Thought Patterns That Helped Me Secure Scholarships

There is a debate as to what's primary – thoughts or actions, and whether it’s more important to think in a certain way or act. I do not believe in linear causality, I think that both thoughts and actions feed into each other. It’s a circular process, rather than linear.

You definitely can take action regardless of your beliefs. The problem, however, is that certain beliefs will prevent you from taking the action that could move you closer to your dreams.

I noticed over the years that working with limiting beliefs can have outsized effects. A lot of people who come to me for help and advice don’t take action because their beliefs prevent them from it.

That’s why in this post, I decided to focus on thought patterns.

I found that one of the most effective things I can do in conquering limiting beliefs is to recognize that in some scenarios, they are true. Their character as half-truths is what makes them so powerful.

As a matter of illustration, some of the most helpful thought patterns I’ve found are:

• nothing is ever wasted

In the context of applications, it means that each unsuccessful application is getting you closer to the one that’s going to be successful. Most of my applications that were not successfulI was able to improve and reuse for the applications that became successful. Nothing was wasted. It was just a matter of reps.

• a failure is a stepping stone to success. Also: there is no failure, only feedback

Most people dramatically underestimate the amount of work needed to get somewhere. It’s not necessarily their fault: we are surrounded by messages of ‘overnight’ success. The work that other people had to do to achieve something largely remains unseen. The truth of the matter, however, is that you’d usually need to fail a lot before you become good at something. Applications are not an exception.

• there are too many scholarships to apply for; there are more scholarships than you can apply for

Your eligibility for opportunities will largely depend on the parameters you didn’t choose. And there will be groups of people with significantly more advantage than you. Often, however, if you focus on the opportunities that are available to you, you’ll notice that there is still a lot to apply for. That can help you bring yourself into a more constructive frame of mind.

• not applying is a 100%-guaranteed failure

If you don’t apply, for whatever reason, you are guaranteed not to get funding. If you do apply, however, you raise your chances for success.

• have a bias for inclusion

If you have doubts about your eligibility for a scholarship, try to err on the side of inclusion. Try to presume that you are included (if the criteria are blurry). Then reach out and clarify. Most of the time it won’t work. But some of the time it will.

In the following, I want to show you how I work with limiting beliefs in the context of applying for scholarships.

‘There aren’t enough scholarships for everyone, not for me for sure’. Or: ‘This scholarship is way too competitive. I’m not going to apply’.

This is a common belief that I see.

The key is not to pretend that there are more scholarships than there actually are. That’d just be denial. But if you focus on the competition and perceive yourself as ‘limited’ by scholarships, you won’t get far. You’ll feel deprived, and feeling deprived is usually not conducive to constructive thinking and acting. To maximize your chances for success, acknowledge the facts and focus on the things you do control: the quality of your application. Ask yourself: What can I do to make sure that I submit the best application I can?

A possible reframe of this belief: ‘I understand that the number of available scholarships is limited. But I believe it’s possible for me, with proper planning and preparation, to get into a good university and fund it with a scholarship. I’ll do my best and see what happens’.

‘I’ve looked at the profiles of people who got this scholarship before. They are all geniuses. I don’t have anything like that on my profile. I have no chance of succeeding’.

This is another one that I see.

All too often, people believe there is no point in applying because their profiles are not good enough and there will always be someone smarter than them. There is a grain of truth to it: scholarships are highly competitive, and most applicants won’t get them. What is also true, however, is that it’s insanely hard to judge your own profile.

Think about this way: If you don’t apply, you are guaranteed not to get that scholarship. 100%. But if you do apply, you at least get a shot. If nothing else, you’ll get valuable experience that you’ll use in other applications. You’ll also know that you’d done everything you could to secure the funding.

Further, some people who get prestigious scholarships can indeed qualify under the conventional definition of geniuses. However, most people who get the same scholarships don’t. They are regular people. They just work really hard on their profiles and their applications.

Finally, you never know. You NEVER know, really. Decisions about scholarships are relative, not absolute. This means that your application, although assessed holistically and on the merits, never stands on its own. Rather, it’s evaluated relative to other applications in the pool.You’ll never know the quality of other applications, and the only thing you can do is to do your best.

Reframe: ‘I am my own harshest critic, and I’ve probably devalued some of the things I’ve done in my life that other people may find valuable. Plus, my application will be assessed not in isolation but relative to other applications in the pool. I have no possibility of knowing who else is applying, so I’ll apply too. If nothing else, I’ll get the experience’.

‘I’ll only apply for scholarships that are full coverage’ or a similar one: ‘I’m not accepting a scholarship unless it’s full coverage’.

When it comes to funding your degree, a good policy is to diversify and combine. This does NOT mean ignore full scholarships. By all means, please do apply for full scholarships. But for many people and programs, there just won’t be any, or will be too few. Do keep an eye on alternatives. As you research your funding options, you’ll usually be better off if you explore and secure as many funding options as possible to maximize your chances for success. If you get funding from too many competing sources, you can always refuse. But sometimes a few partial scholarships can add up to a full one.

To make it crystal-clear: I am NOT saying to apply for scholarships that are not attractive to you, and I’m NOT saying to neglect full scholarships. But don’t discard other scholarships if they are not full coverage – rather, look for additional opportunities to cover the rest and apply for all. You’ll have a higher chance of going to your desired university if you secure all the options available than if you rely on a single source of funding.

People often say, ‘but it’s a waste time and effort’ and refuse opportunities that don’t cover the full cost, e.g. a $30,000scholarship when the total cost of studies is $60,000. But the thing is, if you get a $30,000 scholarship and then another $30,000, you are good to go; however, if you refuse two $30,000 scholarships and keep looking for a single one of$60,000, you reduce your chances of success – a scholarship like this may not even exist for your program or your profile.

You can always turn down a scholarship later. If you only get one scholarship that covers half of your studies and can’t cover the rest, you can always reapply. You are a free person (I assume). There is nothing in the laws of nature to oblige you to accept a partial scholarship and then struggle to pay the rest. It’s not all or nothing, and you’ll usually have more options that you think you do.

To illustrate: when I was looking to fund my master’s,I applied (among others) for two scholarships, one in the amount of $10,000 and another $18,000. These two alone would have never gotten me to Harvard, since the total price of the program amounted to $92,000 for 2017/2018. But if I’d gotten them both and combined them with other scholarships I got, I would have never needed to crowdfund. That’s the power of alternatives. And yes, of courseI applied for full scholarships where I saw them – I just did not stop there. Nor I suggest do you.

Reframe: ‘I’ll keep an eye on full scholarships and definitely apply but diversify my chances by considering a variety of sources that I can combine so that I can study where I want’.

Or: ‘I’ll provisionally accept a partial scholarship and keep looking for the remaining funding or a full scholarship. If something better comes along, I can always refuse. If it doesn’t, I can always reapply until I get the funding I need’.

***

In conclusion, I’d like to say that when working with mindset, it can be helpful to acknowledge that the world is deeply and fundamentally unfair. That’s just how it is. Your beliefs are not going to change that.

However, your beliefs can change the way you go about attracting resources and negotiating your life. Even in this deeply unfair world, there are still things you can do. There is a lot more you can’t do, but some things, very limited things, are under your control. They can help you secure the funding you need.

If you'd like to learn more, I talk about it in depth in my Ultimate Guide to Funding Your Master's Degree.

I wish you way more than luck.

‍