How to Ace the Rhodes Scholarship (Fully Funded to the UK for International Students 2022-2023)

I am excited to bring you my first detailed analysis of a scholarship to the UK–The Rhodes Scholarship. This is a very prestigious scholarship that is fully funded for international students to study in the UK. For the year 2022-2023. the scholarship provides £17,310 per annum (£1,442.50 per month) covering all living expenses, accommodation, and tuition.

In this blog post, I will cover three main topics;

1. About the scholarship

2. My theory on how to get scholarships.

3. Lessons from the CVs of the grantees of this scholarship and how you should strategize to get it

4. Application tips for the Rhodes Scholarship

About the scholarship

The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded, full-time, postgraduate award that enables talented young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. Rhodes Scholars come to the UK for two or more years and can apply to study most full-time postgraduate courses offered by Oxford University.

My theory on getting scholarships

In 2014, I was awarded the MEXT Japanese government scholarship, in 2016, I was the 3rd runner-up for the Mandela Washington Fellowship, in 2018, I was awarded the YALA fellowship and in 2021, I was awarded the Clinton Global Initiative Fellowship. Since 2015, I have also spent a lot of time sharing scholarship resources, interviewing scholarship grantees, and worked one-on-one with many scholars who have also ended up getting fully funded scholarships. I tell you all of this because I have been in the scholarship space long enough to have a theory on how to get scholarships.

My theory is that to get any scholarship, study the profiles of those who have gotten the scholarship and DO WHAT THEY DID so in the next section, I will share with you the lessons I learned studying the CVs of the recent past Rhodes scholars.

Lessons from the Rhodes scholar's CVs/Application Tips

1. Be a self-starter: A self-starter is a person who is sufficiently motivated or ambitious to work on their own initiative without needing direction. This can be through starting a for-profit or non-profit organization. You may be thinking but how do I do that? Well, you can start with your hobbies. What are some of the things that you like to do and you are very passionate about? Do it, register it and when it is time to apply for the Rhodes scholarship, indicate it in your CV.

2. Be a potential leader: The Rhodes scholarship is not just searching for straight A academics but those with leadership potential. Those who want to change the world. Those who want to make the world a better place and are willing to take action to get it done. Be honest with yourself, Are you one of those? Do you have leadership potential in you? When we look through your CV can we see examples of things you did that showed your leadership qualities?

3. What's your story? Everyone is moved by a compelling story so what's your story? It is easy to think that your story is not worthy enough or compelling enough but that is not true. You are unique and your story, matters. You just need to figure out how to tell it in a way that moves people.

HERE IS THE FULL VIDEO

I will love any feedback from you about this post. what do you think? was it helpful to you?