conveys to
the other part that you are strong-willed and that you will finish what you started, even if it is
morally or physically difficult.

Answer example 1:
If your profession that you are applying for is mostly solo work, but can sometimes be done
with a team, you might say: I am a person who likes to work alone, independently and
quickly. Therefore, there are times when I find it difficult to ask someone for help when I need
it at work. Currently, I am working on this weak feature. When I have a problem, I find that I
can solve a difficult task more easily by asking for help from an expert who knows this task
better than me. In this way, I eliminate weak features over time and increase the quality of
my work.

Answer example 2:
If the profession you're applying for is primarily a team job, you might answer: My biggest
weakness at the moment is that I sometimes dig too deep into the project I'm working on and
analyze details that might be unnecessary. I sometimes waste time on these details when
they are unnecessary. However, I am currently working on this weak feature and I ask a
teammate who is more experienced than me in advance for details that will not be necessary
in my work. In this way, I do not waste time and energy, and I perform my work in a better
quality.

Question 3: Describe to us the biggest challenge you have faced and how you solved
it

Do not give inappropriate or unprofessional answers, for example: Once my friend/someone

didn't talk to me for 1 month. An event that happened a long time ago cannot be shown as
an example, for example: In the 8th grade, I couldn’t pass the class because of math.
Situations where you do not use soft skills relevant to your job should not be used as
examples, for example: There was a big problem when I went to the football game with my
friends.

Be honest and talk about something that happened in the last year, for example:During
my university years, it was difficult to juggle volunteer work and university, but by solving this
challenge with my X, Y, Z skills (you list the skills you need for your job), I both developed
and improved my stress management skills.

Describe why this is a difficult situation, for example: During this time, I was forced to
work more at night and took more risks. But in doing so, I both increased my resilience and
learned that taking risks can pay off.

Present yourself as a positive person and express the solution positively, for
example: Although this situation was very difficult for me, I controlled my stress and put my
time and risk management, teamwork skills to work and analyzed and started working to
solve the problem. I even developed myself more by taking extra classes/extra work with him
when this situation was over.
Emphasize how you will use the skills you learned from this situation in the company
you are applying for, for example: I will apply the risk and time management, stress
management, teamwork and problem-solving skills I learned and developed from this
situation in X, Y, Z areas in my new job. "In one of my recent roles, we had a disgruntled
customer who was unhappy with her purchase. I offered to speak with her and took the time
to listen to her concerns. Once she was calm, I offered her various options to help resolve
the issue. When she decided on the solution that best suited her, she thanked me for my
time and ended up making another purchase with us in the future. While I helped rectify this
situation, I also ensured we kept her as a customer."

Question 4: Our interview is over, do you have any questions for us?

No, I don't have any questions. Saying that I don't have any questions in response to this
question shows your unmotivated approach to work. Asking questions about money.
How much salary/bonus will I get per month? Asking negative questions. What is the worst
feature in this job? Asking unrelated questions. And what do you think about me?

Asking questions related to development. What does the company plan for the
development of its employees on the job? Asking questions that may have a personal
opinion of the interviewer. What do you think is the best feature of the company?

Asking questions that will show your research about the company. Lately I've been
reading articles about company X rules. What are your next plans for this?

Question 5: Why not other scholarships? Why do you want to apply for our
scholarship?

Unprofessional answers. The cost of this scholarship in this country is higher than others.
Irrelevant answers. I really like the design of your scholarship website. Answers showing
lack of enthusiasm for work. I urgently need a scholarship that is easier to get and this
scholarship is still open. Classic answers that everyone will give. I think this scholarship has
good and easier requirements than others. Answers that reveal personal goals. The country
is my dream country.

State your true purpose clearly. To be honest, the reputation of your scholarship attracted
my attention first. It would be an honor to get such a scholarship with a strong history.

Show in your answer that you have researched the company. The information given by a
friend who worked in this company before me about the culture within the country you
provide with scholarship, as far as I can see from your website, I believe that I will be able to
develop myself with this profession because this profession in this country has constant
learning and development.

Show why this scholarship is suitable for you. The values ​I saw on your site are my
characteristics and the characteristics I want to have in the place I want to work, which made
me think that I am suitable for this vacancy.
Question 6: Tell us about your hobbies.

To be honest, I don't have any hobbies. Hobbies show how you value your free time. With
this answer, you show that you do not develop in your free time. I do only my work. In
particular, foreign companies and scholarships choose employees and students not only for
work and studying, but also for the quality of their hobbies. They need not only a working
and studying person, but an employee and student who can free himself and his brain with
hobbies. Boring and classic hobbies: listening to music, reading books. You can love to read
books, I love it too. :) But this answer should be said in another way, we will learn it in the
next part. Saying classic answers doesn't make you stand out from the rest. Try to stand out
with a unique hobby. Saying negative hobbies: I like to drink/smoke a lot. This type of
answers can sometimes be given by some students who have little interview experience.
Drinking is a personal choice of course, but it should not be used as an answer to this
question.

Be honest and say a positive hobby: I love to cook meals from different nations. With this
answer, you can stand out from other competitors and show that you are open to
innovations.

Hobbies that can show character: I love reading personal development books. With this
answer, you show that you are developing in your free time and that you are preparing
yourself for the future.

Say hobbies that may be related to your work: I read articles on the subject of XXX,
personal development books. With this answer, you show that you love your profession and
that you do things in your free time that can help your job in the future.

3 sentences you have to say during an interview:

1. Thank you for calling me for an interview today and giving me this chance for this
scholarship.

Why do you have to say this sentence? The impression you make on the interviewer at the
beginning of the interview is vitally important. With this sentence, you convey the idea of
​"thank you" to the other part and create a good impression. After which question should you
say this sentence? It is better to say after the first questions. Basically, since the first
question is "Introduce yourself", you can say after this question. Which words should you
emphasize? Processing the words "Thank you, I am grateful" plays a key role here.

2. All the characteristics mentioned in the scholarship description exactly match with
my experience and characteristics.

Why do you have to say this sentence? By saying this sentence, you convey to the other
part how interested you are in the scholarship and that you have researched and read the
scholarship description in advance. After which question should you say this sentence?
Change this sentence to "What makes you different from others?" it is more appropriate to
say after the question. Which words should you emphasize? The use of the words "job
description, my characteristics, experience" or synonyms of these words is mandatory.

3. If I win this scholarship, I will try to meet the expectations of the scholarship by
working as hard as I can.

Why do you have to say this sentence? With the help of the 3rd sentence, you show your
dependence on the company and work, and you convey to the other party the idea that you
will stay with the company for many years. This is the dream of every employer. After which
question should you say this sentence? Replace this sentence with "Why should we choose
you?" it will be more correct to say after the question.Which words should you emphasize? "I
will try to meet the expectations of the scholarship" are the most important parts in this
sentence.