Many applicants to the most selective university programs share high grades, high test scores, solid recommendations and generous doses of community service and volunteer activities. Yet, if they want to set themselves apart from the pool of exceptional students, a significant research experience in STEM or the social sciences helps.
The path to success rarely depends on selecting the right major.
Nor is a job assured by studying a given discipline. Nonetheless, when discussion of majors arises ‘be practical’ and study something ‘relevant to the workplace’ are constant refrains. Yet, what is ‘practical’ and ‘relevant’ in the workplace? The practical and relevant today might become dross in just a matter of years.
There’s something almost magical about hunting for scholarships. When you find scholarship listings and start adding up the numbers, it evokes the feeling of winning the lottery: $10,000 for writing an Isaac Newton essay or $2,500 for listing community service projects. It’s all very alluring, but don’t let the potential sums distract you from the realities of gaining scholarships. Playing the scholarship game requires a plan, a bit of self-knowledge, and a firm grasp of reality.
