Don’t write your scholarship essay until you know about this one thing

“Every application to a university or for a scholarship has a story to tell. The problem is, most of us don’t often realise we can and should be the heroes of it. But that’s exactly the main thing everyone should focus on when writing scholarship essays, according to Pavan K Sriram , a three-time scholarship winner to study in the US and Europe. The students who stand out aren’t always the smartest or the most polished — they’re the ones who understand their “hero journey” and know how to tell it honestly. “The ones who secure scholarships all have one thing in common,” he says. “They have a deep passion for becoming the agent of change in whatever field they’re in.” Sriram would know. He has won several scholarships, including the fully funded Erasmus Mundus scholarship, one of Europe’s most competitive programmes. Today, he mentors students across India and the Global South, helping them navigate applications to top universities worldwide. What makes his story interesting is that he never grew up expecting any of this. “[Up until my undergraduate years] I had no clue about scholarships at all,” he says. Sriram won scholarships to study in the UK, Spain, and Norway. Today, he helps others with their application, including their scholarship essays. Source: Pexels/Mehmet Turkgut Kirkgoz Meet Pavan K Sriram, a 3x scholarship winner turned expert on scholarship essays Back then, studying abroad felt almost impossible for Sriram. He came from a modest family in India, not the kind who could afford to plan their futures in US dollars or euros. Government jobs were considered a dream. They were stable and paid decently. But studying in countries like the US and the UK? That was for other people to dream towards. Sriram instead pursued a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University and went on to become an application engineer at The Timken Company, a global technology leader in engineered bearings and an industrial motion company. Then one work trip would change his future. While travelling to the US to train as a mechanical engineer, Sriram met people from all over who had funded their education entirely through scholarships. Suddenly, the idea seemed more possible. Even realistic for someone like him. When he returned to India, he started researching opportunities for mechanical engineering students and stumbled across Erasmus Mundus. He applied and t hree months later, he got the email. Out of the thousands of applicants from around India, he was selected as one of just 18 fully funded scholars. “I knew it was competitive,” he says. “But I also felt I had an interesting story.” Sriram went on to study at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain and at Swansea University in the UK as part of his Erasmus Mundus, pursuing an MSc in Computational Mechanics. His journey didn’t stop there. He later secured his second scholarship, the Dorothy Hodgkin scholarship, in the UK for his PhD, as well as a third scholarship funded jointly by the Norwegian government and industry partners. However, he did not complete his PhD. Sriram instead returned to Bangalore, India. Today, he’s the founder of two companies, Kohort and the Growth Collective. Kohort is a platform that provides a safe, supportive space for members to connect, share their passions, and make meaningful contributions to society. Meanwhile, The Growth Collective is India’s first queer opportunity and leadership ecosystem, where queer youth can safely access education, careers, and change-making spaces. He also mentors students who are considering studying abroad. So, what is the ‘hero journey’ in scholarship essays all about? Sriram often tells his mentees that every applicant has a “hero journey.” But it’s not about pretending to be extraordinary or sounding perfect. In fact, he thinks that’s where many scholarship applicants get it wrong. “Everyone thinks they need to be exceptional,” he says. “But I never believed myself to be an excellent profile. I just believed I had a story.” According to him, that story is what scholarship committees are actually looking for. Not robots with straight As and perfect GPAs. Not someone who copies personal statement templates from the internet. They have to be as authentic as possible. Committees are seeking people who know who they and who they want to be. And if given the chance to study a subject in a country, what they hope to do with the opportunity. “We all have different struggles and journeys,” he says. “ You just have to be vulnerable enough to show that, irrespective of what life puts you through, you keep climbing back.” That’s why Sriram wants students to think deeply before they even begin applying. Why this degree? Why this university? Why now? Why you? If an applicant cannot answer those questions honestly, the application will likely sound too generic. The “hero journey” will make them sound different. Here’s why the hero journey is the #1 thing applicants should care about when writing their scholarship essays Many people think scholarships are just about funding. But Sriram emphasises they’re also important investments by the one giving it, be it an individual or an organisation. Whether it is Erasmus Mundus, Commonwealth, or Chevening, scholarship bodies and providers are ultimately asking themselves one question: what kind of person are we investing in? This is why Sriram believes authenticity matters far more than applicants realise. “Whoever is funding expects something,” he says. “Not money back, but they expect you to become an ambassador for the field or the programme.” This is why students with “average” profiles should not automatically count themselves out. That doesn’t mean hardship alone will win scholarships. Sriram warns against turning applications into desperation pitches. Instead, personal struggles should only appear ig they genuinely shape the applicant’s motivations and goals. One student he mentored wrote about being pressured into marriage before fighting to continue her studies. She believed she had something to give the world, and that shaped the rest of her story. For students worrying that they are not “good enough”, Sriram’s advice is surprisingly practical: stop obsessing over perfection and start building clarity. Audit your profiles honestly, then identify scholarships that actually align with their strengths, and improve their weak areas. If they’re rejected, accept it as part of the process. “An early no is always a good sign,” Sriram says. “If you stay committed to your journey, it can become a yes later.” Watch the full conversation with Sriram here!

Summary generated from the RSS feed of Study International. All article rights belong to the original publisher. Click through to read the full piece on www.studyinternational.com.